Back in town from an international tour with Broadway royalty, Patti LuPone, Dexter’s Brad Phillips is returning to The Ark to celebrate a childhood immersed in music and the bright future ahead of his daughter, Alyson, before she sets off for her first year at college.

This one-night-only event will be a celebration of the music they have bonded over throughout the years.

“Alyson and I have been playing music and singing together since before she could speak. She has grown up immersed in the music of my friends and colleagues. To have this opportunity to perform the music that we have bonded over before she goes off to chase her own dreams is a dream come true for me as her dad,” Brad said. “The music of so many car rides, bedtime lullabies and living room jam sessions is in this show, and I’m going to do my best not to cry through most of it!”

In describing the show, The Ark said of Brad:

“For more than 15 years, Brad Phillips has performed as a sideman for some of Michigan’s most prevalent singer/songwriter acts. From Jeff Daniels to The Verve Pipe to the Celtic-fusion super-group Millish. He has also appeared with May Erlewine, Joshua Davis and played violin for Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Pat Metheny, and Iggy Pop and the Stooges. Brad earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, where he is now faculty as a lecturer in the department of Jazz & Contemporary Improvisation. He is also a resident artist at the Purple Rose Theatre Company, where he has worked as a composer, sound designer, and actor.”

Set for Aug.8, the one-night only show will feature local all-stars, Chris DuPont (guitar and vocals), Brennan Andies (bass), Mike Shea (percussion), Drew DeFour (piano and vocals), and Keith Billik (banjo) for a one-night-only celebration of the music they have bonded over throughout the years.

Brad has played at The Ark over 50 times with various artists and bands, including his own highly-lauded solo show “Tales of A Midwestern Sideman.”

However, this Aug. 8 event marks “Phillips’ most cherished appearance on the listening-room’s stage.”

Alyson said, “Growing up, The Ark has been like a home to me. I’m going away to college this summer, and I’ve grown up watching my dad on that stage with many of the people we are performing with. It’s always been a dream of mine to one day perform with them.”

A true creative artist at heart, Alyson is off to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts this fall to study filmmaking and directing. She has had her work featured in student film festivals around the world from her time with the Downriver Detroit Student Film Consortium.

Opener for the event at The Ark will be Hudson North, also of Dexter. They are a local up-and-coming band, made up of Sam Gibson, Trilian Krug, Claire Gibson, Otto Krueger and Cole Watkins. They will their bring tunes that range from mellow acoustic to electric, high-energy jams.

It’s set to take place at 8 p.m. at The Ark in downtown Ann Arbor on Aug. 8. Tickets are available for purchase through The Ark’s website: https://theark.org/event/brad-and-alyson-phillips-240808/.

Photos: Alyson and Brad Phillips will take to the stage at The Ark on Aug. 8. Photo courtesy of Brad Phillips