As a newcomer to Boston and a relatively unversed person in the non-mainstream music scene, the opportunity to see Grace Potter at the House of Blues on December 1 would have normally left me un-phased. I had never heard of Grace before and neither had many of my friends, so I wasn’t in a position to go running off to buy tickets to her show. When an opportunity to see the show for free with my aunt arose, however, I decided to take a chance and excitedly took the opportunity. Looking back on the experience, I’m so glad that I made that decision.
Going into the concert, I didn’t really know what much to expect. Having heard my aunt mention that Grace had sung a song with Kenney Chesney before, I expected the concert to be a low-key country showcase, a bunch of people singing along in fake southern accents to a bunch of songs about trucks and beer. When I arrived at the House of Blues, however, my suspicions were quickly denied.
The opening group was a fantastic quintet of instrumentalists called Trampled By Turtles. In addition to their awesome name, the group also had an awesome style and stage performance. Appealing a modern folk/bluegrass genre, Trampled By Turtles was more like a headlining act than an opening act. They had a strong fan base in the audience, and with good reason. Fiddle player Ryan Young and lead singer and guitarist Dave Simonett contributed to the group’s unique sound with crazy riffs and strong, country reminiscent vocals.
After the conclusion of their opening set with what is likely their most popular song, “Wait So Long,” Trampled By Turtles exited the stage in anticipation of the arrival of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Once Grace took the stage, it soon became clear to me that Grace’s group was not any sort of country band—not by a long shot. With their folk-rock music, Grace and the Nocturnals immediately took the crowd by storm.
They were performers in every sense of the word. With her hair flipping and wild dancing, Grace Potter never failed to excite the audience and consistently kept them engaged. The group also kept it fresh with their intense guitar solos and equally strong bass and drum parts.
Every song was like a party in itself, and the crowd reinforced that with their high enthusiasm. Songs such as “Paris” and “Timekeeper” spurred the crowd into synchronized hand-clapping and cheering, and Grace’s rendition of a Rihanna song certainly earned a considerable amount of acclaim from the crowd. With the looks of a young Madonna, the charm of Taylor Swift, the wild “party girl” appeal of Ke$ha, and the rocker-esque qualities of Joan Jett (Potter plays more instruments than you could imagine), Grace Potter will certainly be a well-received face as she and the Nocturnals continue to gain popularity in the music industry.
Trampled By Turtles: http://trampledbyturtles.com
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals: http://www.gracepotter.com
By: Nicole Jacques