Melissa Ratley is 35 Denton's Must See Country Act This Weekend

Photo by Aubrey Mortensen

You should ask Melissa Ratley about the time she had to miss seeing Wynonna Judd perform in Las Vegas, but we suggest bringing some whiskey to the conversation to accompany the agony that pours from her lament.

Ratley was plenty psyched for her sin-city adventure back in October, but chose to stay in Texas to perform two gigs on Wynonna weekend—one in Waxahachie and one in Houston. Thankfully, her loss was Texas’ gain.

She will perform at 9:00 pm at LSA Burger on Sunday of 35 Denton, and festival-goers will have an opportunity to hear the reason why she is a staple of Denton’s music scene, and the must-see act for Country music during the weekend.

Ratley hails from Flower Mound and currently tailspins between Denton, DFW area, and other parts of the state on a regular basis. Ratley can most often be found in Denton at LSA Burger, Dan’s Silverleaf (she opened the Thin Line Film Fest in February on Wednesday the 17th  with Bri Bagwell), and the Denton Community Market. She also established herself with lengthy residencies at Rudy’s and Mulberry Street Cantina.

She has most recently performed at Adair’s in Dallas, the Twilight Lounge in Deep Ellum, and The White Elephant Saloon in the Stockyards of Fort Worth. And—while we’re gushing—mention should also be made of Ratley’s opening performance for Janie Fricke at The Kessler in August of 2015.

Ratley’s performance, a combination of original songwriting punctuated by her homage to her idols like Wynonna Judd, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, and Roseanne Cash has earned her the distinction of being one of the most sought-after country performers in the local music scene. Her talent and skill transcend beyond the genre of country music to evoke her inclusion in music events and areas that do not typically feature country artists.

This country music singer's comfort in her own art, her identification with her audience, and her stellar vocals cause her to be invited to all of the music parties. Her professionalism evokes a return invitation to said music parties every time.

Ratley performs both solo and with a full band, which features Nik Woods on lead guitar, Jake McCandless on the bass, and Matt Morin on the drums. Burton Lee joins on steel guitar when he’s not performing on a nightly basis for a myriad of other bands in the area. The full band will perform with Ratley on the rooftop during 35 Denton this Sunday.