Free Ann Arbor house concert series returns for 10th anniversary

The Broken Branch concert series, presented by Michigan-native musician Adam Labeaux at his Ann Arbor home, will return in June for its 10th anniversary. The free series will kick off June 3 with a performance by Labeaux, featuring Detroit-based singer-songwriter Amy Petty and others, to announce the release of Labeaux’s fourth studio album, "Brave Face."

"Being involved in Ann Arbor’s music scene, I always wanted to see more places that had live music," Labeaux says. "The only time I got to see my other performer friends was when we performed together, and we decided to put on a show in the summer to do that."

Broken Branch was initially inspired by a music festival Labeaux and his friends put on in his home county of Midland as teens. The Broken Branch series is a grassroots event held at Labeaux’s Ann Arbor home, including the Broken Branch Breakdown "mini-festival" August 18-19. Breakdown attendees can bring chairs, coolers, and even tents to listen to live local jazz, rock, and folk acts from the early afternoon until after dark.

Labeaux says his home in Ann Arbor, with "a deck that looked like a stage," immediately inspired him to hold an event like Broken Branch. Though the event started out as a way for Labeaux to connect with local performers and connect them to each other, he quickly opened it up to the public after seeing its potential.

Labeaux says the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t stop Broken Branch, but rather made it even stronger.

"All the gig workers had no place to go or play, and concertgoers couldn’t go and see anything," he says. "I had this perfect backyard set up, and created a safe place for people to come out and see a show."

For more information on Broken Branch, visit the event and venue’s Facebook page. 

"This is a grassroots event that is really intended for the community," Labeaux says. "I love being a part of Ann Arbor. I think it’s a place that can be a destination for everyone. Come one, come all, and enjoy."

Rylee Barnsdale is a Michigan native and longtime Washtenaw County resident. She wants to use her journalistic experience from her time at Eastern Michigan University writing for the Eastern Echo to tell the stories of Washtenaw County residents that need to be heard.

Photo courtesy of Adam Labeaux.