Phosphorescent Tickets

I never write reviews, but Matthew Houk, his writing/singing and his band's energy are unstoppable. See them fast.

Great sound down to earth emerging band. Must see live

Every minute of the show was perfect. Can't wait to see them in Brooklyn in December!

You can always count on a great performance at the Fillmore, Phosphorescent did not disappoint. They sounded amazing, I like Houck's voice. The one negative thing I would say is there was a questionable song in his encore where he dragged out the solo too long.

I've been a fan of this band for a long time and was excited to see them live. Overall they did not disappoint, though the sound seemed a little muddy at times, some of the solos took a few unfortunate turns, and I could have used a few more songs from "Here's To Taking It Easy."

Phosphorescent played a sold out show at Brighton Hall of Music on Wednesday, April 17. Bad sound mixing and an uncomfortable performance by lead singer Matthew Houck detracted from his otherworldly music. Phosphorescent, aka Houck, records his music largely by himself, but tours with a group of outstanding rotating musicians. His talent and vision is undeniable, but Houck’s lack of charisma on stage detracted from the songs that take on an aura of mystery in their recorded versions. Houck struggled with getting the sound mix just right throughout his set, asking multiple times for his vocals to be turned down or his guitar to be turned up. This drew the listener’s attention away from the actual music, which on Houck’s newest record, “Muchacho,” has a transcendent, three-dimensional sound. On “Muchacho,” Houck expands his folk-rock roots with electronic riffs and vocal looping that has made this album closer to a defining statement. Houck’s voice, which catches and hiccups, matches his emotive songs about heartbreak and redemption. And while his vocals gives him an air of fragility, “Muchacho” finds Houck making a bold statement about his work and himself as he sings “see honey I am not some broken thing” over synths and a pedal steel guitar in “Song for Zula.” This album blends folk, Southern rock, and the latest technology to create a sound that is distinctly his own. The majority of the songs Houck played came from his latest album, although he also played some older songs. While this should have been an occasion to show off his versatility, Houck didn’t take advantage of it. During “Picture of Our Torn Up Praise” (from his 2007 album “Pride”), Houck weirdly took the mic out of its stand and wrapped the cord over his shoulder. He looked uncomfortable on stage the whole night, and this song in particular seemed rushed. Perhaps he was trying to fit the song to the new aesthetic of “Muchacho,” but the recorded version seems superior because the song had space to breathe. The raw sound and heart wrenching pauses on the record were missing in the live version. The mystery of listening to recorded music, played by absent musicians, is something that actually enhances Phosphorescent’s music. “Terror in the Canyons” was an exception, where the live version had far more vitality than the recorded one. The popping drums sounded warm, and Houck’s lyrical talent shone with lines like “Now you’re telling me my heart’s sick/ and I’m telling you I know/ Now you’re telling me you’re leaving/ and I’m telling you to go.” “Quotidian Beasts” highlighted keyboardist Scott Stapleton spectacular piano playing, which was all the more impressive live. Houck barely interacted with the audience, and his awkward stage antics brought his ethereal music all too down to earth. The venue was cozy and small, and it was disappointing that Phosphorescent didn’t deliver a more engaging show when his music is making important strides.

Excellent, talented band. Wonderful, heart-felt performance. The only weakness (and for me, being an audiophile, and having listened to their new album, Muchacho, on Ultimate Ears headphones, this was a big weakness) was the fact that the venue had a pretty mediocre quality sound set-up. Lyrics were muffled and over-trebled (mostly during times when the entire band was playing). It was noticeably better when the lead did guitar solos and sang: without the thumping of the drums and bass guitar, we could actually understand his words. TO me that's an indication of overpowered speakers. Nonetheless - really fun time and would love to hear them live again!

Great show. Sound was great. Douchey crowd, though.

His voice is amazing; the dynamic of the band is enthralling; their skill is underrated. It was beyond expectation.