August 1: Melissa Plett [Trio]

If it were not more than a century old, “Keep on the Sunny Side” could have been written with Melissa Plett in mind. This singer, songwriter and natural-born-performer embodies all that this classic folk tune represents. And like so many songs of its genre, era, and nature, it is rooted in messages of cheery optimism, yet challenging adversity, much like Melissa Plett herself. From a farm yard in Manitoba to the sophistication of Montreal to the birthplace of folk and country and everything true about music, this truck-driver’s daughter has journeyed her way through thick and thin, chiseling and shaping her sound to what it is today. Melissa’s influences come from a musical immersion from birth where she developed a personal relationship with the down-south storytelling of Johnny Cash, the pioneering tell-all nature of Kitty Wells, and the heart-wrenching tales of hardship from Etta James and Ray Charles. Melissa’s releases include her 2005 EP, Repeated Stories, 2010’s Outside the City, and 2017’s Ghost Town. Melissa’s customary high-energy, no-bones attitude and foot-stomping sass are placed front and center of every performance. As the old folk song says, “There’s a dark and a troubled side of life. There’s a bright and a sunny side, too.” When you experience Melissa Plett, you absorb all sides.  Learn more about Melissa and her music at https://melissaplett.com/