ANN ARBOR – The Ark will be hosting its 26th annual Fall Fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 16, and this year’s event will feature singer-songwriter Josh Ritter.
A longtime friend of The Ark, Ritter will be performing rare, small club solo performance at the downtown folk music venue.
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He first performed at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival in 2003 where his standout performance solidified his name in Michigan, according to The Ark. He has toured with Jason Isbell, recorded a dozen albums and is a published author.
Ritter wrote this message ahead of the event:
Hi everyone! I don’t know about you, but for me this last year has had more than its fair share of long nights of the soul. Whether in song or prose or one of those weird creatures between, I’ve returned to stories over and over again for sustenance and counsel and forgetting. I’ve also found myself dreaming of touring again, being on stage, performing my songs – my stories – like I did for so long before the world turned on its head. I’ve lived in those memories when I couldn’t be on stage in any other way.
Now I get the chance to perform again. I’m so excited I almost can’t contain it. I want my first set of shows in a year and a half to be in places that will allow me sing some of the stranger, quieter, more narrative songs that I may not always get to at a rock show. I want the venues to be special and beautiful; I want laughter and music and stories that are true even if they’re unreal. Finally, I want to perform again, stomp the dust off, see what new appendages and teeth and claws have grown from this time in the wilderness, see what joy can come from sorrow and what tears can come from joy. I’m so excited to see you again.
Matt Watroba will be emceeing the event, and upper tiers of reserved seating will be able to attend a pre-show conversation between Watroba and Ritter as well as a dessert reception.
Described by The Ark as the voice of folk music in Michigan, Watroba has “the kind of rapport with audiences that makes them feel as if they’re sitting among friends in a living room,” writes The Ark.
Tickets that include the pre-show chat range from $125-$500.
Here’s a rundown of ticket selections, according to a press release:
Platinum - $500
- Reserved seating at The Ark, front and center
- Dessert reception 6:30 to 7:00 pm
- Conversation with Josh Ritter at The Ark 7:00 pm
- Drinks
- Tax-deductible contribution to The Ark of $455.00
Gold - $250
- Reserved seating, center and just behind Platinum ticket buyers
- Dessert reception 6:30 to 7:00 pm
- Conversation with Josh Ritter 7:00 pm
- Drinks
- Tax-deductible contribution to The Ark of $205.00
Silver - $125
- Reserved seating in drink rail areas
- Dessert reception 6:30 to 7:00 pm
- Conversation with Josh Ritter 7:00 pm
- Drinks
- Tax-deductible contribution to The Ark of $80.00
Bronze - $50
- General Admission seating in remaining seats
- Tax-deductible contribution to The Ark of $25.00
To purchase tickets, click here.
For more information about The Ark, visit www.theark.org.