Nourished By Time: The Passionate Ones Tour
Vivarium: Milwaukee, WI - September 25, 2025
Written by: Espen hammes | september 26, 2025
Marcus Brown, professionally known as Nourished by Time, recently visited Milwaukee for the
first time, gracing the city with his genre-bending fusion of spacey synth-pop and swirling R&B.
Brown released his second album this past August, The Passionate Ones, which is sure to
capture any listener with his soulful voice, airy atmosphere, and oddball, yet undeniably witty
lyrics. Nourished by Time has achieved total sound mastery in his sophomore effort, whether it’s
through a profound understanding of lo-fi hypnagogic pop or simply a continued confidence in
his songwriting approach. The LP hosts 12 tracks and a 45-minute runtime; I had the honor of
hearing most of it live this month at the Vivarium.
Firstly, I want to shout out the Vivarium, as it was my first time at the venue, and the atmosphere
was incomparable to other Milwaukee shows I’ve attended. Live plants adorned the ceiling, and a
green light filled the ample room. Projections of frogs and lizards were being played from time
to time on a screen near the merch table in the back.
The Vivarium set the mood for an entertaining and energetic set, which was quickly established
by Nourished by Time. He opened the show with the first two songs from his recent release,
“Automatic Love” and “Idiot in the Park.” Both are incredibly catchy songs in distinct ways.
“Automatic Love” features an upbeat guitar progression reminiscent of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,”
and contains one of Brown’s many infectious hooks. “Idiot in the Park” showcases his
songwriting ability, charmingly telling a story about an individual who falls in love with a
psychic. Brown’s presence on stage was a slow and alluring dance as he leaned on the
microphone stand, his sparse, jolting movements matching the cadence of his music
A touring guitarist and bassist also accompanied Brown, despite Nourished by Time’s
discography being recorded solo, with all three playing synths periodically; however, this is far
from a criticism, as the live band proved to be sonically exceptional. Brown continued to play a
few songs from his debut record, Erotic Probiotic 2, and I clearly heard his bandmates’ abilities
on “Shed That Fear” and “Daddy.” During the latter, all three members formed stoically behind
their synth boards before kicking off the heavy, dance beats. The live mix was also fantastic. I
found myself tuning in to parts of Brown’s songs that I’d never paid attention to, such as the
bassline on “It’s Time” or the arpeggiated chord progressions on “Tossed Away,” which I think
have a strong bedroom pop feel reminiscent of indie bands like Her’s.
My favorite part of the show was undoubtedly midway through the set, when Brown played the
two singles that introduced me to Nourished by Time: “Max Potential” and “9 2 5.” “Max
Potential” may be Brown’s strongest work to date, with a slow and sincere ballad-like build that
evolves into an atmospheric, overflowing, and unforgettable chorus. “If I’m gonna go insane /
Least I’m loved by you / If my heart should burst or break / It was overdue,” it was incredible
seeing a crowd of people dancing while chanting the hook. On the other hand, “9 2 5” is my
personal favorite Nourished by Time track, which opens with a fast, melodic piano progression
and high-pitched, sparkling vocal samples; it serves as an anthem about creating art while being
bogged down by a 9-to-5 job. It’s a simple and inspiring track marked by themes of lost
self-identity in our consumerist culture.
Brown built on the ideas of “9 2 5” in between songs as he addressed and thanked the audience
for welcoming him to Milwaukee for the first time. The Baltimore native went on to discuss the
challenges of touring as a small artist, sharing anecdotes about his early shows, which featured
himself, a laptop, and a microphone. He thanked his band members once more before asserting
that a music career is “ugly as fuck until it starts working,” garnering applause from the
concertgoers.
Brown’s concert continued with the soulful and sonnet-like “When the War Is Over,” followed by
his most upbeat track, “BABY BABY,” which contains Brown rapping in a
stream-of-consciousness style. Elements of the production remind me of Tyler, the Creator’s
Igor, particularly through the heartbroken chord selections and fast-paced beats. Nourished by
Time went on to announce he’d play two more songs, then started the 2024 track “Hell of a
Ride,” his most popular song to date, and further proof of Brown’s ability to write some of the
most addictive hooks coming out of music right now in general. Brown ended the show with his
second album’s self-titled closing track, “The Passionate Ones.” Another keyboard-ridden love
song that has no problem capturing the hearts of its listeners.
With his last song’s conclusion, Nourished by Time disappeared behind the stage before
returning for a short encore, which contained an unreleased beat he’d been working on. The
snippet had a gospel feel, unlike anything else Nourished by Time had released up to that point.
The moment concluded, and Brown departed for good.
Nourished by Time represents the culmination of the underground music scene in 2025. Brown is
undefinable by genre, encompassing a wide variety of instrumentation that could be labeled as
anything from electro-pop to R&B. His lyricism complements his layered production,
highlighting the fears of living in a capitalist world that is overwhelmed by free will,
consumption, and noise. It’s refreshing to see such a youthful and successful auteur who preaches
the creation of art for the sake of passion, rather than commercial gain. I’d recommend Nourished
by Time’s music to anyone and everyone, and I’d probably preach about its ideals too.