Advertisement

Music: Grace Potter transformed from hippie rocker to glam VH1 belter

August 17, 2012 at 9:04PM
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals were last seen here at the Basilica Block Party
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals were last seen here at the Basilica Block Party (Dave Braunger/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Faster than you can say "Grace Potter & the Nocturnals," she went from granola girl to glamorous rocker, from Bonnaroo to "VH1 Divas," from an opening act to life in the fast lane.

"I've been gunning for the fast lane since I was 16," said Potter, 27, who performs Sunday at the Varsity Theater. "The fact that we built the band from the bottom up, we can enjoy the fast lane now that we're starting to get there."

The big shift came Dec. 5 when Potter performed on "VH1 Divas Salute the Troops" with Katy Perry, Jennifer Nettles, Nicki Minaj. Shortly thereafter, Potter got recognized on a New York City street even though she was wearing her glasses and her long blond hair was in a ponytail. "They recognized me even in my disguise, dude," she said. "That was bizarre and really exciting for me."

Potter will rock you, with Joplinesque thunder, Heart-like power and Tina Turner swagger. Her group's self-titled fourth album features blues-rock stomps, full-tilt rockers, girl-group pop, a touch of country, a slice of soul, and aching and yearning ballads that assert the deep emotionalism of her Southern-fried voice.

"A lot of people think I'm from Texas. It's got to do with this weird performance accent I put on," said Potter, who plays keyboards and a bit of guitar. "You wear your influences on your sleeve when you're performing and you can't politically correct your accent or your performance."

"Grace Potter & the Nocturnals" was not the album she intended to release in 2010. Potter recorded a solo project with Americana ace T Bone Burnett, but after Hollywood Records execs heard the revamped Nocturnals -- with a new, female bassist and a second guitarist -- perform at Bonnaroo in 2009, they ordered a new album with the entire band.

"We're looking for the right place and right time to put out the [Burnett] album," Potter promised. "I love that project."

Growing up in an artistic family with hippie parents, she has focused on creativity and accomplishment. She was so determined to be accepted for her writing skills that she dressed like a hippie chick to blend in with her all-male bandmates.

Advertisement
Advertisement

"The granola girl was me trying to hide," explained Potter, who broke out the sequined miniskirts and designer shoes last year with the release of the new CD. "In the company of a lot of men, I had to take a shine to a certain look or aesthetic because maybe I'd be taken more seriously as a songwriter. I was just waiting for the right opportunity and the right music to allow me to step it up visually. Now it's the real me shining through."

about the writer

about the writer

Jon Bream

Critic / Reporter

Jon Bream has been a music critic at the Star Tribune since 1975, making him the longest tenured pop critic at a U.S. daily newspaper. He has attended more than 8,000 concerts and written four books (on Prince, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan). Thus far, he has ignored readers’ suggestions that he take a music-appreciation class.

See Moreicon

More from Minnesota Star Tribune

See More
In this photo taken Monday, March 6, 2017, in San Francisco, released confidential files by The University of California of a sexual misconduct case, like this one against UC Santa Cruz Latin Studies professor Hector Perla is shown. Perla was accused of raping a student during a wine-tasting outing in June 2015. Some of the files are so heavily redacted that on many pages no words are visible. Perla is one of 113 UC employees found to have violated the system's sexual misconduct policies in rece

We respect the desire of some tipsters to remain anonymous, and have put in place ways to contact reporters and editors to ensure the communication will be private and secure.

card image
Advertisement
Advertisement

To leave a comment, .

Advertisement