A select handful of live music reviews require, if not demand, that a bold statement be made from the outset so that any potential ticket buyers know exactly what to expect without having to dive too deep into any recap rabbit holes.
Thus I’ll go ahead and let the cat out of the bag right now, Grace Potter is back!
Now some of you may be thinking, back? Grace Potter never left, in fact, she put out two full-length albums since the demise of the Nocturnals back in 2015.
Potter’s first foray into the solo arena post-Nocturnals saw the California by the way of Vermont songstress seemingly try to run as far away as possible from the rock and blues foundation of her previous band. Midnight (2016) was drenched in pop sensibilities and for some unknown reason, disco beats. The LP was a damn good time. It was also a record that was rooted in joy, at least for Potter herself.
That said, the reality of Midnight was that it left many of her fans confused, wanting for more and likely wondering, is Grace Potter’s rock music career over? Those concerns were likely only reinforced upon the release of the melancholy-tinged Daylight in 2019 which saw Potter dive headfirst into blues and Americana soundscapes. Although the vocal performances and the production of Daylight hit the mark, the tone and pace of the LP led Potter even further away from her time in the Nocturnals.
Enter Mother Road, the tour at least.
Don’t get me wrong, Mother Road is as close to a rock record as Potter has made since the Nocturnals were permanently laid to rest. However, the album isn’t exactly the kind of rocker that I’m guessing many fans of Grace Potter were necessarily hoping for.
Instead, Mother Road is much, much more than that. The LP is an eclectic, Spaghetti-Western-themed, alt-country affair with enough rock sensibility embedded in its DNA to make any fan of Potter’s Nocturnals days not only happy but likely curious as to what she may have in store for them in a live setting.
Those lucky enough to bear witness to Potter’s performance at The Anthem in Washington D.C. on Saturday wouldn’t have to wait too long to have their burgeoning live music questions regarding Grace answered. Potter delivered an energetic, sultry, barn-burning, career-spanning set in the nation’s capital that served as an ardent reminder that the rock musician inside of her is very much still alive and breathing. As importantly, Potter sent a message to her longtime fanbase that if you thought the rocking ended when the Nocturnals did, boy were you sadly mistaken.
The 17-song musical journey Lady Vagabond led the D.C. faithful on this past Saturday focused primarily on Potter’s time in the Nocturnals as well as her recently released fifth solo effort, the resplendent, Mother Road. The only track from either Midnight or Daylight to make it into the setlist in D.C. was probably the only track from either album that plays out like a Grace Potter and the Nocturnals song in a live setting, the upbeat “Empty Heart”.
Grace Potter – “Lady Vagabond” – 1/27/24
[Video: Chad Lamasa]
Potter wisely chose a more stripped-down, raw approach while also surrounding herself with more rock-oriented musicians for the Mother Road tour. Ricky Dover Jr. (lead guitar), Jordan West (drums), Kurtis Keber (bass), and Indya Bratton (guitar) not only made many in D.C. forget all about the Nocturnals, most in attendance probably left the venue salivating at the mere thought of what these like-minded musicians could churn out in the studio together.
This newfound band configuration also allowed for the type of live improvisation old-school fans of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals have so desperately craved since the band permanently disbanded in 2015. An up-tempo version of “Ah Mary” seamlessly bled into an extended cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman” that began as a Delta blues-inspired piece before slowly morphing into a genre-altering, psychedelic jam.
Another highlight included Potter starting live setlist stalwart “Stop the Bus” as a slow-burn acoustic number only to later whip the crowd into a frenzy with a frenetic, three-guitar attack during the song’s apex. The Nocturnals favorite from 2007’s This Is Somewhere felt reminiscent of Grace’s early days alongside former bandmates and fellow guitarists Benny Yurco and Scott Tournet.
It was also quite the treat to see Potter resurrect a version of “Nothing but the Water (I)” that had been mothballed since the end of the Nocturnals. This live arrangement of the song saw just Grace and drummer Jordan West begin the track as an extended, slower-paced duet before the pair were eventually accompanied onstage by the rest of the band for an awe-inspiring, venue-shaking explosion of guitars to close the track.
Perhaps the only misstep in D.C. for Potter was the inclusion of the Deana Carter cover of “You and Tequila” during the encore. While the guest appearance from sublimely talented show opener and Baltimore native Brittney Spencer was promising, choosing to cover a down-tempo, country ballad by someone who isn’t exactly a household name stopped what was a brilliant rock show dead in its tracks.
That was a shame because the “You and Tequila” duet came directly after an awe-inspiring take on Grace Potter and the Nocturnals live staple “Big White Gate” and after over two hours of primarily nothing but live rock n’ roll debauchery. Potter wisely shifted gears back to her Nocturnals days with an ethereal and somewhat haunting version of “Stars” to bring a remarkable evening of live music in Washington D.C. to a close.
Grace Potter has self admittedly been on somewhat of a vision quest in an attempt to find herself musically since the Nocturnals ended nearly a decade ago. Mother Road was never intended to be a bastardized recreation of the Nocturnals nor was it a blatant attempt to reinvent her musical wheel. Instead, Mother Road seems more like a tapestry the singer is using to guide herself toward new musical destinations while also properly paying homage to her past.
I’ll say it again. Grace Potter is back!
Check out a gallery of images from Grace Potter at The Anthem in D.C. courtesy of photographer Robert Forte along with some fan-shot videos. Her tour continues this week with a run of shows through Florida. For tickets and a full list of tour dates visit Potter’s website.
Grace Potter – “Mother Road” – 1/27/24
[Video: david Fritsch]
Grace Potter – “Paris (Ooh La La)” – 1/27/24
[Video: RM2Static]
Grace Potter – “Stars” – 1/27/24
[Video: RM2Static]
Setlist: Grace Potter | The Anthem | Washington, D.C. | 1/27/24
Set: Lady Vagabond. Medicine, Ah Mary, Gold Dust Woman [1], Empty Heart, Mother Road, Something That I Want, Treat Me Right, Good Time, Little Hitchhiker, Nothing but the Water (I), Stop the Bus, The Lion the Beast the Beat, Paris (Ooh La La)
Encore: Big White Gate, You and Tequila [2], Stars
[1] Fleetwood Mac
[2] Deana Carter, w/ Brittney Spencer
The post Grace Potter Stops The Bus In D.C. To Prove She Still Rocks With The Best Of Them [Photos/Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
