(Photo submitted) Truckstop Souvenir will perform at Mainstreet Market tonight.

They will perform their sparse but powerful arrangements for two acoustic instruments and harmony vocals from 6--8 p.m. in front of the courthouse.

From 5--6 p.m. the mic will be open for anyone who wants a chance to share their talent with the public or to prepare for the Mainstreet Market Talent Competition on Aug. 21.

The songwriting duo of Dennis James and Lauryn Shapter was born out of a chance meeting in December of 2002. Old-school country music junkies, the two share an undying passion for music that matters, as well as a profound respect for life and all its myriad emotions, stories, and characters. They began melding their sound into what would eventually become Truckstop Souvenir, drawing inspiration from the rural American landscape and the open road, as well as from the musicians who traveled the highways and back roads before them.

Their debut album, Leave Nothing Behind, was officially released in July of 2006 to critical acclaim both here and abroad, and is receiving airplay across the country and in Europe. It was also named in several Top Albums for 2006, including WVPE's The Back Porch and Colin Fielding's Folk and Roots out of Australia. That September, the duo relocated to Iowa. This past year has found them spending most of their time holed up in their attic-turned-recording studio, working on the follow-up to Leave Nothing Behind. They plan to release their sophomore album, Under a Big Blue Sky, this fall.

With a broad canvas of original songs and signature versions of cover tunes, Truckstop Souvenir takes the listener on a journey along roads less traveled. A slice of the American landscape that often yields the best of keepsakes, Truckstop Souvenir is pure and honest music, music with a rare intimacy that cuts right to the heart of what it means to be human.

Mainstreet Market takes place Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. at the courthouse square, 215 W. 4th St., Spencer. Along with live entertainment, it features produce, art, and food vendors, and is a joint venture of the Spencer Main Street Company and the Spencer Alliance for a Creative Economy (SPACE).