Ann Arbor’s The Ark sits in what appears to be the heart of the city’s downtown area. Flanked from all directions by rows of high end eateries, shops, bars and clubs; the humble, longstanding folk venue can seem to have a hard time standing out in a sea of potential city-goer landing spots. In spite of this, The Ark remains a bustling hub for folk and roots music of all kinds more than 50 years after its doors first opened. The 316 South Main street location of The Ark has been in business since 1996. This past Thursday, I had the pleasure of seeing Toronto-based Celtic rock outfit Enter the Haggis perform at The Ark. This concert in Ann Arbor came part way through the band’s North American tour in support of their latest Album, The Archer’s Parade, released last year.
Enter the Haggis was formed in 1995 by vocalist and highland bagpipe player Craig Downie. For nearly two decades, the group has combined bagpipes, fiddles, and rock instrumentation in their work, creating quite a wide-ranging sound. These days, Downie is the sole remaining member of the original lineup and is joined by Brian Buchanan (vocals, fiddle, guitar), Trevor Lewington (vocals, guitar), Mark Abraham (bass, vocals), and Bruce McCarthy (drums). On Thursday night, the group was joined by Rose Baldino on fiddle. Baldino plays in her own band Burning Bridget Cleary, and tours extensively with House of Hamill (“Enter The Haggis – BIO/PRESS”).
Enter the Haggis’ Thursday night performance mostly featured songs from the group’s latest full length album, while older, crowd favorites were scattered throughout the night. I imagine The Ark, which seats around 400 people, is quite a bit smaller than the average performance venue for Downie and company. Having the chance to watch a band as eclectic and entertaining as Enter the Haggis in such an intimate space is a joy to say the least. While the songs varied widely in tone, tempo, and instrumentation, a constant throughout the night was the driving rock and blues influenced rhythm and celtic folk-inspired vocals. Each time Downie reached for his bagpipes in between pieces, he suddenly had my full undivided attention. His playing would cut through the rest of the sound coming from the stage with intense ferocity and clarity. Baldino’s fiddle playing captivated me, also. She didn’t accompany the group on every song over the night, but was warmly welcomed each time she returned to the stage. Her work transitioned seamlessly between quick, upbeat folk melodies and slow, emotive playing. The on-stage banter between members of the group invoked memories of old folk revival concert recordings I had listened to when I was much younger. Enter the Haggis, to me, feels much like folk revival for a new era.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the performance Thursday night, it was hard to ignore that I was very likely one of, if not the youngest person in attendance. Generally, it seems younger people don’t care much for “archaic” or “outdated” forms of popular music. In spite of this, I wholeheartedly encourage any fan of live music to visit The Ark, where folk and roots music traditions are being upheld by Enter the Haggis and hundreds of other talented performers each year.
References
“Enter The Haggis – BIO/PRESS.” Enter The Haggis, www.enterthehaggis.com/bio-press. Accessed 25 Feb. 2022.
