Dylan’s ‘crazy stories’ inspire Grace Potter guitarist

Floating online right now is this official biography for rocker Scott Tournet. It claims he grew up as an Albanian Gypsy strumming a self-made instrument constructed from three strings, a turtle shell and a beehive.

Yeah, that's so crazy, it's not true.

Tournet wrote that fake bio just for fun -- yet many fans believe it's the true life story of this guitarist in Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

"I majored in creative writing," says Tournet, whose band performs Friday at Aliante Station, and then on April 20 at Green Valley Ranch Resort.

Tournet was inspired to falsify that bio after reading a book about Bob Dylan, who told "crazy stories" about himself when he first moved to New York.

"So I was just like, 'Let's see how far we can take this!' I had a fun day of making (stuff) up," Tournet says, laughing.

As a result, fans ask him questions, like, "What was it like growing up in a tree?"

Tournet actually grew up in Boston. Yes, the correct answer is: He's a Red Sox fan, not an Albanian Gypsy, turtle-shell busker.

In reality, he went to a "hippie school" (Goddard College) where "there were no grades, and nudity was ... encouraged," he says.

"That's not a lie! That's legitimate," Tournet swears, after I question the veracity of his interview answers.

He later joined Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, whose music is so varied, it fits in myriad genres -- roots rock, indie rock, hard rock, folk rock, and country-tinged blues.

The band is such a genre-bender, this weekend, they're on the bill at indie-snob music fest Coachella. Then, they go on tour with mainstream country stars Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw.

"I get a kick out of that," Tournet says. "Somehow, we're able to fly through the cracks and be accepted in both of those worlds."

The band also just opened for an even bigger genre-buster: President Obama. This was during a recent presidential swing in Vermont, the band's geo base.

"We got to do a 45-minute set before he came up," Tournet says.

"We all pretty much withered in his presence. Even Grace -- who never loses her cool ever, and can hang with anybody -- even she was like, 'Uhh, heeeyyy!' "

Tournet says it was a real eye-opener to compare the craziness of his rock band (fame, fans, constant touring) with the far more intense presidential apparatus.

Tournet saw firsthand "all the Secret Service dudes with binoculars," plus Obama's Cadillac convoy, roads being shut down, and Obama's presence of character.

"It's insanity, the way he moves. It's literally an event everywhere he goes. It was draining to be around it for half a day, to scratch the surface to see what it is to be the president.

"Our life is nothing after seeing his (entourage). That guy is touring all the time -- and he plays like 20 shows a day!"

Anyway, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are back on their relatively lighter schedule of merely being rock stars.

And they're ready to release their fourth studio album, "The Lion the Beast the Beat," in June, while also rehearsing to tour.

"We're basically down on the launching pad right now, making sure the spaceship works. For real, that's what it feels like," Tournet says.

So now he's an Albanian space Gypsy? I don't think so.

Doug Elfman's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.