Reliving Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Live at The Wilbur Theatre, Sept. 25

Brandy and I were able to go on our second date this month (our pace is usually one per month), meeting a friend in Boston Thursday night for dinner at Rock Bottom Brewery before heading across the street to The Wilbur Theatre for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

When we arrived at the upper level balcony, our usher informed us that the show was being taped, and the sound folks had set up their gear right in front of our seats. The good news was she did not expect the balcony to be crowded, and invited us to sit a few rows back.

(The photo was taken by one of sound folks before the show started. I didn't have my camera with us.)

All was well in the end. Not only did we not have to peer through the microphones to watch the show, but the seats in front of us were not occupied, so we could stretch out a bit.

Here's the buried lede: Grace Potter and The Nocturnals rocked the house! The show was fantastic. There was not a single disappointing moment. The band was tight, and the performance energy was top-notch. It was clearly the band's A game.

For those not familiar with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, they're a cross between Bonnie Raitt and The Black Crowes. During the show I was flashing back at times to when I saw the latter at the Hollywood Bowl more than 15 years ago. I would classify neither the Nocturnals nor the Crowes as jam bands, but man, can they jam!

The 11-minute version of "Over Again" to close the set was outstanding. So too was the 7-minute "Stop the Bus." Covers of Erma Thomas' "Pain In My Heart," Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black," which was a great meld with "Sugar", and Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" were all great interpretations.

I especially enjoyed the latter. Grace shuffled the lyrics some, but does it really matter with that song? I've done the same when I've performed it over the years. The key was that the whole band owned the song, and made it theirs -- the path to success with any cover tune. Made me want to go home, pick up the guitar and do the same.

There were two encores, which Grace announced was rare. I was grateful for the second one, as I was starting to worry I wouldn't get to see them perform, "Big White Gate," my favorite of theirs.

But it was the first encore that really punctuated the show. Not only was "Sweet Emotion" trotted out to close that encore, but they kicked it off with an extended edition of "Nothing But The Water," bisected by an all-band drum solo that was the most unique take on the rock show tradition that I have seen. All four band members pounded out syncopated rhythms that combined to make one outstanding, unified beat. I hope someone got a video of it. It was something to behold. You couldn't help but clap and stamp along.

(Update: Bless, YouTube. I found a video of the drum solo! It starts about 3 minutes into this clip.)

Best of all? The full concert was online at archive.org the next day. That was the ultimate payoff for giving up our front-row balcony seats. Now we -- and you -- can relive the show as often as we'd like.

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Now playing: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Here's to the Meantime
via FoxyTunes