The World Cafe Live in Wilmington, Del. is a fairly new venue located in a very old but bueatiful building right in the heart of historic downtown Wilmington. This 45,000 square foot building was home to the historic Queen Theater built in 1915 - closed in 1959; and sadly there it sat until it was brought back to life and re-opened in 2011 as a unique and up-scale concert venue.
        The first World Café Live was opened in 2004 in Philadelphia, Pa. by lifelong concertgoer and entrepreneur Hal Real. Real wanted a place where people could relax and enjoy live music with comfortable seating and fine food and drink. An intimate setting - where the stage is visible by all and the artists can be seen, heard and appreciated by audiences of all ages with shows that usually end by 10:30pm, so it is possible to go out on a weeknight and still get to work or school the next day! What a great idea, right! It truly was a very serene and relaxed environment that made me feel right at home.
        After settling into our seats and placing our orders, the crowd went quiet and the lights went dim. Front vocalist Grace Potter was a dynamic force as she walked on to the stage. She performs with a blues, rock swagger that can be both sweet and sultry but demands to be recognized and she capitivated the audience right from the start. A fiery blond with a curious smile that keeps you charged through their performance, and I was.
    Grace Potter and the Nocturnals is a Vermont-based band that made their modest debut in 2005. The group is comprised of four talented musicians led by Grace Potter (vocals/keyboards/guitar), Scott Tournet (guitar/bass/keyboards/vocals), Benny Yurco (guitar/bass/vocals) and Matt Burr (drums/vocals). They have been hitting the concert circuit creating a buzz and a steadily growing fan base for seven years now, and had a well received hit last summer with the release of their single “Paris (Ooh-La-La)”.
    Playing to a sold-out audience of 775, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals performed several songs from their previous albums and about five from their new album The Lion The Beast and The Beat (June 18, 2012). Their new single that is receiving air play now is “Never Go Back” and if you haven’t heard it yet, call someone now and request it! It’s just a taste but it will leave you thirsty for more so you have to check these guys out. Their influences are very ‘60s and ‘70s bluesy rock with a soulful consciousness that brings a modern twist to their homegrown sound. They are scheduled to be at The Electric Co. in Philadelphia, Pa. on Nov.15 and I for one would say they are well worth the drive up! Hope to see them again soon!!