Tag: Dave Boutette

Darkness on the Edge of Corktown Celebrates Bruce Springsteen and Supports Motor City Mitten Mission During January 10 Benefit Show at Detroit’s Lager House

Mike Ward, Downtown Judy Brown, and Steve Taylor perform at the 2025 edition of Darkness on the Edge of Corktown. Photo – Nick Juno

A group of Metro Detroit artists is channeling the spirit of Bruce Springsteen.

The local musicians are performing together at Darkness on the Edge of Corktown, a Springsteen-themed benefit show that’s taking place January 10 at Detroit’s Lager House.

The show benefits Motor City Mitten Mission, a St. Clair Shores nonprofit that supports the homeless.

“After the success of our 2025 show—raising nearly $5,000—there were so many artists from Southeast Michigan who asked to be part of it if we held it again,” said Mike Ward, a folk singer-songwriter who’s organizing the show with his wife Angie Ward and singer-songwriter Nick Juno. “So it was a no-brainer.”

In its third edition, Darkness on the Edge of Corktown will feature more than 30 singer-songwriters performing songs from Springsteen’s catalog. The show takes its name from the 1978 Springsteen album, Darkness on the Edge of Town.

It will also serve as a collection site for donating winter clothing, food supplies, and other essential items for those in need.

Show attendees can donate any of the following items—hoodies, sweatshirts, shoes, boots, T-shirts, winter gloves and hats, sleeping bags, tents, backpacks, bottled water, beef jerky, crackers, soup cups, utensils, and more—and receive a discounted entry fee of $5 that night.

“Last year, we had no idea how much we could raise,” said Ward, who first hosted the event in 2022. “We honestly thought if we brought in $700 to $1,000, plus donated items, it would be a success in addition to the awareness for the Mission. We sold out and had to turn people away, and ended up bringing in $4,700, plus filled a few vans with donated items.”

People can also make monetary donations at the show or through Motor City Mitten Mission’s website. All donations and proceeds from the show will go to the nonprofit.

To learn more, I spoke with Ward ahead of the show.

Continue reading “Darkness on the Edge of Corktown Celebrates Bruce Springsteen and Supports Motor City Mitten Mission During January 10 Benefit Show at Detroit’s Lager House” →

Songbird — Dave & Kristi Embrace the Spirit of the Chickadee on Their New Folk Album

Dave Boutette and Kristi Davis in the studio at Ann Arbor’s Big Sky Recording. Photo by Misty Lyn Photography.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

Dave & Kristi feel a special connection to the chickadee.

The Dexter duo embraces the songbird as a symbol of joy and hope on their new folk album, The Chickadees.

“The chickadee reference is about the spiritual part of you that lives on,” said Kristi Davis about her latest release with husband and musical partner Dave Boutette.

“That’s the hopeful part, and they represent good luck, happiness, knowledge, truth, and adaptability. That’s exactly the stuff that we need right now.”

Davis and Boutette channel the chickadee’s positive spirit as they reflect on love, loss, and aging across the album’s 13 tracks.

“As far as things that are on the record, we’ve experienced a lot of loss in the last two or three years,” Boutette said. “And also this summer we’re both turning 60. It’s everything from family members and friends passing.”

The duo unexpectedly lost three family members and a pet during the last few years.

“Our dog passed very unexpectedly and a week later my dad passed,” said Davis, who sings and plays percussion on the album. “Dave lost his mom and his brother. There’s a little memorial to them on [the album], but it’s been an inspiration for the music.”

Some songs from The Chickadees also reference Dave & Kristi’s growing concerns about the nation’s changing political climate and its impact on our future.

“There are different parts of our foundation that we’ve been walking on for a long time and counting on for a long time that have shifted and are slipping,” said Boutette, the duo’s co-lead vocalist and guitarist.

“We’re OK, we have a roof over our head, and there’s food in the cupboard. It’s just that we’re older now—things are different underneath us now. We’re in uncharted territory, and we’re just trying to make our way through it.”

Dave & Kristi explore those themes and reflections through singable lyrics, rich harmonies, and emotive instrumentation.

To learn more, I spoke with the duo ahead of their June 1 album release show at Ann Arbor’s Old Town Tavern.

Continue reading “Songbird — Dave & Kristi Embrace the Spirit of the Chickadee on Their New Folk Album” →

“Darkness on the Edge of Corktown” — Bruce Springsteen Tribute Show Features Detroit Singer-Songwriters and Benefits Motor City Mitten Mission January 17 at Lager House

darkness-poster-1

In December 2022, a group of Detroit singer-songwriters hosted a Bruce Springsteen tribute show to benefit the homeless.

Billed as Darkness on the Edge of Corktown at Lager House, the show featured local artists performing songs from The Boss’ extensive catalog and collecting donated winter clothing for people in need.

“We did it then for the first time and accepted clothing donations, but we didn’t have a nonprofit partner per se,” said Mike Ward, a folk singer-songwriter who co-organized the show.

“Everybody had a great time at it, and [co-organizer] Nick Juno was the one who said, ‘Hey, we should be doing that again.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, you know what, you’re right, we should.’”

Two years later, Darkness on the Edge of Corktown returns January 17 for a second edition at Lager House.

The Springsteen-themed show includes performances from 25 singer-songwriters and benefits the Motor City Mitten Mission, a St. Clair Shores, Michigan nonprofit that supports the homeless.

“Darkness on the Edge of Town is one of Springsteen’s albums and it’s one of my favorite albums of all time. It works because we’re right at the edge of Corktown where Lager House is,” Ward said.

“For this show, we figured out the logistics of having a benefit for the Motor City Mitten Mission and we talked to executive director Gail Marlow. She’s totally into it because she does a lot of promoting with the Detroit Lions—she’s a tireless worker.”

The show also serves as a collection site to donate winter clothing and outdoor gear for the homeless. Only new donations will be accepted.

Show attendees can donate any of the following items—sweatshirts, sweatpants, long underwear, sleeping bags, backpacks, tarps, hand and toe warmers, and more—and receive a discounted entry fee of $5 that night.

People also can make monetary donations at the show or through the Motor City Mitten Mission’s website. All donations and proceeds from the show will go to the nonprofit.

“The Motor City Mitten Mission is a fantastic organization, so we felt like, ‘OK if we’re gonna do this, let’s do it right and reduce the price of admission with the donation of an item,’” said Ward, who started planning the event with Juno last summer.

“Everybody is volunteering for this event, and we’re working with general manager and talent buyer Katelyn Burkart at Lager House to coordinate it.”

In addition to supporting those in need, the show spotlights a myriad of talent from local artists, including Mark Jewett, Ryan Trager, Annie Bacon, George Montrelle, Audra Kubat, Jackamo, Emily Rose and Kate Hinote, Dave Boutette and Kristi Davis, and others. During the show, each artist will perform a different Springsteen song.

“We liked that format of everybody playing a song and everybody had a great time at the first show,” Ward said. “There’s so much camaraderie in this community, and we have all these different performers joining up with others and doing duets—it’s going to be fun.”

Darkness on the Edge of Corktown is January 17 at Lager House, 1254 Michigan Avenue, Detroit. The show is a benefit for the Motor City Mitten Mission. Admission is $5 with donation or $10 without donation. Doors are 7 p.m. and show is 8 p.m. For tickets, visit Lager House’s website.

Virtual Migration – Ann Arbor’s Ebird & Friends Holiday Show Lands Online Saturday

Saturday’s show will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Artwork courtesy of Erin Zindle

For Erin Zindle, this year’s Ebird & Friends Holiday Show will migrate to a new format.

The Ragbirds frontwoman and multi-instrumentalist will present the beloved Ann Arbor holiday show virtually Saturday through a free, one-night livestream performance via Facebook and YouTube.

“The pandemic has forced creative people to get extra creative if they want to continue making their art and sharing it with a world in isolation. This is the 13th year I’ve produced the Ebird & Friends Holiday Show, but it’s an entirely different experience in this virtual format. I’ve had to rethink it from the ground up with safety as a top priority,” Zindle said.

Formerly presented live at The Ark over four sold-out nights, this year’s online show will feature a mix of pre-recorded videos interspersed with live performances and virtual special guest cameos. To protect artists and crew members, Zindle implemented a number of rigorous safety protocols throughout the show’s development and production.

“We are filming the production in a large warehouse space where we’ve measured plenty of distance between us, and there is a large rolling door that we open regularly to air out the room. All the crew and artists are masked, with the only exception being the lead singers and horn players who remove their masks for the final video takes,” said Zindle, who teamed up with Allen Audio and Birdhouse Productions to record the show’s performances.

“We all isolated ourselves as much as possible prior to the event, and most have taken COVID tests to be extra cautious. I created a schedule where the featured artists show up by appointment to avoid overlap and reduce our exposure to each other. Like everyone else we have had to make a series of hard choices and sacrifices to keep ourselves and each other safe.”

In light this year’s pandemic challenges, the show will still retain its fun variety-style format and holiday setlist with a star-studded Michigan lineup of new and returning acts.

Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds, The Native Howl’s Alex Holycross, The Accidentals, The Sweet Water Warblers, Seth Bernard, Mark Lavengood, The Gasoline Gypsies, Madelyn Grant, The Crane Wives’ Emilee Petersmark, Shake Steady’s Sean Ike, Dave Boutette and Kristi Lynn Davis, Jen Sygit and others will grace the show’s virtual stage. Comedian Shelly Smith will emcee and introduce the artists from a separate stage set.

“When choosing artists I always try to keep diversity and flow in mind to create a dynamic show with a variety of styles represented. This year I chose artists that have already been involved in past shows and decided to repeat a few favorite songs we already knew,” said Zindle, who formed The Ragbirds in 2005.

“I knew we would not have much if any rehearsal time, and I wanted to simplify the amount of songs we had to learn. We did the new song arrangements via Zoom meetings and shared demo iPhone recordings so we could show up ready to roll the camera.”

Continue reading “Virtual Migration – Ann Arbor’s Ebird & Friends Holiday Show Lands Online Saturday” →

Friday Night Live – Dave Boutette, Kristi Lynn Davis Kick Off Farmington Civic Theater Winter Concert Series Jan. 11

Kristi Lynn Davis and Dave Boutette will play Friday night at the Farmington Civic Theater.

Dave Boutette and Kristi Lynn Davis will share their get-up-and-go tunes and folk-inspired harmonies with Farmington concertgoers Friday night.

The Dexter singer-songwriters will kick off the four-part “Friday Night Live” concert series at the Farmington Civic Theater, 33332 Grand River Ave. in Farmington, at 8 p.m. Friday with special guest Scott Martin.

A husband-and-wife folk music duo, Boutette and Davis will perform catchy acoustic anthems from “Easy as Pie,” their 2018 album, along with a slew of old favorites during their 90-minute set.

“We have a couple of new songs and one new cover,” Boutette said. “As it’s become a tradition, Kristi goes into my back catalog to find things we haven’t done before.”

Boutette’s celebrated songwriting paired with Davis’ lush harmonies is where attendees will find onstage magic at the Farmington Civic Theater.

Close, comforting and warm, Davis’ voice slips in easily beside Boutette’s creating a beautiful sound. Her stage presence and quick wit are a perfect match for Boutette’s songs.

Boutette and Davis discovered their musical magic while singing together on their back porch six years ago. Those at-home singing sessions quickly turned into a growing series of shows and festival dates.

Coincidentally, their musical partnership dates back 35 years when the pair starred in musicals together while attending high school in metro Detroit.

After graduation, they went their separate ways while Boutette played in the Detroit alternative rock band The Junk Monkeys and later became a folk music solo artist.

Davis became a singer-dancer, Radio City Rockette and author of the 2015 comic memoir, “Long Legs and Tall Tales.” She reunited with Boutette in 2012, and they married the following year.

Today, Boutette and Davis continue to perform as part of a strong singer-songwriter movement locally, statewide and throughout the Midwest at a variety of venues, especially listening rooms like the Farmington Civic Theater.

“I think it’s nice to have more of a listening room environment where people can really focus in on Dave’s lyrics, which are so clever, meaningful and heartfelt,” Davis said. “They make you feel good if you really listen to them. I’m glad that we get a chance to do that.”

Continue reading “Friday Night Live – Dave Boutette, Kristi Lynn Davis Kick Off Farmington Civic Theater Winter Concert Series Jan. 11” →