Rachel Potter with special guests The Vanity Belles

Show Description

After her sold out "Live the Dream" EP release concert, and back by popular demand, Rachel Potter will return to Joe's Pub at the end of July. Kicking off her "Live the Dream" mini NYC tour, Rachel will be joined on the intimate stage by Cosmo Country Duo, The Vanity Belles. The evening will feature some of New York's finest musicians: Miles Aubrey, Matt Hinkley, Joe Brent, Shannon Ford, and Mairi Dorman, with back ups by the incomparable Marty Thomas (Wicked, Xananadu, The Secret Garden), and Jennifer Thigpen (CeCe Winans, Roberta Flack, Kirk Franklin, Sandi Patty, Avalon, Point of Grace). The dynamic line up will be showcasing all six songs from the EP, performing some country flavored covers, as well as debuting some of Rachel's brand new originals.

Rachel released her debut country EP, "Live the Dream" to a sold out crowd at Joe's Pub on May 13th. Her electric and emotionally charged performance, left a resounding impression on the NYC music scene, and even attracted the attention of Country Music Royalty, Reba McEntire.

The album marks her first collaboration with Nashville vet, Justin York, a notable songwriter/producer, engineer, and guitarist for bands such as Paramore, Katy Perry, and Tait. "Live the Dream" is a dynamic, passion-fueled mix of country pop with an edge of rock, showcasing her undeniable talents as both a songstress and a storyteller.

“It’s got real guts,” says Potter of the co-written EP, “We wanted to make a record that joined pop country music with a rock edge – Think Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift with a Paramore twist. It’s a risk, but it’s exciting.”

Rachel Potter is currently appearing as the Mistress in the Tony Nominated Broadway revival, Evita. She appears alongside Ricky Martin, Elena Roger, and Michael Cerveris. Rachel made her Broadway debut as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family starring Brooke Shields, following a tour with Stephen Schwartz’s smash hit musical, Wicked (Glinda u/s). Rachel has also performed the roles of Ariel, Belle, and Nemo, among others, at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

“Live the Dream” was successfully funded through the online funding platform, Kickstarter. "Help Me Live the Dream." She raised over 20K to produce and distribute it.
 
"Potter, who is currently appearing on Broadway as The Mistress in Evita, displays her talents as both a singer and a songwriter on this six-song EP, where country meets rock and roll. Each of the tunes has a twangy zest, and Potter belts them out with warmth and deep feeling, particularly "Just a Show," an excellent reimagining of the "my man's done me wrong" narrative, and "Never You Mind," which, with a more crashing heavy metal sound, similarly revisits a tale of love gone wrong." -Theatermania Review

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The Vanity Belles are a genre-bending "Cosmo-Country" harmony duo living in New York City and winning the hearts of a nation. The band is comprised of Jessi Rae Waltz, a Nashville native and Carrie Welling, a military child from Colorado. The two have garnered significant attention over their short careers, including winning a local MTV VMA award for Best Breakout Artist.

After spending the last year underground writing, co-writing, recording & developing their brand, The Vanity Belles are ready to take the stage to launch & release their debut, self-titled EP on Thursday, July 14th. Appearing as guest vocalists for some of NYC's premier singer/songwriters, these ladies have cultivated a unique and fresh presence in the NYC music scene.

The group released their debut EP in May of 2011 (available on iTunes), produced by Chris Cubeta and Patryk Larney. The members of the band include Jessi Rae Waltz and Carrie Welling (vocals), Josh Dion (drums/percussion), Chris Anderson (bass), Cameron Mitchell (guitar), Oscar Bautista (guitar) and Patrick Firth (keys).