Photos: Brendan Lester

A group of wide-eyed romantic bohemians dedicated to expanding the audience for poetry have their work cut out for them. But when those romantics take on the personas of clients, characters and “whores” (their terminology) with names like Oola Waistbinder and La Petit Mort at a exquisitely outfitted brothel from 19th century, we’re putty in their hands. And that’s hook at the Poetry Brothel’s dreamlike takes on the poetry reading format. From the looks of it, the group is as meticulous about its visual aesthetic as it is enthusiastic for the sensuous written word. Saturday night, the Poetry Brothel took over the Foundation Room at the House of Blues playing the role of “part saloon and part salon” with absinthe, live music, painting, fortune-telling with a cast of characters that would fill out several seasons of a new HBO series. We’re confident no actual prostitution took place, just arousing verse and all-around decadence.