Grace Potter walked onto the stage at The Anthem last night to a sea of fans anxiously waiting for (what all Grace Potter fans have come to expect from her shows) electrifying energy. Her charismatic smile and gorgeous velvet yellow outfit lit up the stage while she waved appreciatively at the crowd. She picked up her famous Flying V guitar and kicked off the night with the title track to her new album, Daylight. The stage backdrop burst into a golden ray of light, and Grace stood in the center of the stage shining like the sun. Daylight follows the last solo album (Midnight, which was released in 2015) with a set of songs about leaving the past behind and moving forward. It is clear that Grace has definitely come out of the darkness.
Grace Potter has been touring in support of Daylight with her new band, appropriately named, “The Daylights” and has been on fire – selling out many shows along the tour. She is the quintessential rock goddess, strutting around the stage with confidence and a voice that has the beauty of a songbird but also the growl of a lioness preaching to her pride!
Grace gave a shout out to D.C. and The Anthem by saying, “This feels like the 9:30 Club, it just smells better.” She was referring to the time her bus caught on fire outside the 9:30 Club! She also recalled how the last time she was in D.C. four years ago, her 4-night run at the 930 Club was interrupted by a blizzard. Grace complimented D.C. fans by saying, “I don’t know what’s in the water here, but y’all get it! You feel the music.”
One of the many highlights of the evening came when opening performer, Devon Gilfillian, joined Grace on stage for a soulful version of “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James. The main set concluded with a dynamic two part version of “Nothing but the Water” which was nothing short of a spiritual experience.
Grace returned to the stage for four-song encore. By the end of the evening, she had the audience rocking out to “Paris (Ohh La La)” before bringing them to a jaw dropping silence when she sat down to the piano for the emotional closing song on the album Daylight called “Release”. She challenged the audience by saying, “let go of anything holding you down or affecting you in a negative way… just release”.
What a spiritual evening we were fortunate to witness. Grace brought positive energy to The Anthem on Saturday night, shining on us like sun in the daylight. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Grace Potter perform, be sure to get to one of her many shows over the next six months and pick up her album Daylight now! Click here for tour and album info!
Enjoy photos of Grace Potter performing at The Anthem on Saturday, January 25, 2020. All photos copyright and courtesy of Brandon Amos.
