Ebird & Friends

12/13/2025

We have had such a fantastic run!!! If you find that you cannot attend tonight, do not worry - we gotchu! LIVESTREAM tonight of the 8pm show. Get cozy, get some snacks; and enjoy two sets of holiday show bliss!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

12/11/2025

Scenes from a dress rehearsal....🥰

12/09/2025

Gracious, Tender, Kind, Badass, Charming, Fierce, Genuine, and a FRIEND. We get to do all of this…because of Ebird herself.

Erin Zindle is the songwriter, lead singer and fiddler of the nationally-touring folk-rock band Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds. The four-piece project is clearly built around the multi-talented front woman who is proficient in a variety of stringed instruments, skillfully switching between violin, accordion, kalimba and piano, all while dancing. Erin has been performing and teaching violin and piano for many years, but spends most of her time touring and playing her original music. Originally from Buffalo, NY, her experience includes classical violin training under the tutelage of Frances Kaye (Buffalo Philharmonic). She has been performing with bands of many styles and sizes all across the US for over 15 years and is an accomplished songwriter (with a song reaching the Top Pop 100 in Japan). Our fearless leader for these shows (over a decade!), Erin instills the vision of the show and provides all the encouragement and excitement of the holiday season!

12/08/2025

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JB!!!!!!

Birthday Boy Jon Brown (JB) is a drummer, percussionist, educator, composer, chess player, twitch streamer, trekkie, explorer, and traveler. We find that he has so many different aspects to his personality, but above all, the guy is a genuine and kind bad-ass. Enjoy the day, JB and welcome back!

12/07/2025

Our Artist & Cruise Director: Jenny Jones! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JONESY!

Classically trained pianist, self-taught guitarist, and school-taught cellist, Jenny Jones
is also a singer-songwriter based in Ann Arbor. She has released a full-length album and for the past 14 years, has worked to bring together musicians and
businesses within her community through her company Sadie Madden Music. Jenny has shared the stage with Michigan musicians including Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds, Jess Merritt, Abigail Stauffer, Nickie P, Billy King, The Crane Wives, Antwaun Stanley, The War & Treaty, and a number of others. She contributes to the local music community holding the position of Board Member for The Ark and The Amplify Project, and is the Executive Director of statewide nonprofit organization, Title Track, founded by Seth Bernard. Jenny most recently has accepted the position as studio manager for Detroit-based architecture firm, Synecdoche, managing their event space Vander! Welcome back, girl!

12/06/2025

Shelly Smith has stated that this production is one of the favorite parts of her world! She has been entertaining southeast Michigan audiences for years. Shelly is the host and producer of the Reads and Weeds podcast and has been recently running an amazing one-woman comedy show as well collaborations across SE Michigan. She’ll be back at the Ark Jan 2nd, 2026 for Ann Arbor’s 10th Annual 50 First Jokes!

Vince is a washboard percussionist based in Ann Arbor who presently performs locally with Pontiac Trail Blazers and Desmond Jones. While the prior information is true, Vince is such an amazing part of the music community as a whole. WE JUST LOVE HIM and we know how very lucky we are that Vince is back not only to be on stage, but also to manage us backstage!!!

12/05/2025

Hear us out, people: he lives in Ohio (meh), but he is our Michigan family!!

Percussionist Dan Piccolo regularly performs and teaches in a wide range of musical settings. He is currently active as a member of the X4 Percussion Quartet, Ensemble Duniya, mirabai Women’s Choir, Big Fun, and others. Previously, Dan recorded and toured internationally as the drummer with groups including Nomo and Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds. In addition to holding degrees in the Western concert percussion and jazz traditions, Dan has also studied with master musicians in Ghana and India. He has appeared as a clinician at universities throughout the United States, and has earned invitations to present both performances and educational workshops at the annual Percussive Arts Society International Convention. Dr. Piccolo is currently Assistant Professor of Percussion and Director of Percussion Activities in the College of Musical Arts at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Welcome back to our house band friend, Dan!!

12/04/2025

New Friend Alert! Well, some of us know him, but he may be new to you. We welcome Shawn McDonald to the holiday show house band!!

Drenched in the tradition of smokey organ jazz is the soulful voice of Detroit native, Shawn McDonald. Rich in the traditions of his hometown, this Hammond organist and blues pianist is chalked full of blue-eyed soul, relentless swing, deep fried funk and greasy blues. A versatile performer, Shawn has performed alongside premiere artists such as Larry McCray, Dan Ackroyd, Warren Haynes, Laith Al-Saadi, Thornetta Davis, Martha Reeves, The Vandellas, and many many more. Shawn has opened for the great B.B. King and Bobby Blue Bland performing in over 28 countries globally; and is also a contributing artist and honorary member of Ann Arbor’s own beloved Macpodz. After touring for more than 18 years Shawn is back in the Motor City, and can be found occasionally leading his own group of incomparable musicians at several of Detroit’s hippest hangs.

12/03/2025

The train of love must keep rolling!! Some of these sponsors are rolling so deep with us (over a decade plus!) and we cannot say enough about their support and excitement for this production. We have even partied it up with these wonderful groups of lovely humans! Thank you to our financial sponsors: The Bank of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor’s 107.1, Bloom City Club, RawArt Originals, Central Data, Anne and Deron Brod, and Justine Anthony Realty!

Don’t count out our incredible food and beverage sponsors from both Ann Arbor and Detroit: Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Jerusalem Garden, Mothfire Brewing, Chef Brendon Edwards, Hidden King Cafe, Wonderland Cookies, and MISS KIM. Please visit and patronize these folks - they are so good to us and so so special!

12/02/2025

We feel like he just wants everyone to feel the vibe, AND, he will lock eyes with you in the midst of a show and make sure you feel it! We love our brother Brennan!

Brennan Andes has been a bon vivant of Ann Arbor’s for the last two decades. He has had the pleasure of creating music for a plethora of artists as well as being the founding member of The Macpodz. Years of touring nationally and internationally has made him aware of the importance of his community around him. You can catch Brennan with his crew ‘The Pheretones’ at The Last Word each Thursday night…and what feels like everywhere else 💗

12/01/2025

HAPPY DECEMBER! This year’s production is happy to welcome Emily Slomovits to the family!! We are happy.

Emily Slomovits is an Ann Arbor-based freelance musician, theatre artist, teacher, and writer. She has studied violin and voice in classical, jazz and folk styles for over fifteen years, and folk guitar for almost ten years. Emily plays music with her dad and uncle, the duo Gemini, with her dad as San and Emily, with singer-songwriter Billy King as well as with many other musicians, including Judy Banker, Billy Brandt, Annie and Rod Capps, and Jill Jack. See Emily December 11-13 - get those tickets!!