Hi neighbors!

This week we’ve got some fun events, plenty of live music + 2 new businesses opening very soon: another new Ann Arbor restaurant & a new kids play space!

📰  What’s Happening?

🐸 Critters Up Close at Hands on Museum | Saturday 1/25
See animals up close at the AA Hands on Museum from 12-3pm.

🎤 The Beatles Tribute at The Encore Theater (Dexter) | 1/23-1/26
The Encore’s newest show this weekend featuring classics from The Beatles

❄️ Winter Wonderland at Revel Run (Chelsea) | Friday & Saturday 1/24-1/25
Ice skating, ice fishing, sledding & more winter fun on the awesome grounds at Revel Run!

🏓 Heated Hang at Homes Campus | Sunday
Meet some other local families for some games & fun at Homes Campus flex space from 4-7pm — ping pong, cornhole & more games + games for kids!

🤗  What’s New?

🛝 Hide & Seek Play Boutique Grand Opening

A new indoor play space for kids, the Hide & Seek Play Boutique announced its grand opening week for February 3rd-8th at 1954 S. Industrial Hwy in the Revel & Roll Plaza. 

The new play space will have a café and snacks available for purchase and be limited to 10 children per 1.5 hour time slot to ensure it doesn’t get too crowded and allow time to clean/sanitize between play sessions.

The play space is geared toward children 0-6, but they will have crafts/activities for kids older than 6 available as well + offer weekly classes for different age groups & rentals for private parties. You can find them on Facebook & Instagram for updates & a special rate for their first week!

🔥 Echelon Kitchen & Bar Grand Opening

According to my sleuthing, Echelon Kitchen & Bar will open its doors on February 6th!

…And while I haven’t actually seen this date announced on their website or social media (their website just says February 2025), Google says it will open on February 6th, which makes me think the business may have entered that date upon creating a Google business profile. That’s my theory, but don’t hold me to that date… (unless I’m right).

Echelon Kitchen & Bar will open at 200 S Main St (formerly the BD’s Mongolian Grill) and will feature a wood-fired, vegetable-forward menu with locally farmed/sourced ingredients.

🎵  Live Music Lineup

(Live music events in Ann Arbor/Ypsi unless otherwise noted & those marked with ($) charge a cover or require a ticket to the best of my knowledge)

Thursday, January 23rd:
Keaton Royer and Josef Deas @ Weber’s from  6-9pm (no cover)
James Muto @ Erratic Ale (Dexter) at 6:30pm-8:30 (no cover) 
Jake Reichbart @ The Earle from 7-9pm (no cover)
Rounding Third @ Ypsi Alehouse at 7pm (no cover)
The Headhunters ft. Mike Clark @ Blue Llama Jazz Club from 7-8:10pm & 9:30-10:40pm ($)
Formosa Quartet: Significances @ Kerrytown Concert House at 7:30pm ($) 
Fallout Shelter show @ 734 Brewing Co (Ypsi) from 7:30pm-midnight ($5 suggested donation)
JP @ Mash (Ann Arbor) at (time not listed, no cover)
Matt Smith, John Kratuner, Peacetime Consumers @ Ziggy’s (Ypsi) at 8pm ($)
Nobody's Business @ Zal Gaz Grotto from 8-11pm ($)
Petalwave, Studio Lounge, Najj @ The Blind Pig at 8pm ($)
House Music For All @ Elks Lodge AA from 8pm-midnight ($5 cover)
The Pherotones @ Last Word from 9pm-midnight (no cover)

Friday, January 24th:
Liam Charron Trio @ North Star Lounge from 5:30-6:30pm (no cover)
Rock Jones @ LIVE from 6:30-9pm (no cover)
Cloudhoppers @ Mash (Ann Arbor) at (time not listed, no cover)
Pontiac Trail Blazers ft. Mark Lavengood @ North Star Lounge from 7-10pm ($) 
Wilson & Brenner Co. @ Ypsi Alehouse at 7pm (no cover)
Nick Collins Sextet @ Blue Llama Jazz Club from 7-8:00pm & 9:30-10:30pm ($)
Gimme Gimme Disco @ The Blind Pig at 8pm ($)
48th Ann Arbor Folk Fest ft. Waxahatchee, Josh Ritter, Jobi Riccio, Adeem the Artist, Afro Dominicano, and MC Ketch Secor @ The Ark at 7pm ($)
MusicMix Rick Hicks @ 734 Brewing (Ypsi) from 8pm-midnight (no cover)
The Machine @ Zal Gaz Grotto from 8-11pm ($) 
Out Loud Chorus: Coming Out and Coming Together @ Towsley Auditorium in the Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College from 8-10pm ($23-$25)
Bunkerman, Mogi Grumbles @ Ziggy’s (Ypsi) at 8pm ($)
Billy Mack and the Juke Joint Johnnies @ The Rumpus Room (Chelsea) at 8pm ($10)
Dead Honey Collective @ Mash (Ypsi) at 8pm (no cover)
Demarre McGill (Flute) Performs Mozart @ Michigan Theater at 8pm with a pre-concert talk at 7pm ($)
Rob Crozier Ensemble @ The Habitat Lounge from 9-11pm (no cover)
ThrillKill and Danny Fantom @ Alley Bar from 10pm-2am (no cover) 

Saturday, January 25th:
John LaFave @ Ypsi Alehouse at 4:30pm (no cover)
Dylan Charles @ North Star Lounge from 6:30-7:45pm ($)
Allen Dennard Quintet @ Blue Llama Jazz Club from 6:30-7:30pm and 9-10pm ($)
Irish-ish @ Ypsi Alehouse at 7pm (no cover) 
Robert Warren and others @ The Earle from 7-9pm (no cover)
John Germain @ Highline Spirits (Dexter) from 7-10pm (no cover)
Steve Leaf & Co. Present Weezer's Blue Album + Head Full of Ghosts @ The Rumpus Room (Chelsea) at 7pm ($10)
48th Ann Arbor Folk Fest ft. Toad the Wet Sprocket, Bruce Cockburn, The Milk Carton Kids, Joy Clark, Willi Carlisle, and MC Ketch Secor @ The Ark at 7pm ($)
Birjy Viola @ Canterbury House (UofM Campus) from 7-9pm (no ticket or cover information, likely free)
Phrey, Stupid Fried, Maak G, Voodoo @ Ziggy’s (Ypsi) at 8pm ($) 
Out Loud Chorus: Coming Out and Coming Together @ Towsley Auditorium in the Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College from 8-10pm ($23-$25)
Sassiety @ Mash (Ypsi) at 8pm (no cover)
Demarre McGill (Flute) Performs Mozart @ Michigan Theater at 8pm with a pre-concert talk at 7pm ($)
Ladyfinger @ Triple Goddess Tasting Room (Ypsi) from 8-10pm (no cover)
The Extrusions Mid-Winter Glowfest @ Zal Gaz Grotto from 8-11pm ($)
Multiple Artists at Freeze Fest 6 @ The Blind Pig at 8pm ($20)
Schmaltz @ North Star Lounge from 9-10:15pm ($)
Rob Crozier Ensemble @ The Habitat Lounge from 9-11pm (no cover)
Dave Menzo @ Mash (Ann Arbor) at (time not listed, no cover)
Late Night: Laura-Simone Quartet @ Blue Llama Jazz Club from 10:30-11:55pm ($)

Sunday, January 26th:
Rachel Arnsdorf @ 4M Venue from 11am-2pm (included with brunch) 
Steve Somers and Friends @ Ypsi Alehouse at 2pm (no cover) 
The Kombos Collective: Out of Time, Out of Place @ Kerrytown Concert House at 4pm ($)
Michigan School of Music, Theater and Dance Gershwin Centennial Concert @ Michigan Theater at 4pm ($)
PORK @ Zal Gaz Grotto from 5-8pm ($)
Fareed Haque Trio @ Blue Llama Jazz Club from 6-7pm & 8:30-9:30pm($)
Christian Lee Hutson w/ Allegra Krieger @ Blind Pig at 8pm ($20)

Monday, January 27th:
Keaton Royer and Josef Deas @ Weber’s from  6-9pm (no cover)
Paul Keller Orchestra @ Zal Gaz Grotto from 7-10pm

Tuesday, January 28th:
Easy Street Jazz Band @ Zal Gaz Grotto Club from 5-7pm ($) 
Keaton Royer and Josef Deas @ Weber’s from 6-9pm (no cover)
Jake Reichbart @ The Earle from 7-9pm (no cover) 
Tikimen of Berlin, Kat Steih @ Ziggy’s at 8pm
Taimane & Her Trio @ The Ark / Virtual at 8pm (free)

Wednesday, January 29th: 
Bob Hoot @ North Star Lounge from 5:30-6:30pm (no cover)
Keaton Royer and Josef Deas @ Weber’s from 6-9pm (no cover)
Houston Patton Quartet @ Blue Llama Jazz Club from 7-8pm & 8:45-9:45pm ($) 
Jake Reichbart @ The Earle from 7-9pm (no cover) 
No Conflict @ Ypsi Alehouse at 7pm (no cover)
Miko and the Smokin’ J’s @ The Grateful Crow from 7-9pm (free)
Unholy Honor, Stove Top Disaster, Detroit Trouble @ The Blind Pig at 8pm ($)
Thornetta Davis @ The Ark at 8pm ($30)
Slumberdog, Sunil Sawani, Dylan Charles Band @ Ziggy’s (Ypsi) at 8pm ($)

And if you haven’t already… make sure you follow me on Instagram to get more updates & ideas of things to do and see in the area! 

👋🏻 Who Am I?

💙 THANK YOU!

Thanks for reading the AA Insider this week!

If you enjoyed it enough to share it with someone else, that would make me super happy too 🙂