Nourished By Time played Cafe 939 – 6/12

Baltimore auteur Marcus Brown brought his buzzed-about project to Boston last week with support from Urika’s Bedroom.

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If your ear aligns with mine, your first listen of Nourished By Time’s Erotic Probiotic 2 sometime last year immediately burrowed into your brain. Singer/songwriter Marcus Brown’s hypnagogic alt-R&B carves out a singular niche, simultaneously nostalgic and futuristic, inhabited by some weirdly undeniable tunes. He’s somebody I immediately wanted to hear more from, and XL Recordings was evidently of the same mindset; Brown released a great followup EP, Catching Chickens, via the British indie giant in March.

Boston finally got a chance to hear it all live during Brown’s first headlining appearance in town at Berklee’s cozy Cafe 939 last Wednesday, where the stage was flanked by enthusiastic supporters once an unusually early set time rolled around. (One upside of a college campus gig: things were pretty much wrapped by the 8:30 NBA Finals tip-off). Brown – a onetime attendee of Berklee himself – seemed amused and a little surprised that the sizable crowd were not students themselves, but certified, adoring fans.

With a live bassist and keyboardist backing laptop tracks, the songs had some real bounce and momentum, aided by the crowd and Brown’s kinetic stage presence. It was a quick set that hit all the highlights, peaking with evident fan-favorite “Daddy” and the strangely-anthemic “Shed That Fear.” No objections here on keeping it short and sweet this time around – it certainly feels like this is only the beginning of Brown’s trajectory with this project.

Check out photos from the show, including an opening set from enigmatic LA indie rock trio Urika’s Bedroom, below.