Photos by Laura Carbone
What is more Vermont then Grace Potter, Bernie Sanders and Lake Champlain? Put them all together during the third weekend in September and you have the Grand Point North Festival. Vermont born Grace Potter founded the Nocturnals when she was busking music on the streets of Burlington, VT, and she now pays her home state back year to her by hosting a major party for a 5000 of her local fans and friends.
The Grand Point North Festival, hosted by Grace Potter celebrated its eighth year with a sold-out crowd on the shores of Lake Champlain. The weekend festival showcases local business and food vendors, regional indie artists to national performing acts with the Grace Potter herself finishing off each day of this multi-day festival. This year’s heavy-hitter musical lineup featured Jackson Browne, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Ani DiFranco, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, The Magpie Salute and a host of upcoming local and regional acts such as Nina’s Brew, West End Blend and the Seth Yacovone Band.
Bernie Sanders, much beloved by all Vermonters as their Senator and a former Mayor of Burlington, welcomed the crowd and introduced Grace Potter, whose show was, as always, charismatic with her magnetic stage presence, versatile voice and musical prowess from B3 organ, to flying V guitar to an intimate acoustic guitar. Known for bringing special guests, she bought up Kenny Chesney to perform their duet, the major country hit “You and Tequila.” During the encore Jackson Browne joined in for “Doctor My Eyes” and “Running On Empty” that was chimed in by the entire audience.
Grace is working on a new album due in 2019 and has a new marriage to her producer Eric Valentine. This January she gave birth to her first child, Sagan, named after the astronomer Carl Sagan. Fans had blowup space men that floated above the crowd as she sang her ballad “Stars” as a tribute to her new child and she was in tears of joy.
Keep this festival in mind as a great destination, a wonderful local green vibe and a chance to see Grace Potter shine on her home ground.
—Laura Carbone
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