Grace Potter will step onto the storied stage of the Grand Ole Opry House for the first time on September 15, marking a career milestone for the four-time Grammy nominee as she promotes her new album. The Nashville debut lands during a stretch of appearances in Music City tied to the release of her seventh studio record, Trespasser.
According to Rutherford Source, Potter is expected to perform songs from Trespasser during her Opry set, including the single Love Me Not, which the outlet notes has climbed to the top 10 at Triple A radio and the top 5 at Americana radio. The performance takes place during the venue's Opry 100 anniversary celebration, and Potter will share the bill that evening with artists Noeline Hofmann, Tift Merritt, and Restless Road, according to Pollstar. The Grand Ole Opry is marking its 100th year with the Opry 100 performance series, which has already drawn other notable debuts this year — Hoodline previously reported on Niall Horan's first-ever Opry set during the same celebration.
A Cross-Country Album Rooted in Two Homes
Trespasser arrived August 21 through Thirty Tigers and serves as something of a spiritual sequel to Potter's 2023 release Mother Road. Per VTDigger, the album was inspired by eight solo cross-country drives Potter made between California and Vermont over five years, reflecting her life split between Topanga Canyon and her native Vermont. The record was produced by Potter's husband, Eric Valentine, who also worked with her on 2019's Grammy-nominated Daylight, and it was recorded across multiple states with contributions from Benmont Tench of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, along with session musicians from Cage the Elephant, Kings of Leon, and Train, according to a release from Shore Fire Media.
Ahead of the album's release, Potter put out Run Baby Run in June as the second single from Trespasser, a song written about a woman escaping an abusive relationship, Relix reported at the time. Potter has also used the album campaign to record covers of Woody Guthrie and Gnarls Barkley material, per the same outlet.
From Vermont Rock Band to Grammy-Nominated Solo Career
Potter first broke through nationally as the lead vocalist and keyboardist of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, a Vermont rock band formed in 2002 that released four studio albums before disbanding in 2015, according to Cryptic Rock. Her solo career has since earned her four Grammy nominations spanning both solo and collaborative work, including Best Rock Album and Best Rock Performance nods for Daylight, a duet nomination alongside Kenny Chesney, and a 2026 Best Americana Performance nomination for Poison In My Well with Maggie Rose, as detailed by American Songwriter.
Potter is joining Zac Brown Band for select dates on their Love and Fear Tour, kicking off the run on August 27 at Forest Hills Stadium in New York, with upcoming stops including Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre and South Carolina's Bon Secours Wellness Arena, according to Pollstar. The tour follows the band's Sphere residency and is presented by Margaritaville at Sea.
A Dense Mid-September Stretch in and Beyond Music City
Potter's Opry debut is just one stop in a busy run through Nashville. The night after her Opry set, on September 16, she is set to perform on the AmericanaFest Day Stage at Eastside Bowl in Madison, Tennessee, an appearance that will open a three-day mini-festival co-broadcast live on NPR Music's YouTube channel and Nashville PBS, according to WMOT. The Day Stage is hosted by WMOT Roots Radio.
From there, Potter heads north to Burlington, Vermont, to host her own Grand Point North Festival from September 18 to 20, featuring Jackson Browne and Portugal. The Man, with net proceeds benefiting the Grand Point Foundation, an arts-focused nonprofit she founded to support Vermont's creative community. She also recently brought her new material to national television, performing Love Me Not, Mainstreet U.S.A., and Run Baby Run on CBS Saturday Morning on August 22, following an earlier performance of Love Me Not on Live with Kelly & Mark, according to Shore Fire Media.
