Whether you are visiting Ann Arbor specifically for a concert or looking for something fun to do during your stay with us at our Ann Arbor hotel, here are some details about our top five favorite spots for live music in the area. All five venues are located in downtown Ann Arbor, just a quick drive from the hotel (Uber or Lyft rides should be less than $15 at normal fares).

The Ark

The Ark is an intimate concert venue centrally located on Main Street, surrounded by delicious dinner options. This tends to be a go-to choice for dinner and a concert, and it’s especially appropriate for a romantic night on the town. The Ark’s atmosphere has to be experienced to truly be appreciated. Concerts are seated, and there is intense focus on the performers. The audience is often so rapt by the music that you can hear a pin drop between applause breaks. There is real magic that happens in this small concert hall, which seats about 400 people, and even the back row feels up close.

Insider Tip #1: Seating is first-come, first-serve, so we recommend getting in line early if you have the time. Because the venue is small, the adage “no bad seat in the house” is almost true. There are a handful of seats that aren’t so wonderful because they exist behind fairly large support beams that will obscure a large portion of your view of the stage. Getting in line early will help prevent getting stuck behind one of these pillar seats.

Insider Tip #2: A full bar is available, but their liquor license is dependent upon their status as a “club,” so in order to buy alcohol at The Ark, you have to become a member, which is only $5 for an entire U of M semester. Because The Ark runs as a non profit, these membership donations also go to support their operations and allow them to thrive as one of the most special music venues that we’ve ever experienced.

The Blind Pig

In a lot of ways, The Blind Pig is The Ark’s counterpoint – loud, raucous, standing instead of sitting… It’s the quintessential indie rock venue, small enough to feel camaraderie with the bands, but enough notoriety to book incredible talent. Often, the bands that play The Blind Pig are on their way up in the local and national rock scenes. In the late 80’s, bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Smashing Pumpkins played The Blind Pig on their rise to selling out stadiums. You can watch some historical footage of a 1990 Nirvana show at The Blind Pig on YouTube.From the YouTube comments, “I’m so glad my band got to play a show there. Now I know why it was one of Kurt’s favorite places to play. Something about that place makes people super excited, and that energy makes you put on an amazing show.”

If you love rock and roll and discovering new bands on the rise, The Blind Pig should be staple on your concert day lineup.

Blue Llama Jazz Club

If you like to pair your live music with a side of feeling fancy, Blue Llama might be just your style. It’s the newest venue on the list, having just opened in 2019 on Main Street near The Ark. The restauranteurs are clearly going for a classy vibe, so set your expectations by that barometer on everything except for prices. Everything from the food to the music is incredibly reasonable for downtown Ann Arbor. It would thrive as a restaurant on its food and service alone, but the live jazz makes Blue Llama the best music/dinner venue in the city – if you’re looking for that crispy, swanky touch. For bar vibes, check out the next one.

Insider Tip #1: Check out their website before you just pop in. While they do hold back some seats for drop in traffic, those can be hard to come by, so a reservation is usually your best bet. Reserve your seat a few weeks out if possible. This place is in massive demand.

Insider Tip #2: Also on their website, check the events calendar for the day you’re hoping to go. It will show the performer lineup and whether it’s a normal show with no cover charge or a ticketed show. On the normal shows, there is no cover charge, but there is a spot on your check for a suggested entertainment fee to help attract the best musicians to the venue.

Mash

If bar bands are your jam, Mash is about as good as it gets in Ann Arbor. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but typically you will hear more cover songs in this environment than you will in other music venues. So if singing along at the top of your lungs to Sweet Caroline or Don’t Stop Believin’ is the music mode you’re in for the night, Mash is your best chance to satisfy that need. Keep in mind the differences in the approach to music at different venues. Here, the music is additive, not the soul focus, so your listening experience will contend with loud conversions and a general bar atmosphere. This isn’t necessarily good or bad, it just depends on what you’re in the mood for on a particular night. If your day is winding down, and Mash is feeling a bit too rowdy, a quick walk down the block will bring you to the most intimate venue on our list…

Crazy Wisdom Tea Room

This one almost feels like a secret we want to keep to ourselves. Crazy Wisdom is a bookstore and tea room with an overarching focus on mind, body, and spiritual health. Since music is wonderful for all of those things, it’s fitting that Crazy Wisdom hosts live music every weekend, Friday and Saturday nights from 8-10pm. Crazy Wisdom is also home to a consistent, monthly Open Mic Night, which is a great way to experience and support a wide variety of local talent. The live music happens on the upper level of the store, in the tea room, and there is no cover charge for any of the shows. Bring a little cash with you for the tip jar because we all need to chip in to make these intimate venues attractive for the best possible local musicians and songwriters. If you like the intimate, focused vibe of The Ark, the music at Crazy Wisdom Tea Room takes it even further with seating for only 30-40 patrons.