The CFA Mainstage was overrun Wednesday night by a stampede of countrified jam rock and chest-crushing bass. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (GP&N) and Gov't Mule played a mostly sold-out show, with Potter opening.
From the minute they took the stage, GP&N were an absolute fountain of energy. Vocalist Grace Potter stormed through six choice songs from the band's three albums, with a few unreleased tracks thrown in for good measure.
Potter and Matt Burr formed GP&N, currently based out of Potterville in Waitsfield, NY, at St. Lawrence University in 2002. In the interim, the group has released three albums, two on a major label. Their sound is hard to define, drawing at different times from classic American rock, country and pure funk.
The Nocturnals set began looking like two separate bands playing on the same stage. While Grace pounded happily away with her eyes half shut, the three men (Scott Tournet on guitar, Bryan Dondero on bass and Matt Burr on percussion) clustered around the drums to crank out deep, energetic rock with a strong Southern taste.
Four songs in, however, Potter traded in her organs for a series of electric guitars, and moved to the center of the stage, where her words cut through her microphone and reverberated throughout the packed house. She jumped around the stage with youthful energy, exposing a corona of copper-colored hair.
"If you want to meet us, we'll be in the lobby trying to pick you up, because this is a college and we're all horny," Potter said, grinning widely. "Just kidding. I'm full of more sh*t than Ryan Adams."
With that, the band played their swan song and bowed out of the limelight. The worst part of their set was its brevity. The rest was phenomenal.
During a brief intermission, fans left the CFA for a much needed break from the funk. Exiting the auditorium, a zealous concert-goer blurted, "I need a cigarette. I feel like I just got laid."
Standing in the Atrium, it became apparent how devout a following Gov't Mule commands. It's one thing to see their following on their Web site and another thing entirely to experience a crowd that ranges from college to retirement-age folk gleefully chatting about the Mule shows they've seen. It's even more impressive to realize that most of these people are naming more than ten shows a piece.
Gov't Mule is, simply put, guaranteed by nature to be an awesome band. Each member is an incredibly accomplished musician in his own right. Warren Haynes, the band's front man, is a current member not only of Mule, but also The Dead, Phil Lesh and Friends, and The Allman Brothers Band.
Everything about the group is awe-inspiring and massive. They bill themselves as having "massive riffs" and "massive grooves," and they aren't lying. The lead guitar work is intricate and for good reason, recalls The Allman Brothers. Haynes is a master of slide guitar, and it's a blast to watch him work.
Driving the band is Matt Abts on drums, whose work with a double-bass drum could shatter brick. The bass and keys move between these two powerhouses, quietly cementing the group together, while they stand out in solo from time to time.
Now here's the grain of salt. Everything is massive about Gov't Mule. They produce massive riffs, they pump out massive groove and there were men in the front row donning massive air-guitars. But, for the love of rock 'n roll, massive is tiring. Awe-inspiring, triumphant rock finale songs are great, but also exhausting when they make up an entire show. What results is a happy, shell-shocked crowd.
Despite the band's performance, the Mule crowd was the most impressive aspect of the show. Nearly everyone was either dancing or singing along. When Haynes spoke to the audience, it was with a familiarity bred from seeing the same crowd at nearly every show-a devoted group of followers more akin to a religion than a musical act. One walks away with the sense that the deadhead phenomena may be generational, and this may be the new crop. If that is the case, then keep on truckin'.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
