Phosphorescent, Exit/In, Nashville, TN - 7/15/2010

The night before I was set to leave for the Pitchfork Music Festival, I had the good fortune of getting to see Phosphorescent (for the first time) at the quite small and certainly legendary Exit/In.  This was also my last week of "freedom" before starting a real job.  My pal April and I headed up a little after 9, expecting to catch a bit of the second opener and then to see the headliner.  Well, no one had played at all when we got there, so it ended up being a late night.

Up first was Nashville's own Caitlin Rose, who sounded quite great on some harmony-laden tunes.  Her band was cracking.  Second was a solo acoustic set from a guy touring with Phosphorescent.  It was fine, but the natives were getting restless.

So Phosophorescent took the stage just before midnight and proceeded to play the first 5 songs in order off their 2010 album Here's To Taking It Easy.  Wow, did they sound good.  It was pretty momentous for me, really, to see a band that locked in with one another playing tunes that they (and I) wholeheartedly believe in.  They played a few tunes off To Willie in the middle and closed the set out with I Wish I Was In Heaven Sittin' Down.  It just killed.

I'll be honest, though - it was so late, and his older songs aren't just quite as good, so that the encore was a bit of a letdown compared to the main set.  Plus a typical Nashville "fan" who is there to talk loudly and just make the scene, I guess, was ruining it for everyone around them.  But one of the better shows of 2010 for me ...