Return Of The Prodigal Son: Father John Misty live

FATHER JOHN MISTY
ROARING CAMP RAILROADS

FELTON, CA

16 JANUARY, 2015

Gearing up for next month's release of the second chapter in the life and times of Father John Misty, the rustic Bret Harte Auditorium at Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton, CA turned out to be the proving ground: the first night of tour for I Love You, Honeybear. As part of a tenth anniversary run of shows, the good folks at Folk Yeah once again provided an inspired match of artist and venue. Shedding Benji and Jeff from the touring lineup cast big holes on either side of the stage, but with an increased emphasis on electronics and the roll out of the rest of the Honeybear songs, it proved to be a banner night, as their replacements were more than capable, just a touch on the tentative side, but this was the first night, after all. Where Mk. I of the Misty Band was prone to spontaneous flights, this version was dialed-down, watchful, and fed off of Misty for their cues, but there were enough signs that this unit would develop its own character, and 8 or 10 shows down the road, should be approaching fearsome.

Misty gets things started...

The big news was the new material, and Misty and co. rocked an extended setlist that nearly covered both albums fully, and even the new material heard previously in a solo setting came to life with a vengeance in the full band setting. Like the new LP, the show was bookended with the first and last tracks, reinforcing the story through all the spills and chills that ensue. "I Love You Honeybear" featured an audience member passing up a stuffed bear for Misty, and he obliged with a brief dance turn, and from that point on, it was full engagement on both sides. Misty wryly noted fans singing along with the new songs already.

"Strange Encounter" took a prime spot in the set, and "True Affection" was brought to life in all its electronic glory, before dropping into a rousing take on the Southern soul burner "When You're Smiling And Astride Me" that built to a rousing conclusion, with the band hitting all cylinders, the pair of songs showcasing the sonic extremes of the new work.
Not even breaking stride they launched into the hilarious poison pen letter "The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apartment" before cooling it down with "Nothing Good Ever Happens At The Goddam Thirsty Crow", another ode from the department of bitter, aimed at the denizens of an establishment engaged in hitting on the object of Misty's affections.

"Chateau Lobby #4" turned up, refocusing the lens on love, and a trio from Fear Fun, "Nancy From Now On", "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings", and "This Is Sally Hatchet" thoroughly whipped the audience into a frenzy, and would have been a perfect finishing point for previous Misty sets, but he kept going, coming back to Honeybear for a 'no prisoners' take on "The Ideal Husband" that rivaled "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" in intensity. The remainder of the set matched like-minded songs from both records to stunning effect, with "Bored In The USA" mating effectively with "Fun Times In Babylon", and ending the set perfectly with "Now I'm Learning To Love The War" and "Holy Shit" comprising a high concept duo of Maximum Tillman.

Half the fun of any Misty show is the encore, and just what he'll pull out of his hat, cover-wise, and true to form, he led the band in a saucy, yet pointed rendition of Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man", and where that might come off as kitschy in other hands, the cumulative impact of the new songs suggests that Mr. Tillman has earned the gravitas to pull it off. Ending the night with another savory pairing, "Everyman Needs A Companion" brought us to the simple beauty of the aforementioned new LP's closer, "I Went To The Store One Day", which sums up the journey from the beginning. All told, Father John Misty set a hellish bar early on in this concert year.

 

Bret Harte Auditorium at Roaring Camp Railroads

Ammo case makes a nifty keyboard stand...

Upping his T-shirt game...

"I Love You, Honeybear", out 10 February, 2015 via Sub Pop

Getting Misty In L.A.

FATHER JOHN MISTY

WILTERN THEATER, LA

02 NOVEMBER, 2013

Father John Misty put the finishing touches on his solo acoustic expedition at the Wiltern Theater, so named for its location of the corner of Wilshire and Western in Koreatown. Since September's warmup date in Big Sur as a benefit for the Henry Miller Library, the Misty juggurnaut has travelled across the country. Net changes in the set amount to few, other than natural tightening that occurs over the course of dates. It was impressive to note the packed upper corners of the Wiltern, his biggest sole-appearing LA appearance to date, and staging for the most part was spartan, but well-used. Throughout the show, a lady in a black bikini with thigh high leather boots and a giant rabbit head perched on a chair behind him, motionless but for shifting position every few songs. As an unsettling counterpoint, it was second to none, and midway through the set, the already-fabled I-Phone cutout swung down from the rafters to occupy pride of place onstage.
Charging right in, he opened with "I'm Writing A Novel", pushing traditional opener "Fun Times In Babylon" to midway through. After "Only Son Of A Ladies Man", he worked into the new with a rousing "I Love You Honeybear", and what we'll guess is called "Funny Girls", a bitter crowd-pleaser that addressed misuse of the word "literally" to pleasing effect. Another new song was rolled out after "Fun Times In Babylon", a slow charmer that we'll know for now as "Chateau Lobby #9". The Dory Previn cover  that he played in Big Sur reappeared here, and one of the evening's high points was yet another new song, (provisionally we'll call it "Awful Things"), that underlined the energy that Misty brought to the table, underscoring the difference with the intimate, more probing versions of songs heard in Big Sur. It was a harrowing tune, and adds another facet to the emotional spectrum of the forthcoming LP. For Mistyologists, the inclusion of a spoken word father-son talk in "How I Learned To Love The War" was something new and entertaining, and for his encore, he backed up "Tee Pees 1-12" with the new "The Atom Bomb and Me" (our title...), that had a philosophical rumination on the cultural phenomenon of opportunistically invoking "Free Bird". Tillman finished off the night with a bang, concluding with the rarely played, "O I Long To Feel Your Arms Around Me", the only song from Fear Fun I'd yet to hear him play live. Speculation on why he never played it live seems to range from 'too personal' to 'too Fleet Foxes-like'. Hell, likely none of the above for what we've seen of Misty. The song itself is but a brief heartfelt interlude in the middle of the insanity of the album, and with repeated listenings, takes on the weight of a hymn, akin to Son Volt's "Windfall". Tonight's take missed the lonesome organ lines of the studio version, but was more than made up for by the sheer power of his delivery. And with that, Misty waved to the crowd, and arm in arm, strolled off the stage with his bunny.

Redwood Refugee: Father John Misty In Big Sur

10TH ANNUAL BENEFIT FOR THE HENRY MILLER LIBRARY

FEATURING FATHER JOHN MISTY

WITH ANNE WALDMAN AND AMBROSE BYE

BIG SUR, CA

19 SEPTEMBER, 2013

A veritable who's who of the weird turning pro have given of their time and talent over the years to help support the Henry Miller Library over the years, from Patti Smith to Marianne Faithfull to Yo La Tengo. Soft-shoeing his way on to that illustrious list is none other than Father John Misty, (Josh Tillman), who headlined Thursday night's benefit. After his appearance at Outsidelands San Francisco in 2012 sporting a "Legalize LSD Now' sweatshirt, it seemed preordained that Mr. Tillman would make his way down the coast and pop up among the redwoods. Taking some downtime after the Misty band summer tour, he's been plotting and scheming, allegedly hatching ideas for a TV show, as well as putting the framework together for a new LP.
Tanned, rested, and ready, the nattily attired Misty hit the stage, working through the core songs from Fear Fun: "Fun Times In Babylon", "I'm Writing A Novel", "Only Son Of The Ladiesman", and "Nancy From Now On", spiked with his own inimitable observations about relaxation: "Been here in Big Sur for a few weeks now: pretty fucking stressed out...", and the nature of art and beauty: "Nothing says fuck you to a sunset like an iPhone picture".
The second half turned out to be a workshop of new tunes, led off by an ode to a difficult young lady, that showcased some circa '65 Dylan venom. "I Love You, Honeybear" made an appearance, and while it missed the heft and grandeur of the band arrangement, the dense lyrics took center stage and the emotional impact was heightened. After some casual deliberation on those who 'Whoo!' at inappropriate moments during songs, Misty slid into "Hollywood Forever Sings", before heading back into the unknown, with a touching take on Dory Previn's "Lady With The Braid", and a throat shredding version of the new "Bored In The USA". Capping things off with a one-two punch, "Now I'm Learning To Love The War" gave way to a lengthy "Everyman Needs A Companion". For the obligatory call back, he rolled out yet another new song, which we'll provisionally call "The Atom Bomb And Me". On the what's next tip, Father John Misty heads out for a solo acoustic tour with comedian Kate Berlant opening, fitting in an October appearance back at Golden Gate Park for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and finishing up with an appearance at the Wiltern, LA in November.

Poet Anne Waldman was the perfect choice to set the tone for the evening, and lend her own special touch of gravitas. Accompanied by Ambrose Bye, she brought her work to life vividly, illustrating its innate musicality, and in pieces like "Gaza", "Did Not Serve", and "G Spot", managed to enlighten, outrage, seduce, and amuse...often at the same time.

Magnus, from the Henry Miller Library, takes his traditional bow...