REVIEW: NATHAN PAYNE | Six months after her stellar performance prior to the massive snow storm of 2016, Grace Potter touched down at the 9:30 Club once again to deliver another galactic jam session. For two nights in a row, she blasted crowds with her undeniable energy and mind-bending riffs before returning to the road.
The night kicked off with Con Brio, a badass, funk factory bursting with rhythm and soul. Brass stacked on bass laid the framework for Grace Potter to melt the stage. A flash of lights and intercom static shot the crowd around the sun with “Hot to the Touch.” From that point on, Grace fueled the audience with a blend of solo and Nocturnals tunes, each more dynamic than the last.
As the night moved on, the depth of the music expanded providing more than the anticipated sounds from previous and recent albums. What had the potential to be standard live renditions morphed into extended mishmashes of unexpected delight. “Loneliest Soul” turned into “Walking On Sunshine” which led into “Maneater,” then “Somebody To Love,” and ultimately returning back to “Loneliest Soul” after a gauntlet of chords and sequins.
The music continued to escalate and the show intensified to a point where it began to jar the crowd. Similar to shoves from a friend, waves of light and sound swayed people in the audience. It ebbed and flowed from my frame and had an impact that could rock even the most seasoned concert-goer.
As if that wasn’t enough, Grace and her band delivered a 6 song encore including “Stars” and separate versions of “Paris” to round out the night with an intensity only she could end upon.
It’s truly amazing to see what 6 months of shows has done to the Midnight Tour. The level of artistry and showmanship Grace Potter and her band delivered had grown exponentially and was truly out of this world. Eclipsing their previous show at the 9:30 club in January, I would argue that this was some of the best live music ever produced by Grace Potter during her journey as a solo artist.
