As you can tell from yesterday’s series of Twitter posts, my interest in Phosphorescent’s show at Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar quickly escalated. Boy, am I glad that gig found a home at the Tea Bazaar after Is closed. Here are a few highlights from the evening:
- Sarah White playing solo, endorsing the room’s Matcha coolers and filling a few lyricless spaces with forceful, blunt fills on her acoustic—spots often occupied by Ted Pitney’s electric leads. Also, I’ve nearly memorized the lyrics to White’s song "Happy," still unreleased. Carve that baby into some vinyl, Sarah Arizona.
- Beefed up amplification, thanks to Jeyon Falsini and B.J. Pendleton from Is working their tails off to get Phosphorescent rescheduled and reconfigured for a venue that, in one blogger’s opinion, made the evening more extraordinary. The Tea Bazaar simply has more nooks and crannies to fill, and those two paired with Jacob Wolf to make sure the Phos-folks could do the job.
- A three-song block of covers from Phosphorescent’s excellent To Willie, starting with "Too Sick to Pray" and capped by the Nelson/Haggard duet "Reasons to Quit."
- A version of "I am a Full Grown Man" from 2005’s Aw Come Aw Wry that dropped the profane from the sacred harmonies for a gorgeous a capella center. At least one audience member shed tears. Can’t say I blame him.
"I am a Full Grown Man" by Phosphorescent
Now, will someone fill me in on the Mirah gig at The Southern?
