The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels. Written by Lori Stratton (LS) and Christopher Porter (CP).

This week:
Lamb Life Orchestra, Mogi Grumbles, Olivia Cirisan, Larrair & Tru Klassick, Hypnogram, Skinned Knees, P-Ro x Hues, Ani Mari, and JDSY.

Ann Arbor is synonymous with street art fairs, but we’re not talking about the annual humid heatfest in July.

The cooler Street Art Encounter—not a value judgment, but a seasonal temperature comment—takes place on Friday, September 11, 12-8 pm, which is projected to have a high of 76 perfect degrees.

The second annual edition of this Main Street Area Association also has a unique twist compared to many art fairs: 16 Michigan artists will spend the day creating their works—murals, chalk pieces, interactive experiments, and more—in front of the public. There will also be musical performances, in-street dining, and plenty of family-friendly activities in the heart of downtown A2.

The Ann Arbor Art Center is also hosting a community art activation, 12-5 pm: “The inside of the Art Center’s front ceramics studio windows along W. Liberty Street will be painted white to create a canvas for community artwork,” said a Main Street Area Association press release. “A2AC will provide window paint for participants to use on the outside of the windows, along with chalk for creating artwork on the sidewalk in front of the Art Center.”

See the full list of artists and activities below:

One Track Mind features a Washtenaw County-associated artist discussing a single song.

Standout Track: No. 1, “Enough About Me,” by Bill Edwards, an Ann Arbor singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

The title track off Edwards’ new album explores the need for one less personal and confessional collection of music in the world.

“I read American Songwriter magazine, and there’s an article featured on the cover that says, ‘So-and-so has put out their most personal album yet,’” he said.

“I don’t think a statement is intrinsically more important because it’s your personal history. It can be, if it’s something you’ve gone through and it’s really important and something that people will recognize and feel themselves, but there are other ways to do it too. My goal, particularly with this record, was to try and step into somebody else’s shoes and see the world from where they’re standing.”

Over the past 10 years, Dr. Pete Larson has been stretching the limitations of an eight-stringed lyre from Kenya called the nyatiti. It's the driving force of his new album and a new book he’s written about the instrument.

The Ann Arbor resident and University of Michigan epidemiologist became fascinated with the nyatiti while living in Kenya. Larson, a guitarist, saw it being played at a Nairobi club and immediately knew he had to learn how to play it. He studied for three years with Oduor Nyagweno, one of the last remaining elder players of the folk instrument.

The nyatiti has become the central sonic element of The Dr. Pete Larson Group, an evolving, improvisational project that typically enlists local indie music veteran Fred Thomas on guitar. On the group’s latest self-titled album, Larson is joined by Thomas, drummer Jon Taylor, percussionist Mike List, and Chris Koltay on synths, yielding a heavy, post-rock and Krautrock via Africa hybrid vibe that was created partly through purposeful constraints.

The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels. Written by Lori Stratton (LS) and Christopher Porter (CP).

This week:
Andrew W.K., Windy & Carl Meet Optigan Conservatory, Mark Kirschenmann, ArtPage, Bekka, new AGN7 releases, Pillow Princess, Bill Edwards, and Modus Operandi.

One Track Mind features a Washtenaw County-associated artist discussing a single song.

Standout Track: No. 2, “Addictant,” from Spectral Threads, an indie-rock band with members from Ypsilanti, Inkster, and Austin, Texas.

The band’s self-titled EP tackles themes of self-worth, spirituality, and trust, and includes tracks by three songwriters: Nathan Emmet, Sam Millett, and Jonathan Crayne.

On “Addictant,” Crayne explores becoming infatuated with a new lifestyle and the image it portrays. He sings, “So late at night / I dream of something that’s true / Then distracted by the glittering / Way back when everything depicted was new / Couldn’t escape from inside.”

A preview of artist exhibitions in September throughout Washtenaw County for Crazy Wisdom Art Gallery, WSG Gallery, Gallery 100, Dzanc House, U-M's Taubman College Liberty Annex, Chelsea District Library, Main Street Area Association, Ann Arbor Art Center, U-M's Stamps Gallery, 22 North, Ann Arbor District Library, U-M's Hatcher Library, U-M's Shapiro Library, EMU's Ford Gallery, U-M's Institute for Humanities Gallery, Gutman Gallery, Riverside Arts Center, Ypsilanti District Library, EMU's University Gallery, U-M's Stamps School of Art and Design, and the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County.

A curated list of Washtenaw County concerts we're excited about this month, featuring shows at Ann Arbor Funhouse, Ziggy's, Kerrytown Concert House, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, North Star Lounge, The Ark, The Rabbit Hole, The Ravens Club, Ypsilanti Freighthouse, Reagle Beagle, Pease Auditorium, and Hill Auditorium.

A preview of September 2026 theater events in Washtenaw County from Forge Theater, The Purple Rose Theatre Company, Theatre Nova, and NTG Productions.

The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels. Written by Lori Stratton (LS) and Christopher Porter (CP).

This week:
Sacha, Jacob Sigman, Reckless Manner, Enzo Lorenzetti, Blue Snaggletooth, rxckbttm & s0wingseason, and Launchfield.