GRACE POTTER | 03.11.07 | NEW HAMPSHIRE

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Listen to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals on Rhapsody...

Words by: Josh Potter :: Images from: gracepotter.com

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals :: 03.11.07 :: The Stone Church :: Newmarket, NH


Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
When Grace Potter and the Nocturnals started rehearsing at the Java Barn in Canton, NY in 2002, I half expected to turn on the radio one day and find them chugging along with Garrison Keillor. But, five years on something's changed. It's the rock, man, and it ain't just an island in the San Francisco Bay. With their first major label release a couple months off, festival gigs lined up and an upcoming trip to Japan, GPTN have turned it up. What was once a home-cooked meal is now a three-alarm grease fire.


Grace Potter
"The road's been good to us the past few days," Potter told the capacity crowd. "We're still drunk from three nights ago." In anticipation of their Hollywood Records debut, This Is Somewhere, the set was primarily fresh, whiskey-fueled material in the vein of Neil Young, Rolling Stones, and contemporary bedfellows the Drive-By Truckers and North Mississippi AllStars. While their message boards buzz with fawning dudes arguing over which red wine Potter prefers, the majority of the eyes-closed, head-nodders in the crowd were women.

The Nocturnals' shift toward rock & roll is a sign of maturity. Potter moves deftly between her trademark Hammond B-3 and an arsenal of 6-string axes, broadening the band's pallet and her range as frontwoman. Guitarist Scott Tournet splits the ether with his bread-and-butter Telecaster and harmonica playing. The only casualty of the new Nocturnal sound is the double bass, which proved too cumbersome for the relentless stomp of bassist Brian Dondero and drummer Matt Burr.


Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
"Treat Me Right" and a lead-footed "Joey" were the only remnants from Nothing But the Water. "Ah, Mary," "Stop the Bus," and "Mystery Train" have emerged as the new standouts. Their gang busting set blurred the line between new and old material. Potter has been polishing her Mick Jagger sneer, and the new tunes about "being on the road and not getting laid" seem plucked from some top secret Rolling Stones playbook.

Even as the Nocturnals cut loose more, they can just as quickly get quiet and tender. Like pulling into a driveway at the end of a high-speed chase, the show closed with Otis Redding's "Pain In My Heart." As glad as I am to see the direction the band has taken, it does my heart good to see that they can still burn it slow. Maybe someone ought to call Garrison Keillor after all.

JamBase | New Hampshire
Go See Live Music!

http://www.gracepotter.com

[Published on: 4/6/07]
 

Comments

rulosa01 Fri 4/6/2007 05:46PM
+2 Votes Thumbs down! Thumbs up!

rulosa01

another fine show at stone(d) church

All Loving Liberal White Guy Fri 4/6/2007 10:44PM
Show -3 Votes Thumbs down! Thumbs up!
phishmann starstarstar Sat 4/7/2007 06:03AM
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none of these pics look like the stone church.

cliffcliffordjr Sat 4/7/2007 09:05AM
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cliffcliffordjr

As the pics come from Gracie's site, phishman is correct, those shots are not from the Church. They are publicity shots taken in Barre VT. But credit is given that they came from her site. I have no prob with the pics. So no harm no foul. Further, JP's “review,” really isn’t that much of a review at all. But at least he got himself into the show for free, right? I guess what I am saying is, I would like to see a better representation of the evening if your gonna post a show review.

trustme Sat 4/7/2007 09:55AM
-1 Votes Thumbs down! Thumbs up!

dermatit-minimus, we all hate the dave matthews scene too...but dave sells more shirts and stickers in a year than toots sells albums in ten. dave yanks down tens of millions of dollars, dave gets 20k people to spend $9 on a coors light, etc, etc, etc. it's simple math, toots opens up, then the cash register steps on stage and cha-ching, end of discussion. having said that your point is well taken but this is america, things don't stand on principal they stand on money :-(

p.s. the hillary duff/ allman brothers thing was a reach

All Loving Liberal White Guy Sat 4/7/2007 03:19PM
-1 Votes Thumbs down! Thumbs up!

All Loving Liberal White Guy

trustme,

toots opening up dave is TANTAMOUNT to allman's opening up for hilary duff. dave is a toolbag. oh well, at least you can hook up with some rich sorority girls if you go to one of his concerts. but thats all he's good for.

beadiamondsomday starstarstarstarstar Sat 4/7/2007 08:02PM
+3 Votes Thumbs down! Thumbs up!

beadiamondsomday

is it just me or is grace, like the sexiest woman alive,
saw her at allgood and could not believe the voice, she is like a susan T. that ROCKS

cocheese star Mon 4/9/2007 06:36AM
+2 Votes Thumbs down! Thumbs up!

cocheese

Grace,
I wanna have your baby!!!!!

love,
cocheese

Kindskatz Mon 4/9/2007 01:51PM
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Kindskatz


Not a DMB fan, but Toots should be thankful that he has such a huge, captive audience to hear his music.....Of course Toots has seniority over Dave. What he doesn't have is an audience that will fill a stadium. I bet if you asked Toots himself, he would say that Dave is the man, and he is thrilled to be playing before him.....

LurkerVibe Mon 4/9/2007 04:02PM
+2 Votes Thumbs down! Thumbs up!

Dermatitis Maximus must be latin for thread derail.

voodoochili12 starstarstarstarstar Mon 4/9/2007 06:16PM
-1 Votes Thumbs down! Thumbs up!

please review shows with their corresponding pictures

Luthur Mon 4/9/2007 07:46PM
-1 Votes Thumbs down! Thumbs up!

I agree with voodoochilli. Seems a bit underhanded to post pics from some other show while reviewing a different show. Yeah, there are worse issues in the world, but the reviewer/jambase didn't even bother to write a sentence saying the pics weren't from the show being reviewed.

bigfro Tue 4/10/2007 04:34AM
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bigfro

Trust me any one that says America is just about money just figures everyone is dishonest so they can excuse they're own dishonestly. Trust me jsut because you choose to seel out doesn't mean it's trhe only way to be successful. The Grateful Dead were the biggest selling touring act by 3 for ten years running and no radio station would play their music, but they still made a buttload of money. If your'e gonna sell out and be Greedy at least be a man and own up to your scam mentality because trust me you screw over enough people someone will outsmart you someday and you'll die poor. What goes around comes around. People reward kindness just like they remember treason. It's your choice and your responsibility. ANd you'll get your just deserves either way. THAT my friends is America. Trustme

j_martin Wed 4/11/2007 07:51AM
-1 Votes Thumbs down! Thumbs up!

I highly suggest that every catch Grace and the nocturnals if at all possible. I caught her at the 'Roo last year as well as All Good. She is probably one of the most energetic performances I have ever been fortunate enough to witness

hambone Wed 4/11/2007 12:42PM
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Dermatitis Maximus I see your name on alot of posts around here. There is 1 common theme to all of them. NEGATIVITY!!! Is there anything that makes you smile? If that picture below your screen name is actually you(regardless of date) I can see why your such a hater. Please Please Please go away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

trustme Wed 4/11/2007 03:32PM
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Big fro, I agree with every thing you said except the angle you wrote it from. You seemed to have taken my point wrong. I should have been more clear about my distaste, I tried to go smart ass with the cash regester comment. I was also scolding young maximus for being nieve. The "Dave Matthews Band" will never open a show for a band the caliber of "Toots" on a national tour. To suggest it shows a complete disregard for how things are. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying that is reality, in pop music. Like I said I agree with your take just not the part where you lump me in with the other blood suckers of the world, oh and the part where you wished mis-fortune on me. Thanks for the input, I'll try to make my own world view stand out from my desription of the culture next time. I'll be more transparent on my next post, so as not to incite the "base". Sorry for the misunderstanding, I hope to earn your trust with future posts. Trustme

joshpotter Wed 4/18/2007 03:21PM
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joshpotter

Hey Y'all,
Thanks for all the feedback. For the record: the photos included were selected by Jambase. I totally agreee with Cliff, et al; I'll see what I can't do to wrestle up a camera next time around.
-JP