Hopscotch 2014 Night 3: T0W3RS, Phosphorescent

All photos by Chris Powers

My Hopscotch ended as a music festival should: with the two performances that ended up being my favorite from the weekend.

At the Pour House, Derek Torres led a host of gymnasts and musicians for a show that will go down in Hopscotch lore. As T0W3RS, Torres is free to explore all angles of the musical spectrum. He started with a quiet solo introduction while the gymnasts danced behind him. Soon, several musicians joined him and they launched into an exhilarating, life-affirming set of pop.

Hopscotch announces initial 2014 lineup, Spoon, Mastodon, St. Vincent, Sun Kil Moon top bill

This morning the initial lineup of the 2014 Hopscotch Music Festival, coming back to downtown Raleigh on September 4-6, was announced and just as in previous years it's a doozy.

Topping the bill this year are Spoon, Mastodon, St. Vincent, Sun Kil Moon, Death, High on Fire, Jamie xx, Thurston Moore, IIII and many, many more. Check out the current complete lineup below.

Spoon, St. Vincent and Lonnie walker will play the City Plaza stage on Friday, September 5. Things will get loud on Saturday, September 6, when Mastodon, Death and Valient Thorr play the big stage.

Phosphorescent extends 2013 tour, coming to Carrboro

Singer-songwriter Matthew Houck and his band Phosphorescent are hitting the road this on a big tour this summer and fall in support of his sixth album Muchacho released earlier this year.

The tour will bring the band back to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Monday, September 16. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out a video of Phosphorescent performing the song "Song For Zula" from Muchacho for KEXP in Seattle below.

Phosphorescent announces spring tour, coming to Raleigh

The fantastic indie folk band Phosphorescent, led by singer-songwriter Matt Houck, are preparing to hit the road this spring in support of their 2010 album Here's To Taking It Easy. Download the song "The Mermaid Parade" from the album below.

The tour will bring the band to Kings in downtown Raleigh on Monday, May 9. Tickets are $12 in advance and are available via etix now. An opening act(s) hasn't been announced yet.

Phosphorescent has been in the Triangle quite a bit in the past few years. We caught the band's set opening for David Gray at DPAC in April 2010. Check out a review and photos of that show HERE.

David Gray excites rowdy, packed house at DPAC

Friday night brought a rowdy, packed house to the Durham Performing Arts Center for a performance by British songwriter David Gray.

The night got started with a short, but fantastic set from Phosphorescent. The band performed two songs from the acclaimed 2007 album To Willie, an album of Willie Nelson songs. The highlight of the set though was the groovy song "Tell Me Baby (Have You Had Enough)" from the band's new album Here's To Taking It Easy due out on May 11.

Though they only played for 30 minutes, but Phosphorescent won over the crowd, earning a standing ovation as they left the stage.

Next came the main event. David Gray and his band took the stage behind a white curtain and began strumming the opening chords of "Fugitive."

Phosphorescent takes 'To Willie' on the road

Matthew Houck (aka Phosphorescent) will take his new album of Willie Nelson songs dubbed To Willie, released earlier this month, on the road starting this week. The extensive tour will see Houck and his band travel all over the country and will include a stop a the Duke Coffeehouse in Durham. That show is on March 26 and Deer Tick will be opening.

Download "Reasons To Quit" from the album via Stereogum.

Phosphorescent US dates:
02.26.09 - Northhampton, MA - Iron Horse
02.27.09 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Upstairs [Tickets]
02.28.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Bell House [Tickets]
03.02.09 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern [Tickets]
03.03.09 - Columbus, OH - The Summit [Tickets]
03.04.09 - Athens, OH - The (Bruce) Manor
03.05.09 - Bloomington, IN - The Cinemat
03.06.09 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle [Tickets]
03.07.09 - Madison, WI - Memorial Union (University of Wisconsin)
03.10.09 - Seattle, WA - Sonic Boom (in-store)
03.10.09 - Seattle, WA - Nectar Lounge [Tickets]
03.11.09 - Portland, OR - Holocene
03.13.09 - San Francisco, CA - Amoeba Records (in-store)
03.13.09 - San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord [Tickets]
03.14.09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theatre
03.15.09 - Phoenix, AZ - Modified Arts [Tickets]
03.17.09 - Dallas, TX - Mountain House (house show)
03.18.09 - Austin, TX - SXSW
03.19.09 - Austin, TX - SXSW
03.20.09 - Austin, TX - SXSW
03.21.09 - Houston, TX - Orange Show Center for Visionary Art
03.23.09 - Huntsville, AL - Flying Monkey Arts Center
03.24.09 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree Cafe
03.25.09 - Atlanta, GA - The Drunken Unicorn
03.26.09 - Durham, NC - Duke Coffeehouse
03.27.09 - Baltimore, MD - G Spot: Audio/Visual Playground
03.28.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's [Tickets]

Phosphorescent - "Reasons To Quit" (mp3)