Sarah Potenza: A fresh roots/rock powerhouse
Sarah Potenza, the vocal powerhouse—who’s been called half Janis Joplin, half Bonnie Raitt, and all blues dynamo—performs her first Montana concert at the Myrna Loy Center Thursday, August 18 at 7:30 pm.
After a decade with her Chicago band Sarah & the Tall Boys, Potenza quit the band and moved to Nashville with her husband and backup, songwriter/guitarist Ian Crossman. She quickly gained attention on the Nashville scene, becoming a staple at the world-renowned Bluebird Café and the globally broadcast Music City Roots program.
Potenza is described as an honest, reflective songwriter with a monster voice. “She can be tender, and then, suddenly she can rip the roof off,” wrote one online reviewer.
Rolling Stone magazine said of Potenza, “She’s a rock ‘n’ soul powerhouse. If Janis Joplin has been reincarnated, it’s as the bewitching Sarah Potenza, who mixes her rock edge with blues and a little Alabama Shakes-esque Southern soul.”
Potenza recorded 3 CDs with The Tall Boys, and a vinyl solo record. Her newest CD, “Monster,” will be released the day after her Myrna Loy concert. (Sneak CDs will be on sale for audience members.)
After one of her Music City Roots performances she got a call from the NBC-TV show, “The Voice,” asking her to audition for a spot. Out of 50,000 contestants Sarah rose to the top 20 and landed a four-chair turn, the show’s highest success indicator.
Potenza tours widely—her summer shows take her from Kentucky to the Rhythm & Roots Festival in Rhode Island—but the Myrna Loy show will be her first Montana performance.
“We like to introduce audiences to performers we think Montana audiences need to see,” said Myrna Loy executive director Krys Holmes. “Sarah Potenza is one of those artists doing interesting work that audiences here might not know about if we didn’t bring her here.”
Tickets to Sarah Potenza ($22) are available at the Myrna Loy Center, on Ewing across from the Courthouse, 443-0287 or online at myrnaloycenter.com.
Photos sent separately.
More info http://sarahpotenza.net/
Publicist: Karen Wiessen karen@autonomicmedia.com
