Michael Jantz is our hero. The Cleveland bred folk/indie-rocker moved into the District a few years ago after leaving his mark on the Midwest to save us from our end-of-the-week doldrums. Sunday evenings can be somewhat of a downer, but Jantz has found a way to take back the night…as a weekly host and feature artist at Wonderland Ballroom. He draws talent from both inside the District and beyond, and headlines these intimate shows with a unique vocal ability to raise our spirits,and our whiskey glasses. Praised in his hometown, he left to move onward and upward, performing through the streets of Europe and eventually sharing the stage with Paul Simon and Brian Wilson.

A few weeks ago, we sat down at the bar to catch one of his sets. Jantz played several tracks off of his forthcoming album, Snapshots of the Universe, including an extended “too-hip-for-CD” version of “Sierra” with impromptu scatting. All of his songs have a very upbeat feel to them, but simultaneously make you want to kick back and relax. “Livin’ On Sunshine” had the bartender singing along to this catchy track that took but one listen to commit to memory. The folk storytelling elements are all there, and fitting for an album that presents musical pictures of Jantz’s life. He closed his set with a cover of the traditional “Goodnight, Irene” in what was probably the best portrayal of who he is as a musician — cutting through the background conversation and placing the focus back on him. In the end, he went off stage and got the small crowd to cheer him back on for an encore.