Do512 - What to do in Austin

If a ghost town came to life with music, you would find Melissa Engleman there, with her lonesome lyrics and forceful vocals that dance in the saloon until late in the evening. Empty streets carry the haunting melodies of her restless guitar tracks. Amid these notes and sounds, ghosts dwell, clamoring for the chance to tell their stories of business left undone, violent ends and what's left when even malaise has faded.

Melissa summons tales from the long ago and finally lays their spirits to rest. Seeing Melissa perform live is like reuniting with an old friend. Her music speaks of community and the comfort to be had through shared experience. Her vocals hit like an emotional twister, but the guitar lines gently pick up the pieces left behind. Melissa's songs share a willingness to engage the listener on a personal level, songs with courage and soul that give a blues-y feel to an otherwise folk-y nature. The melodies pick up the audience and take them for a ride through the dusty, abandoned parts of rural America that this songwriter has long called home.