To say Grace Potter is a charmer is a bit of an understatement. I have not met her in person, but judging by the 20-minute phone conversation we had last Monday, she has more than her share of people skills. Thirty seconds in, and I felt like I was talking to an old buddy. You don’t encounter someone that immediately engaging very often.

Oh yeah, and she’s the frontwoman for a kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll band. That helps too.

“Hey, what can I say? I don’t mean to sound conceited, but I’m kind of a natural performer,” said Potter, vocalist, keyboardist and guitarist for the fearsome Vermont-based four-piece Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. “There’s like this little engine inside me that wants to be in front of people, and wants to connect. It doesn’t matter if I’m in a living room with two people, or in a 20,000-seat arena – it’s the same switch I flip.”

Potter and the Nocturnals, who are set to play tonight at the Skowhegan Opera House, have for the past six years cranked out soulful, satisfying blues-influenced rock, and have steadily gathered a devoted fan base due to their incendiary live shows. They follow the jam band circuit, playing festivals and supporting big-name acts like The Black Crowes and Dave Matthews Band – but don’t let that fool you. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals aren’t your run-of-the-mill jam band. Far from it.

“I don’t know as there even is really a jam scene. I think it’s just a brotherhood of bands that are road warriors. That are willing to stay out on the road all year long,” said Potter, 24. “You make appearances at festivals, and the tie-dyes are gonna show up. But unlike other scenes, the jam scene has embraced all kinds of people. Older fans that are in their 60s now, with record collections that kick the ass of any intern at Rolling Stone, are totally digging on it.”

Potter, guitarist Scott Tournet, bassist Bryan Dondero and drummer Matt Burr have released three albums, including 2007’s “This is Somewhere,” 2005’s “Nothing But the Water” and the homemade 2004 demo album, “Original Soul,” recorded as a project for Potter’s sophomore year at St. Lawrence University. The band formed when Potter was just 18. Rock stardom has been in the cards for her for a long time.

“One childhood memory that really sticks out for me, and I wasn’t even there for the event, is that there’s this picture of my great-grandmother playing piano with my mom, who hadn’t even married my dad at that point yet,” said Potter. “It hangs over my piano where I write my songs, and it kind of symbolizes the rich musical history of my family. It’s inspiring.”

Potter’s definitely got the whole rocker-babe thing going on, with her long hair, megawatt smile and big, honey-coated voice. Though she routinely gets compared to fellow blues-rocker Bonnie Raitt, Potter counts songwriters such as Lucinda Williams, Jack White and Tom Petty as influences – especially the latter.

“Oh my God, I love Tom Petty. He just keeps getting better and better,” she said. “I’d love to sit down with him and pick his brain. Plus, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers has the same amount of syllables as Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Coincidence? I think not.”

Though the band has a slew of dates scheduled through the rest of the summer, that doesn’t mean Potter doesn’t have other big plans. It might surprise you, but it also totally makes sense: She has cinematic aspirations.

“Oh yeah, that’s definitely on my sonar down the line. I don’t want to be some glamorous Hollywood type, but it’s the whole natural performer thing again,” she said. “If the right part came along, I’d take it. And then go back and make another record.”

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals play at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 27, at the Skowhegan Opera House, with local rockers the Brew. Tickets are $20 at the box office. For more info, visit www.grace

potter.com.

Emily Burnham may be reached at eburnham@

bangordailynews.net.