New Years Eve Run - 2009 - 12/26/27/28/31/2009 - Higher Ground, Burlington, VT

[Snowbird]

Tour: New Years 2009
12/31/09 Grace Potter and the Nocturnals in Burlington,VT Higher Ground United States

12/28/09 Grace Potter and the Nocturnals in Burlington,VT Higher Ground United States

12/27/09 Grace Potter and the Nocturnals in Burlington,VT Higher Ground United States

12/26/09 Grace Potter and the Nocturnals in Burlington,VT Higher Ground United States

[Snowbird]

Tedheadone Higher Ground, Burlington VT Night 1 12/26/09 Lead [-]

Photos by Nanci:

http://http://www.photosbynanci.com/gpnHG1.html

Archive Link:

http://www.archive.org/details/GPN20....Higher_Ground

Nocturnican
Posts: 481
(12/27/09 09:49:44)
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Weathermen. You woulda thought it was gonna be the second coming of The Ice Age for the ride up North. Turns out to be no problem, but it was cool to see a frost line high up in the trees and watch that frost line gradually "come down" the further North I went.

Well, the Windjammer is in fine form, having redone rooms over the past year, and several of us have rooms on the fourth floor. Nice room, desk with wifi...no excuse!

By the time I make it to the restaurant, Dave, Nancy, Jay, Laura, Steve, Klaus and 1 healthy daughter (other back in room), Todd and John have ordered drinks from our server, GUAVA GIRL CASEY !! Hey, where's Abby? Casey is working here and doing as much sub teaching as she can to get a foothold in a school. And after a pleasant meal, some down time beforedoin' our thing to get down down front. Which we do. 'cept for daughter #1 who sends someone to save space..Thanks, Dad!

Opener Lendway exceeded expectations. Local, and a local following. There was a time when GPN was the local opener at HG....Very nice harmonies, the drummer does a nice double bass beat throughout one song. I got a chance to tell him that at the end of the night and he was very pleased. About 2/3 thru, I realized that I didn't think I had heard a guitar solo, and I definitely didn't the last few songs.

And after the requisite wait, soothed by Hawaiian music on th PA, the Nocs took the stage, Cat in a breathtakingly red, and short, dress. It looked like a hankerchief draped on her. And I mean that in a good way. (The high heels came off about three songs in, Cat mouthing "They're killin me" She did position them neatly between her amp and the drum riser). Golden Grace, sparkly, basked in the HomeTown Love as she kicked off a 20 set with Medicine that featured PREMIERE of Hot summer Nights, (when it's cold and the weather's worse)

Highlights Tonight:

Joey: Crowd on notice...monster in the house
Mastermind: Funny. They don't look Who-ish..but The who channeled for this open
Oasis: First new song wows crowd. Cat shines
Money: Scott gets fuzzy
Low Rd; Grace on mic, Benny
Things I never needed: Scott lap, Benny lead
2:22; Benny is a head banger!
Only Love: scott pickin
Mary: Matt rolls
Tiny Lights: A revelation tonight. Graces vocals lead. Scott brings an experimental Beatles guitar sound early, and then during solo, starts stamping his right food so hard you can hear it hit the stage above all the sound, and then comes between the monitors to stage edge. Meanwhile, security has shut down Nancy and Klaus (with photo passes) saying they can only do the first three songs. Meanwhile, 2 or three other people without photo passes come up and squeeze between me and John. C'mon. Can the band take the lead here and say photo's are ok all show for this run??? at least for those with mgmt provided photo passes?
Stop the bus: Stops the show
White Rabbit: you can hear the gasps and murmurs as they open
NBTW: Show closed with authority, and w/o drum gathering, which was in set closer Hands. And you knew this was the last song, as Cat put her shoes back on..
Scene in the crowd: Dayna and Jackie, a guy looking for "Dick and Donna, where's all the posse, you know, from KC", taper JT


set list
Medicine
Joey
Mastermind
Oasis
Apologies
Money
Low Rd
GoodBye Kiss
Things I never needed
2:22
Only Love
Mary
Tiny Lights
Colors
paris
Stop The Bus
Sweet Hands
/////////////////
White rabbit
Hot Summer Night (Premiere)
NBTW



JackieinCT #1 [-]


Fan
Posts: 149
(12/27/09 10:13:36)

Van - You are awesome - thanks for the narrative. I always look forward to your stories! Can't wait for New Years!

greppson #2 [-]


Member
Posts: 63
(12/27/09 13:20:12)

night 1 recording: http://www.archive.org/details/gpn20....akg481.flac16

yes, the player has the tracks listed wrong. working with archive admins to fix it.


toofarnorth #3 [-]


Fan
Posts: 223
(12/27/09 18:20:46)

Next best thing to being there . .
visual clues from Nanci's photos . . then listening to greppson's great audio capture while Van sets the stage with his recap
" Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent."
~ Victor Hugo ~

NHAllie #4 [-]


Member
Posts: 5
(12/27/09 22:21:14)

God, I wish I could be there in VT for the shows. Florida may be sunny and warm right now, but it doesnt have Grace Potter and the Nocturnals...not a good trade off as far as I'm concerned! Thank you for the updates though. It's a great way to feel like a part of the GPN fun!

joester 2farNorth #5 [-]


Fan
Posts: 285
(12/28/09 11:49:32)

exactly what I was thinking about the combination of reviews - pictorial, audio and written storyline - adds up to getting the picture down pretty well.
A lot of us are again living vicariously thru those of you there - so please continue sharing your thoughts, photos (thanks Nancy!) and audio recordings (Greppson and thanks to ALL of you!).
sounds like a one heck of a grand time.



tener coraz

[Snowbird]

greppson Higher Ground, Burlington VT Night 2 12/27/09 Lead [-]


Member
Posts: 64
(12/28/09 00:35:12)

Download the show:
http://www.archive.org/details/gpn20....akg481.flac16

Setlist:
Some Kind of Ride
Watching You
One More Goodbye Kiss
Big White Gate
Oasis
Ah Mary
Money
Apologies
One Short Night
Hot Summer Night
2:22
Fooling Myself
Mastermind
Tiny Light
Paris
Stop The Bus
Medicine
---------------------
Joey
Happy Birthday, Cat!
NBTW
Sweet Hands


joester Cats b-day #2 [-]


Fan
Posts: 284
(12/28/09 11:41:29)

so without seeing any reports - I'm guessing there was no "pie in the face" as Cat had hoped for?
or is that tonite?


tener coraz

[Snowbird]

greppson Higher Ground, Burlington VT Night 3 12/28/09 Lead [-]


Member
Posts: 66
(12/28/09 23:53:28)

Download the show:
http://www.archive.org/details/gpn20....akg481.flac16

Setlist:
NBTW
Joey
Medicine
Mastermind
Big White Gate
One More Goodbye Kiss
One Short Night
Toothbrush
Money
Hot Summer Night
Ah Mary
Tiny Light
Colors
Apologies
Only Love
Paris
Sweet Hands
NBTW Reprise
-----------------------
Oasis
Stop The Bus
Feel Like Making Love

Thanks to the Posse for helping me get my spot by letting me stand in line with them.

Thanks to Dayna for the beer!

Thanks to Van and Linda for the poster!




If I haven't met you yet, be sure to stop by and say hello on NYE!!!

tipiboy #2 [-]


Fan
Posts: 409
(12/29/09 01:16:27)

Thanks again brother, you rock! Blues & Lasers tomorrow?

joester #3 [-]


Fan
Posts: 286
(12/29/09 06:30:26)

glad to see the Posse helping out a taper - very Kind of you all, altho it comes as no surprise
have a Happy New Year!





tener coraz

[Snowbird]

greppson Higher Ground, Burlington VT Night 4 12/31/09 New Years Eve! Lead [-]


Member
Posts: 71
(01/01/10 12:24:51)

Download the show:
http://www.archive.org/details/gpn20....akg481.flac16

Setlist:
[Set 1]
Some Kind Of Ride
Joey
Oasis
One More Goodbye Kiss >
2:22
Apologies
Toothbrush
Ah Mary
Paris
Medicine
NBTW

[Set 2]
Top Gun Anthem >
Danger Zone >
Top Gun Anthem >
Auld Lang Syne >
Top Gun Anthem >
Mastermind
Take My Breath Away
(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
Stop The Bus
Great Balls Of Fire
Feel Like Makin' Love >
Sweet Hands
---------------------
Top Gun Anthem Reprise >
Danger Zone Reprise >
Watching You
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling


Tedheadone New Years Eve Night 4 #1 [-]


Nocturnican
Posts: 491
(01/04/10 21:03:54)

Okay. I learned how to do a balloon drop. You take a net and fold it lengthwise. Then you secure one end, and run a long self removing suture down the long side, stuff the other end with balloons...don't forget to blow 'em up!..secure the load-the-balloons end and then hang it from the ceiling. Then pull the suture at the stroke of midnight. Simple, right?

Not really, especially with the head cold I picked up that still has me stretched out on the couch....

The only hints of the evenings' theme for the early arrivals requires sharp eyes....a wire running across the stage, what appears to be the nose of a plane lurking behind the speaker tower, and the black silhouettes of jet fighters hung way up near the front lights. Black cloth drapes some pieces hung on the back wall.

Opener Book 'em Blues Band (with BnL bassist John Ragone) turns in a nice set. Bob Wagner clearly summoning the spirit of Eric Clapton. You can do a LOT worse than that. Love EC. Four of the eight songs in the set were EC songs. Perhaps I should have inserted "But" at the beginning of the last sentence. It is a tightrope they walk. I suspect this might be one of the larger crowds they have played, and while you want to play your best 8 songs, you don't necessarily want to leave the impression, when you have left the stage, that you are a cover band...even if it is EC they covered. All in all, they sounded real good.

The Nocs take the stage and rip into Some Kind of Ride to set the night off right, only to follow right into One Away's favorite, Joey. In this 11 song set, 5 are old favorites.

After a brief break, the band is ready to re-appear and take the stage for set 2, Top Gun. The cloths come off the back wall, revealing a large Top Gun styled GPN logo, jets streaking across the sun, and the base control tower. Ben and Justin set the stage, dressed in flightsuits adorned with GPN logo's , and in Bens case, a Mile High Club emblem as well. I don a bomber jacket and shades..And as hot as it is, I am determined to keep it on as long as Grace keeps hers on. (And I succeed.). Justin comes out with orange glow sticks and motions the band into position onstage. The guys are in matching flightsuits, and Cat and Grace are in A-line wool skirts, with tops and jackets. Grace really rocked the aviatrix look:



Opening this set with Top Gun Thems, they took it into a rollickin' Danger Zone and then, at midnight NocTime, the sleek jet 2010 came from behind the sound tower and buzzed the stage and the tower to kick off the New Year.




Take My Breath away was simmering, Dock of The Bay a revelation, Stop the Bus scorching.

Sweet Hands closed the night before the and came back out for encore, reprising Top Gun and Danger Zone before Watching You brought us back to the Nocturnal Zone. And the finale was You Lost that Lovin Feeling. Stop for a second and imagine trying to sing that song yourself. Designed as a duet with Bobby Hatfield singing tenor, and one of the finest baritones in rock, Bill Medley takin' it down low. Grace asked for help from the crowd, she got it with gusto, but I think she pulled it off anyway.

A wonderful way to, once again, ring out the old and ring in the new. Timing was right, Burlington was buried the next few days in its' biggest snow storm ever, 33 inches. May GPN take the country by storm with a new album in 2010!!

Scene in the crowd: Mojo, One Away Man, Jackie from CT, greppson, Mr & Mrs P, The RISD Contingent, Fabulous Adrien, Tiana and Hillary from KY, The Placid Peeps.

Setlist
Ride
Joey
Oasis
Goodbye Kiss
2:22
Apologies
Toothbrush
Mary
Paris
Medicine
NBTW

TOP GUN set
TG Theme
Danger Zone
Auld Lang Syne
TG reprise
Mastermind
Take My Breath away
Dock of The Bay
Stop The Bus
Balls of Fire
Feel Like Makin Love
Sweet Hands
////////////
TG reprise
Danger Zone reprise
Watching You
Lovin Feelin



tipiboy #2 [-]


Fan
Posts: 421
(01/05/10 11:37:00)

Thanks again between the two of you we can relive or imagine that amazing night! In defense of Bookum ... 2 nights before opening for B&L they had a much more diversified set list. Ending in an accapella Son House number. I smile realizing that I don't remember the song 8*) Doh! Yes I do ...

Don't you mind people grinning in your face
Don't you mind people grinning in your face
There's one thing to bear in mind
A true friend is hard to find
Don't you mind people grinning in your face

It was ... I thought a perfect segue into B&L!

toofarnorth #3 [-]


Fan
Posts: 229
(01/05/10 12:01:12)

"Justin comes out with orange glow sticks and motions the band into position onstage." Imagining that made me smile . . TH1 your extra bits of information are priceless for those of us enjoying the show through all of you who share your media and stories.
Hope you are feeling better and off the couch soon.

greppson . . great media feast as usual - thank you muchly
" Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo
" There's only two kinds of music: the blues and zippety doo-dah." -Townes Van Zandt


tiana3826 #4 [-]


Member
Posts: 29
(01/05/10 17:58:55)

just so everyone knows, TH1 looked almost just as good in his jacket and glasses as Grace and Cat did in theirs It was a pleasure sharing my front row spot with all the Posse peeps that I met, you guys are all great!