Music lovers unite here! Ann Arbor is a magnet for musicians, and more are bred in dorm rooms, coffee houses and the school's renowned school of music. On any given night, you may have to choose between the Chicago Orchestra, a gamelan ensemble and some guy's friend's well-reviewed band. If you're looking for live performances, they're not hard to find:
The University Musical Society brings top acts to Hill Auditorium, Rackham Auditorium and the Power Center. School of Music students and professors play often - and for free - in these venues, or at the school itself on north campus. The same goes for shows of musical theatre, straight theatre, and dance.
There are other performance spaces around town with more (dare we say) popular music. They include the Ark, Bird of Paradise, the Performance Network, Blind Pig, Necarine and the Kerrytown Concert House.