Folk icon Loudon Wainwright III returns to the Ark with 50 years of raw and quirky tunes

click to enlarge Folk icon Loudon Wainwright III. - R. Halfin
R. Halfin
Folk icon Loudon Wainwright III.

Loudon Wainwright III, the contentious patriarch of the Wainwright-McGarrigle folk dynasty, is best known for not holding back — even if that means exposing very personal relationships, familial dynamics, and experiences. If you need the CliffsNotes on the 74-year-old artist’s career and backstory, listen to “Meet The Wainwrights,” where he calls out his famous baroque-folk children by name — that’s Martha, Rufus, and Lucy — and lists the many discretions that have been aired out for decades across stages and records. Made famous by his 1972 novelty hit, “Dead Skunk (in the Middle of the Road),” LW3 is also known for his frequent cameos in Judd Apatow films, including a role as a quirky divorced dad on Apatow’s short-lived cult TV comedy, Undeclared.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sep. 3 at The Ark; 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-1818; theark.org. Tickets are $25.

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