Ingrid Michaelson Brings Sequins, Humor, and Music to The Ark

By Sarah Kerson and Gillian Teall
November 5, 2009

The Ark's stage was covered in delightful blue and red sequins.

This glimmering addition to the intimate concert venue was the work of Ingrid Michaelson and her band: “Dan and I went on a quest to find shiny things,” Michaelson laughed, referring to her band mate and producer, Dan Romer. He accompanied her on a number of instruments including accordion, euphonium, and synthesizer.

Along with exotic fabric, Michaelson brought another personal effect to Ann Arbor: her humor. The show that sold out last Wednesday night was almost equally comedy and music. There were several moments throughout the performance where Michaelson’s band mates could not play for laughing. Towards the end of the show, all six people on stage—including Michaelson—had burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter. “Never as a group have we collectively lost our cool…” she said between giggles.

Keeping in tune with her humorous anecdotes, Michaelson and her band performed a parody of Michaelson’s own song, Maybe. Re-titled We Love Mexican Food, the ballad is no longer about a dissolving relationship, but now possesses a new meaning — when you’re on the road, go Mexican: “I don’t know what I’m gonna eat tonight / ‘Cause there’s nothing on our bus / McDonalds, Burger King or Bennigans / No, I think I’m going Mexican…”

Michaelson animatedly interacted with her audience, turning her song The Hat into a sing-along and Mountain And The Sea into call-and-response. When the audience sang conservatively, she requested “unsafe” accompaniment. “That was very sweet,” she said, “but safe. I feel like we can be a little unsafe.”

The two shows (both sell-outs) Michaelson played in Ann Arbor were part of an extensive tour to promote her new album, Everybody (2009, Cabin 24 Records), which was released on August 25.
She is performing over 50 concerts, including seven in Europe.

Ingrid Michaelson performed two sold out shows on October 27th and 28th. at The Ark. — Ingrid Michaelson performed two sold out shows on October 27th and 28th at The Ark.

Everybody is Michaelson’s fourth album and third to hit the charts. The new album has some tracks that are tailored more for radio, while other songs uphold Michaelson’s reputation for offbeat, catchy, melodies and witty, relatable lyrics. Despite its mainstream traits, Everybody still has the bubbly, sing-along quality that makes it an excellent listen.
Opening for Michaelson was Matthew Perryman Jones, a singer/songwriter from Nashville. He started off nervously with Meghan’s Song, but as his performance went on Jones became more confident. He warmed up to the crowd, guiding the audience in clapping along to one of his songs, When It Falls Apart. “We’ll just pretend we’re in a living room, ’cause I literally feel like I’m in my living room right now,” said Jones of the personal setting at The Ark.