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

[Photos By Nanci]

Music: Grace Potter transformed from hippie rocker to glam VH1 belter
January 13, 2011
By Jon Bream

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. :cool:

"I've been gunning for the fast lane since I was 16," said Potter, 27 :D, 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."

Full Story:
http://www.vita.mn/story.php?id=113397649

[melissa]

Thanks for the link, Nanci...this one and all the others. I've become a regular junkie/stalker, checking in for Grace updates morning and night! :o

BUT, I've gotta say too that I'm feeling a twinge of frustration with all the attention to the "changed style," only because Grace and the band could ALWAYS bring it, best as I can tell. All of their music is phenomenal and, personally, I run on the "old" stuff right up through the latest covers from the most recent shows... I don't really think that has to do with the look Grace is putting together?

I could be wrong...those of you who've been by their side the whole way could probably speak to that better...

[toofarnorth]

Melissa . . think of it as "first you have to get their attention" . . the new fans will discover the older music as they seek out information.

If you're reading the interviews then you know that Grace has repeatedly said that the old Ts & jeans look was due to being afraid she wouldn't be taken seriously if she dressed the way she wanted to - i.e. the way she does now.

My next comment isn't aimed at you . . just a general observation and worth exactly what all unsolicited opinions are worth - bupkiss.


It seems to me the whole issue of how a musician dresses is overblown with snobbery emanating from both ends of the spectrum.
There are " jeans & flannel shirts " who don't put out good music . . just as there are "glam & glitter" who are very talented.
It's a shame to discount/demean anyone's talent based how some fabric is sewn together.


Returning to my cave (read boring work) now.

[wags]

Melissa:

I understand where your coming from. Frankly I think the T's and Jeans Grace (god where talking about her like she is an action figure) was her and is her too. I mean come on when your from middle of Vermont raised my hippie folk your going to rock what you know. In the beginning I think that's what she was doing, its what she knew. Now that Grace has entered the "lime light" she is growing and stepping out of that mode to another one. I think its important to watch people evolve. Just like the Beatles or Dylan there look changed as they changed. It's growth through experience, and we as fans either embrace the change or hold it against them as changing too much. Either way I'll take hippie Grace, I'll take glam queen Grace, I'll take 35 year old Grace, I'll take Gray Grace. To me it doesn't matter as long as the band her continue to grow and write good music. On with the show......

[Zorak]

All of the threads of this topic need to be combined.












(So I can avoid them)

[Snowbird]

All of the threads of this topic need to be combined.

(So I can avoid them)

Amen Brother. Getting way too tired of defending, opining or commenting on this one anymore.

Just listen to the music and go to a LIVE SHOW DAMMIT

[melissa]

I just feel like I need to quickly say (and then let it go--I'm sorry it's already done what it has:() that I'm NOT in anyway complaining about GPN. I'll take the old, I'll take the new, and I'll take what's still to come!

I don't think I'm really saying anything different than you... I'm not thinking about how they look NEARLY as much as what they bring, and to me their talent speaks so much louder than the glitz, glam, or flannel!

[Tekawitha]

Wags - hear you AND, I once read the first and/or lesser known works of Willa Cather and Sarah Orne Jewett, and WOW had they evolved into great writers - learned some things along the way - I believe it's called practice or rehearsal or OJT. Why wouldn't and couldn't it be similar in the music arena?

[Snowbird]

I just feel like I need to quickly say (and then let it go--I'm sorry it's already done what it has:() that I'm NOT in anyway complaining about GPN. I'll take the old, I'll take the new, and I'll take what's still to come!

I don't think I'm really saying anything different than you... I'm not thinking about how they look NEARLY as much as what they bring, and to me their talent speaks so much louder than the glitz, glam, or flannel!

Melissa - my apologies to you for getting short on this topic, no offense to anyone's opinions, thoughts or ideas intended. I personally am tired of the conflict over flannel versus glitter. It's actually a source of contention between myself and my husband if you can believe that - and I'll leave that right there without saying anymore in hopes that you and anyone else out there felt I was being rude, when I probably was just feeling rather reactionary.

I vow to keep all my comments to myself on this subject from here on out.

But - I will still say - unequivocally - Do see a live show. Then come back and tell me all about!

[wags]

Lets just agree to see them play :-) I will rushing home to see them on Leno tonight for sure.

[Trish]

But - I will still say - unequivocally - Do see a live show. Then come back and tell me all about!

Melissa brought us some great video from the New Year's Run (shhh ... just found out Nate says videos aren't permitted, so we'll just call it lots of pictures taken in quick succession). ;)

[whiterabbitrothbury]

I agree with many of the points previously made but really for me as long as they don't abandon their roots of touring regularly and don't abandon the jam band circuit fans which in my opinion is a lot of their fan base including myself and it really doesn't matter what they wear as long as they keep that up and keep putting out good music.

On another note, just like to say I saw them for the first time at the Rothbury Festival in 2009 where they performed If I Was from Paris and Medicine nearly a year before they came out on the album. Then saw them recently and they still play a good mix of their early stuff as well as the songs off their newest album and they blew me away even more than the first time, can't wait to see them again and can't wait to see them on Jay Leno in a little bit!

[rachel]

i love it all!! i'm a relatively new fan- i guess came to know "Paris" first and bought that album first. fell in love with the sound and all the songs and consequently bought 'nothing but the water'. and after the mpls show bought "this is somewhere". so it was the glam style that got me as a fan but i'm gonna buy anything and everything of grace because it's her VOICE that i'm a fan of, first and foremost! the other stuff is just extraneous. the live show was amazing- and i do love how she rocks it out- don't see too many female rockers lately so i love that about her- makes her unique.

[Zorak]

On another note, just like to say I saw them for the first time at the Rothbury Festival in 2009 where they performed If I Was from Paris and Medicine nearly a year before they came out on the album.

Paris is older than the internet. Just sayin.

[Wally C]

Paris is older than the internet. Just sayin.

I know I've heard this tune in a number of versions etc going back a while. Just for laughs I checked out the archives here....looks like the first time its in a set list (but maybe not THE FIRST TIME) is May 22, 2007 at the 8X10.......sounds about right.

[Tedheadone]

I know I've heard this tune in a number of versions etc going back a while. Just for laughs I checked out the archives here....looks like the first time its in a set list (but maybe not THE FIRST TIME) is May 22, 2007 at the 8X10.......sounds about right.

Close, Wally, but it was just a bit earlier. I saw Paris' debut at The Troubadour in L.A. May 9, 2007 and then 8 days later at The Iron Horse in Northampton, Ma

[nate]

(shhh ... just found out Nate says videos aren't permitted, so we'll just call it lots of pictures taken in quick succession). ;)

I appreciate that.

[JackieinCT]

ooooh Trish, you're in trouble now! (me too, since I took video at the Hangover show).

[Stot]

Paris has been my favorite song since I first hear the band. It rocks! And it will change again! :)

[Stot]

Melissa:

I understand where your coming from. Frankly I think the T's and Jeans Grace (god where talking about her like she is an action figure) was her and is her too. I mean come on when your from middle of Vermont raised my hippie folk your going to rock what you know. In the beginning I think that's what she was doing, its what she knew. Now that Grace has entered the "lime light" she is growing and stepping out of that mode to another one. I think its important to watch people evolve. Just like the Beatles or Dylan there look changed as they changed. It's growth through experience, and we as fans either embrace the change or hold it against them as changing too much. Either way I'll take hippie Grace, I'll take glam queen Grace, I'll take 35 year old Grace, I'll take Gray Grace. To me it doesn't matter as long as the band her continue to grow and write good music. On with the show......

Grace said several years ago the jeans and tshirts wasnt her style. Chicks at Phish shows don't dress like that either. Do you know something she doesn't? And yea, the music ought to keep changing or folks will be bored.

[Stot]

Paris is older than the internet. Just sayin.

IIWFP has been a standard for years.

[tipiboy]

Ka-Kaw ... Ka Kaw!!! (_8*)

[wags]

What no Oasis love?(not the british band, although that b-side album of theirs is good) Come on its the super jam from GPN.