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Events in January 2023
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January 21, 2023
“Kids Ice Fishing Clinic”: Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission.
Hands-on clinic where kids ages 5-12 can learn about winter fishing, safety practices, and types of fish, then practice on the ice with staff. Registration includes a fish identification and logbook. Bait and fishing equipment provided. 9–10:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Independence Lake County Park Beach Pavilion, 3200 Jennings Rd. $15 per group of up to 4 people. Preregistration required at ParksOnline.eWashtenaw.org (search Activity #IL431321). $6 (nonresidents, $10) vehicle entry fee.
“The Plastic Bag Store”: University Musical Society/U-M Museum of Art/U-M Graham Sustainability Institute.
Jan. 17 and every Wed.–Sun., Jan. 18–Feb. 5. Film and theater director Robin Frohardt’s public art installation and immersive film screening uses humor and a critical lens to question our culture of consumption and convenience, with a focus on the effects of single-use plastic addiction. Shelves are stocked with thousands of original sculptures of everyday goods—produce and meat, dry goods and toiletries—all made from discarded single-use plastics. Several times a day, the “store” is transformed into a film screen that uses puppetry, shadowplay, and handmade sets to tell a darkly comedic story of how what we value least may become our most lasting cultural legacy. The Plastic Bag Store premiered in Times Square in 2020 and has toured across the U.S. 8 p.m. (Tues.), 6 & 8 p.m. (Wed.–Fri.); 2, 4, 6, & 8 p.m. (Sat.); & 2, 5, & 7 p.m. (Sun.), location TBA at tickets.ums.org. Mask required if Washtenaw County is in the CDC’s high-risk category. Tickets $30 (students $12) in advance at tickets.ums.org, at the Michigan League box office, & by phone, and (if available) at the door. 764–2538.
Meet & Greet: Ann Arbor for Public Power
Meet & Greet coalition members of Ann Arbor for Public Power. Get an update on the case for Public Power. Join us!
Journey of Faith Christian Church, 1900 Manchester Rd ,Ann Arbor. NA Free. calendar@annarborpublicpower.org annarborpublicpower.org 734-272-5194.Museum Highlight Tours: U-M Museum of Natural History.
Every Sat. & Sun., except Jan. 1. 30-minute tour of the museum exhibits and galleries, including Evolution: Life Through Time and artist Jim Cogswell’s Unseen Worlds installation. Also, an introduction to some current U-M biological sciences research projects. Noon & 2 p.m., MNH, 1105 North University. Free. Limited capacity. Sign up at the welcome desk. 764–0478.
Ann Arbor Group Runs: Fleet Feet.
Volunteer at the Kids Ice Fishing Clinic: Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
This winter, get out on the ice and inspire families to try a new winter sport: ice fishing! The Kids Ice Fishing Clinic teaches kids about winter fishing, safety practices, and types of fish. Then, staff and volunteers take the kids out on the ice for a practice session. Two volunteer positions are available. To apply for either position, please register at the link provided or contact Matthew Bertrand at bertrandm@washtenaw.org.
Independence Lake County Park, 3200 Jennings Rd, Whitmore Lake, MI 48189 ,Whitemore Lake. https://bit.ly/icefishvolunteerWCPRC Free. bertrandm@washtenaw.org https://bit.ly/icefishvolunteerWCPRC 734-971-6337 x323.Chime Concert: Kerrytown Market & Shops.
Lunar New Year Planetarium Shows: U-M Museum of Natural History/U-M Center for Chinese Studies.
Jan. 21 & 28 and Feb. 4. Presentation on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, Chinese star mythology, and the achievements of the Chinese government’s Chang’e missions to the moon to set up a semi-permanent robotic research facility. 10:30 a.m., U-M MNH, 1105 North University. Tickets $8. Limited capacity. Masks required. 764–0478.
“Investigate Labs”: U-M Natural History Museum.
“Tips and Tricks”: MacTechnics.
Magic: The Gathering: Sylvan Factory.
Every Mon.–Wed., Fri., & Sat. All invited to play various forms of the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Mon. 6:30–10 p.m.: Power Cards, $10. Tues. 6–9 p.m.: MTG Pauper, a fun and fast format for all skill levels, $5. Wed. 5–8 p.m.: Casual Commander, the most popular form of the game, free. Fri. 6:30–10 p.m.: Magic rotating draft, cost varies. Sat. noon–3 p.m.: Intro to Magic: The Gathering, free. Sat. 6–10 p.m.: Commander Pods, casual groups of 4 players, free. Prizes paid in store credit. Various times. Sylvan Factory, 2459 W. Stadium. info@sylvanfactory.com, 929–5877.
“A Honey Bee Presentation with Bee Present Honey”: AADL Malletts Creek.
“Creature Encounters”: The Creature Conservancy.
Every Sat. & Sun., except Jan. 1. Conservancy staffers show off some animals native to South America, including the sloth, macaw, and tegu (2 & 4 p.m.). Also, a zookeeper talk with a red-footed tortoise (3 p.m.) and a chance to see the conservancy’s other animals, including a reindeer, a wolf hybrid, and more. 1–5 p.m., Creature Conservancy, 4950 Ann Arbor–Saline Rd. $13 (kids ages 2–12, $11; under age 2, free) at the door; $1 discount for advance purchase at thecreatureconservancy.org. 929–9324.
“Neighborhood Nature Day”: Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission.
Open Hours: All Hands Active.
“DIY Snow Globes”: Ann Arbor District Library.
Pittsfield Open Band: Ann Arbor Community for Traditional Music and Dance.
Jan. 7 & 21. Jam sessions open to all interested musicians to work on jigs, reels, and waltzes to have fun, learn tunes, and develop contra dance musician skills. Bring the Ruffwater Fakebook, the Portland Collection, and The Waltz Books if you have them. 3–5 p.m., Pittsfield Union Grange, 3337 Ann Arbor–Saline Rd. Mask required; check latest Covid policy at aactmad.org. Free. 709–8748.
“Improv Jam”: Ann Arbor Civic Theatre Civic Improv.
Jan. 21 & 28. All invited to perform improv (sign up on arrival), or just to watch. No experience necessary. Followed (8–9:30 p.m.) by “An Evening of Improv” ($15 at the door only) featuring local and regional guest troupes. 6–7:30 p.m., Civic Theatre, 322 W. Ann. Free. CivicImprov@gmail.com, CivicImprov.org.
Allan Harris Band (NYC): Blue LLama Jazz Club
Ever since he burst on the jazz scene in the latter part of the twentieth century, Harlem-based vocalist, guitarist, bandleader, and composer ALLAN HARRIS has reigned supreme as the most accomplished and exceptional singer of his generation. The ample evidence of Harris’ magisterial artistry can be heard through his critically acclaimed concerts around the world, from Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York to the 2012 London Olympics.
314 S. Main St ,Ann Arbor. Pre-Pay Light Fare+Libations or Dinner+Show at opentable.com $35–85. hello@bluellamaclub.com bluellamaclub.com 734-372-3200.Magic: The Gathering: Sylvan Factory.
Every Mon.–Wed., Fri., & Sat. All invited to play various forms of the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Mon. 6:30–10 p.m.: Power Cards, $10. Tues. 6–9 p.m.: MTG Pauper, a fun and fast format for all skill levels, $5. Wed. 5–8 p.m.: Casual Commander, the most popular form of the game, free. Fri. 6:30–10 p.m.: Magic rotating draft, cost varies. Sat. noon–3 p.m.: Intro to Magic: The Gathering, free. Sat. 6–10 p.m.: Commander Pods, casual groups of 4 players, free. Prizes paid in store credit. Various times. Sylvan Factory, 2459 W. Stadium. info@sylvanfactory.com, 929–5877.
Makers’ Salon: All Hands Active.
All invited to speak for 5 minutes about something you are making or on any DIY, maker, or hacker-space topic. Refreshments. 6–8 p.m., All Hands Active, basement of 255 E. Liberty, ste. 225. Free; donations welcome. Preregistration required at meetup.com/allhandsactive/events. info@AllHandsActive.org.
“7 Lessons I Learned Becoming a Professional Youtuber with Joe Samulak”: Ann Arbor District Library.
“The Deluge”: Literati Bookstore.
Up-and-coming novelist Stephen Markley, an Iowa Writers’ Workshop grad, joins WUOM host April Baer to discuss his new book, a dystopian American epic, set in the present and near future, that follows a colorful cast of characters—a scientist, a broken drug addict, a star advertising strategist, a neurodivergent mathematician, a cunning eco-terrorist, an actor turned religious zealot, and a brazen young activist—as they face unrelenting ecological and social collapse. 6:30 p.m., Literati, 124 E. Washington. Free. 585–5567.
“70th Annual Faculty and Guest Artist Choreography Concert”: EMU Dance Department.
Jan. 20 & 21. EMU dance majors perform a mixed repertoire of new ballet, modern, and contemporary works by EMU dance professor Sherry Wilkinson and other EMU dance faculty TBA, as well as 3 guest choreographers, Ballet Chelsea artistic director Wendi Dubois, Fun Girl (Ypsilanti) contemporary dance company artistic director Chloe Gray, and the Detroit-based dance-theater company BAIRA/MVMNT Philosophy Company. 7–9 p.m., EMU Pease Auditorium, W. Cross at College Place, Ypsilanti. Tickets $10 in advance at EMUtix.com and at the door. 487–2282.
“It’s TAPpening!”: RhythM Tap Ensemble.
This U-M student tap dance ensemble showcases their lively and elaborate choreography to up-tempo pop, rock, jazz, and electronic music. Also, guest appearances by the Blue Bop Jazz Ensemble and other U-M student groups TBA. 7 p.m., Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. Tickets $8 in advanced at mutotix.umich.edu & at the door.
Dwayne Kennedy: Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase.
Jan. 19–21. This Chicago comic is a ubiquitous presence on cable TV known for his piercing, keen-witted takes on a wide range of social, cultural, and geopolitical matters. He has had both a Comedy Central Presents and a Showtime special. Preceded by 2 opening acts. Alcohol is served. 7:15 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat.) & 9:45 p.m. (Sat.), 212 S. Fourth Ave. $18 ($13 Thurs.) reserved seating in advance at etix.com before 6 p.m. the night of the show; $20 ($15 Thurs.) general admission at the door. 996–9080.
“Stairway to Heaven: A Tribute to Classic Rock”: The Encore Musical Theatre Company.
Jan. 19-22. Members of this local professional musical theater company, with a band led by composer-pianist R. MacKenzie Lewis, perform songs by rock bands of the 1960s and 70s, including hits by The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Queen, The Who, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, and more. 7:30 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat.) & 3 p.m. (Sun.), Encore, 7714 Ann Arbor St., Dexter. Tickets $48 in advance at theencoretheatre.org and at the door. 268–6200.
3rd Saturday Grange Contra Dance: Ann Arbor Community for Traditional Music and Dance.
Rick Szumski and Drake Meadow call to music by Pearl Street String Band. No experience or partner needed. Wear loose-fitting clothing and clean, flat, non-slip shoes. Beginners welcome. Preceded at 7 p.m. by a lesson. 7:30–10:30 p.m., Pittsfield Grange, 3337 Ann Arbor–Saline Rd. Mask required. Pay what you can; $10 suggested. 274–0773.
Comedy Night: Bløm Meadworks.
The Bayberry String Quartet: Kerrytown Concert House.
This ensemble makes its Ann Arbor debut with a program of intimate chamber music by Mozart, Prokofiev, and Mendelssohn. Violinists Nurit Pacht and Steffani Kitayama, violist Gabe Bolkosky, and cellist Laura Usiskin live in different states and met in Ann Arbor at the chamber music festival PhoenixPhest. They have developed an approach to working together virtually that they have shared with other musicians. 7:30 p.m., KCH, 415 N. Fourth Ave. Livestream also available. Tickets $29–$50 (students, $19) in advance at kerrytownconcerthouse.com and (if available) at the door. Reservations recommended. 769–2999.
“Are we not drawn onward to new erA”: Ontroerend Goed (University Musical Society).
Jan. 20 & 21. This pioneering Belgian theater company presents a conceptually daring view of environmental apocalypse. Awarded the Fringe First prize at the 2019 Edinburgh festival, it is a playful, formally striking theater piece in the shape of a palindrome, with meaning expressed both forwards and backwards, as its title suggests. It begins (and ends?) in the Garden of Eden, describing the progress of human life—and human waste. Time Out called it a “technically dazzling, emotionally devastating show.” The Jan. 20 performance is followed by a post-performance artist Q&A. 8 p.m., Power Center. Mask required if Washtenaw County is in the CDC’s high-risk category. 764–2538. Tickets $30 (students, $12–$20), in advance at tickets.ums.org, at the Michigan League, & by phone, and (if available) at the door.
“We the People … Let’s Get Loud!”: Out Loud Chorus.
Jan. 20 & 21. Saleel Menon directs this chorus for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends in a program featuring songs of activism and protest, including a choral medley from Hamilton, Gloria Estefan’s “Let’s Get Loud,” Green Day’s “21 Guns,” Dolly Parton’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” the classic “We Shall Overcome,” and many more. With accompaniment by bassist Edie Herrold, percussionist Tamara Perkuhn, and pianist Casey Baker. 8 p.m., WCC Morris Lawrence Bldg. Towsley Auditorium, 4800 E. Huron River Dr. Tickets $23 (students, seniors, & those in need, $15) in advance at olconline.org/events, $25 at the door. 265–0740.
Heywood Banks: The Ark.
Heywood Banks is the stage name of Howell native Stuart Mitchell, a very animated comedian known for his silly musical spoofs, goofy prop humor, and sight gags. Since adopting the nerdy, quietly psychotic Banks persona in the mid-80s, he has risen from a regional favorite to a national star. He’s a longtime local favorite. 8 p.m., The Ark, 316 S. Main. Tickets $30 in advance at the Michigan Union Ticket Office (muto.umich.edu) & theark.org, and at the door. To charge by phone, call 763–TKTS.
