Grace Potter in Indianapolis reviewed

Despite being faced with a less than sold-out Egyptian room, Grace Potter was able to spark a cool energy within the older crowd she attracted Friday night. Rayland Baxter set the mood for a good time with a mellow, relaxed set.

When Potter took the stage, no element of a good, old-fashioned rock show was spared. Complete with fringe, electric guitars, head banging, and glittery stilettos, she opened her set with the kind of energy that reminds audiences why they go out to see live music. Her otherwise relatively tame tracks gained a harder edge- modern recording equipment still can\’t capture her gorgeous hair flips. Even slow songs were laced with passion as she poured her heart and soul into every note.

Trying to create a set that incorporated her four albums with The Nocturnals, her two solo albums, and her array of singles proved difficult, and Indy ended up with a set that ran over two hours. If you can imagine a concert like scanning through radio stations, you\’ll have a pretty clear picture of the show. Ranging from alt pop to country, blues to rock and ballads to jungle beats, Grace certainly kept her audience eager to hear what was coming next. Her band constantly rotated positions; multiple drum sets and a plethora of unconventional percussion and strings instruments were rotated through during the set as the genre and sound continuously shifted. Yet throughout the variety of tracks pulsed a beautiful cohesiveness found only in the most experienced musicians.

Her experience with performing live became abundantly clear very quickly. She dominated the stage with conviction rarely seen at such upbeat shows, yet she never lost intimacy with the crowd. She did not address the audience, she conversed with them. Discussing the other acts at the venue, replying to comments, and calling fans out for not dancing hard enough, Grace continuously reinforced the comfortable energy she created with her genuine stage presence. Featured within her set was a haunting rendition of The Bangles’ 1986 hit \”Walk Like an Egyptian\”- no doubt a nod to the location.

The set relied heavily on instrumentals, but this was a big hit with the older crowd. A sea of beer cans occupied the space above the audience, which is a huge shift from the usual population of cell phones and cameras. Rather than being smashed against the barricade, fans had plenty of room to dance, and most seized the opportunity. Many soccer moms (and dads) were spotted getting down with their bad selves.

With a beautifully crafted set, stunning stage presence, and experience to boot, Grace Potter captured her audience and didn\’t let go until it was finally time to wrap up the evening, and even then, the audience didn\’t want to leave. She radiated whatever energy was missing from her recorded tracks, and the crowd ate it up. Now can we please get this woman a hit single?

-Kelly Fox

[lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Grace Potter in Indianapolis/\”]