Our 2026 Bacchanal Opener: Nourished by Time!

From his parents’ Baltimore basement in 2020, Marcus Brown began experimenting with alternative R&B, crafting hypnotic tracks on whatever equipment he had around. The world was on lockdown, and Brown was recording the project that would go on to break through the charts. 

For years he balanced making music with working a plethora of day jobs: from a barber’s apprentice to a videographer, to a Whole Foods employee. Before adopting his current moniker, Brown went by aliases such as Riley with Fire and Mother Marcus. Brown explains how, as he kept writing while getting older, his musical skills grew. In order to symbolize the idea that time itself is feeding and refining him; the title that fit was none other than Nourished by Time. 

Building an underground reputation, Brown released early singles like “The Rainwater Promise” in 2020 and “The Wall” in 2022. In 2023, Nourished by Time’s breakthrough debut album, “Erotic Probiotic 2,” was included on Pitchfork’s Best New Music list, noting Brown’s “liquid baritone that can percolate with ache or froth with joy, and here it does both and more.” He released “The Passionate Ones” in 2025, his “best work to date” with hits like “Automatic Love” and “BABY BABY.” Range Magazine refers to Nourished by Time’s music as feeling like “it was crafted in some strange liminal space where the rules of time, genre, and feeling bend.” 

In an interview with Loud and Quiet, Nourished by Time mentions how he always knew it was possible to reach this level of success, but wasn’t expecting it at this point in his life. He still aspires towards simple things like buying a house, having fun, and “like, a pet fox,” he deadpanned in the interview. 

This born-and-raised Baltimore boy has been grinding to make it as a musician for nine years, and this April, he will grace our stage as the opener of this year’s Bacchanal. Now let’s turn up and show Nourished by Time the New York City welcome he deserves!