The Manchester Underground Music and Art series continues its tradition of intimate, community-driven performances with a special "Music in the Round" event featuring Ann Arbor’s own Dave Keeney. Known as one of the hardest-working multi-instrumentalists in the Michigan scene, Keeney brings a seasoned touch on guitar and dobro that has anchored legendary local acts like Hoodang and the Pontiac Trail Blazers. For this performance, the usual stage boundaries vanish as Keeney leads a collaborative circle, inviting the audience into a living-room-style session that highlights the storytelling and spontaneous interplay of Midwestern roots music.
Joining Keeney for this "friends and family" affair is an ensemble of some of the region’s most beloved folk and Americana voices. The circle includes his wife and longtime musical partner Sophia Hanifi, whose versatile, soulful vocals have fronted bands like Map of the World and FUBAR. Adding to the rich vocal harmonies and acoustic mastery are seasoned performers Dave Boutette and Kristi Lynn Davis, alongside the evocative songwriting of Jo Serrapere and the instrumental prowess of John Devine. Together, this gathering of veteran musicians promises a night of shared songs and stories, celebrating the deep musical kinship that defines the Ann Arbor and Manchester creative corridors.
Doors at 7:00 PM EST
One of Toledo, Ohio's best-kept secrets, Bluesman Dooley Wilson plays "bottleneck" slide guitar in his own unmistakable fashion, fermented over more than three decades of playing experience, spanning from New Orleans to the Mississippi Delta to Europe. With a style profoundly rooted in the Mississippi blues and gospel tradition, Wilson sounds like a transporting anachronism without being a note-for-note archivist. He is the most obscure American Bluesman to have been covered by the iconic rock group The White Stripes.
Doors at 7:00PM EST
Jim Roll was the first headline artist to grace the Manchester Underground stage when the series launched in 2019. That debut show featuring the immensely talented Carol Gray was nothing short of mesmerizing. Manchester Underground is thrilled to welcome Jim Roll back, this time with a full band.
A singer, songwriter, and producer from Ypsilanti, Michigan, Jim Roll has co-written songs with acclaimed novelists Rick Moody and Denis Johnson and has released four albums. His album Inhabiting the Ball was named the #5 rock record of 2002 by Amazon critics. Don’t miss this special performance!
Doors at 7:00 PM EST
Photo by misty Lyn Bergeron
Ethan Daniel Davidson is a veteran singer-songwriter and "performance philosopher" whose music sits at the intersection of gritty Americana, haunting folk, and unvarnished blues. After a decade-long "Six Year Tour" where he played over 900 shows across the U.S. and a period of living in the Alaskan wilderness, Davidson has built a prolific body of work that spans fourteen studio albums. His songwriting is deeply literary, earning him comparisons to icons like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan for his ability to weave complex, philosophical narratives into homespun melodies.
For this special engagement at Manchester Underground, Davidson will be joined by his full band to bring the expansive sound of his latest records to life. His recent releases, Cordelia and Lear, showcase a shift toward a raw, "back porch" sound that blends cosmic country textures with the immediate energy of hill-country punk blues. This full-band arrangement promises to elevate Davidson’s signature storytelling, adding rich instrumental depth to his evocative, often dark explorations of the human experience.
Audiences can expect a high-energy yet intimate performance that captures the spirit of his live recordings in Mississippi. With a voice that Magnet Magazine describes as a throwback to the legendary folk singers of generations past, Davidson and his band deliver a sonic journey that is as intellectually stimulating as it is musically profound. Don't miss this rare opportunity to see one of Michigan’s most prolific and enigmatic artists in a powerful full-band setting.
Doors at 7:00 PM EST