Last night, at the fervent insistence of Sarah, we went to see Phosphorescent at the The Bell House

in Cobble Hill, BK. The Bell House is an amazing new venue – two giant rooms inside of what was once a depression-era printing press, complete with high loft-like ceilings and chandeliers.

As for Phosphorescent – ouch – my soul hurts. He / they were great.

‘He’ is  Matthew Houck of Athens, GA. And he’s touring with his band o bearded men, playing their new album comprised entirely of Willie Nelson covers. Amazing.

As a performer, he’s pretty stellar. His voice is not terribly amazing, but just really raw and pleasant. Also, he does this thing where he wraps the mic cord around his shoulder like a purse, sort of, and meanders around the stage, singing and punctuating his words with a laxadasical pointed finger, like this:

It was so good, I became an Asian person –

…which apparently happens sometimes.