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Filtering by Tag: Father John Misty

Live Recap: Father John Misty at Riverside Theater

On Monday October 3rd, Father John Misty made his grand return to Milwaukee for his first show there since June of 2019 (then at the BMO Harris Pavilion) and his first indoor show there since he played The Pabst back in September of 2018. Taking the stage of the Riverside Theater for the first time on a chilly early October night the seasonal winds of change not only brought Josh Tillman and his band back sounding better than ever, but also with a setlist filled with surprises and some rarely played gems among the 22-song set. Among these songs were six new “fake-jazz” (his words) tracks from his new album Chloë and the Next 20th Century, which he reminded us was music made during the pandemic and songs he never thought would be tour-able. Among these tracks were opener “Q4,” the breezy “Goodbye Mr. Blue,” the lush, old-Hollywood “Funny Girl” and the 20’s rag-time bop “Chloë.”

Throughout the evening many classic Father John Misty favorites were on display, from the crowd-pleasing “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” and up-tempo “Total Entertainment Forever” to the soaring and feels-inducing “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins).” Also on display was the distinctive stage presence Josh Tillman is known for as he bantered with the audience, at one point asking if anyone had recently lost a pet. After an audience member gave a brief remembrance of their departed, Tillman dead-panned, “well, I can empathize. I too recently lost a fictional cat…” in reference to the narrative of “Mr. Blue.”

As the band settled into the stage and with the audience fully along for the ride, the night started to take some surprising turns. Early on, for example, the infrequently played “The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apt.” made a welcome appearance. Then midway through the set, Tillman proclaimed, “this is going well, I think. Now let’s do something very misguided and reckless and derail the evening” as the band started to play somber rarity “The Memo” from 2017’s Pure Comedy to this reviewer’s pure delight. The surprises didn’t end there however as late in the set we got a half-title track “The Next 20th Century” (sparingly played so far on this leg of the tour) which brought a completely different flavor to the repertoire, which its verbose spoken-word verses over sparse instrumentation interrupted by a thunderous, wall-of-sound interlude set against a stark black-and-white stage. This stunner was then followed up with another: the magnificent, soaring and cathartic “In Twenty Years or So.”

This was one of those nights that serves to remind us why we love live music. From the buoyant presence of an immense talent on stage to the marvelous sound of a room like the Riverside Theatre to the unexpected appearances of deep-cuts and rarities, this is one of those shows that just HIT on every level, with artist and audience fully engaged and feeding off each other. Upon taking the stage again for his four-song encore, Tillman remarked, “after playing for weeks with a very well-tuned and tight set, we decided to change it up a bit tonight. We knew you could handle it.” The buzz and excitement in the lobby after the show confirmed it.

Check out photos of the evening below, and see where you can catch the tour next here.


Live Recap: 80/35 Festival

Back after a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, Greater Des Moines Music Coalition’s annual 80/35 Festival (named for interstates I-80 and I-35) returned to Western Gateway Park in “downtown-ish” (as one festival tee-shirt put it) Des Moines for two days on Friday, July 8th and Saturday July 9th. The festival, which includes numerous free stages for local and smaller acts sponsored as well as a larger ticketed headliner stage sponsored by Hy-Vee, is a non-profit festival which is 100% volunteer run committed to strengthening the live music scene in greater Des Moines.

The diverse line-up began on Friday afternoon with Guided by Voices taking the Hy-Vee stage first and getting the sun-drenched crowd roaring to life which powered through the hour set. The stage, with a viewing area split down the middle between general and VIP admission sections, filled up as GBV presented “21 of their over 1,600” songs, as Robert Pollard pointed out between numbers. Next up was Japanese Breakfast, who thundered onto the stage with a gong which prominently features on their Jubilee track “Paprika.” The tempo continued with the energetic “Be Sweet” and the summer dreamy and breezy “Kokomo, IN” rounding out the first three tracks on the LP before bringing in earlier favorites from the discography all performed while bathed in the hues of a gorgeous Iowa golden hour.

As evening turned to night, Father John Misty took the stage with his band for one of their first North American tour dates in support of the new album, Chloe and the Next 20th Century. Several songs from the new “obsolete Jazz” album (Tillman’s own words) were played along with favorites across the catalogue by Tillman’s 12-member band which sprawled out comfortably across the stage. Tillman and company seemed confident with the new material and in wonderful spirits with a buoyant energy that never eased up across the 19 tracks presented, closing out the night with a spectacular rendition of “I Love You, Honeybear,” which saw Josh Tillman maneuvering his way into and throughout the crowd.

Saturday, which started earlier (and hotter) than Friday, featured a full schedule of local and touring bands stretched across several city blocks that surrounded the main grounds. Among the street vendors, beer tents and food trucks that scattered the avenues, the sounds from the un-ticketed acts served as breadcrumbs to festival gems with not only the sounds of their music but also that of audience reactions. These tempting echoes, cascading down streets, between buildings and around blocks, worked to pull in and reward those that decided to venture away from the main stage and ticketed grounds. There, discoveries abounded, such as the post-punk Brooklyn-based quintet Geese and the Sydney and Melbourne-based dance pop group, Haiku Hands, which both commanded the attention of those present at the Kum & Go stage. Several blocks away, at the Local 5 Emerging Artist stage, Kelsie James (singer songwriter from Des Moines) pulled in an amble crowd of admirers with her tender and sturdy songwriting under the late-afternoon sun.

Back on the Hy-Vee Main Stage, 80/35 favorites Envy Corps fired up the afternoon crowd for the Chicago-based Jamila Woods who laid down several tracks from 2017’s HEAVN and 2019’s LEGACY! LEGACY!—including some unreleased music that set perfectly against the sunny, crisp summer afternoon. Following Woods came the bombastic and unstoppable Future Islands which saw Samuel Herring thundering across and on top of the stage in his usual exuberant, characteristic way, as they performed songs from latest LP As Long As You Are which is accepted gladly by a firecracker audience whose feet were often grass as often as their hands were in the air. Topping off the night and entire festival was headliner Charli XCX, bringing 21 songs from across the discography to an excited and buzzing main stage with every demographic of festival goer represented, including plenty of wide-eyed children starstruck watching from their parents’ shoulders, concluding a weekend that they will likely long remember and the greater Des Moines area’s return to live summer festivals.

Audiotree Music Festival 2018 Recap

The Chicago-based audiovisual tastemaker company Audiotree set up camp in Kalamazoo, Michigan during the weekend of September 22nd and 23rd for their annual music festival. This year, the fest’s lineup showcased a diverse lineup of talent from across the spectrum. Artists ranged from up and coming bands from the Chicago or Kalamazoo areas to the likes of Real Estate, Local Natives, and Father John Misty. With just two stages that never had overlapping set times, the festival allowed the attendees to really focus on this music and appreciate the art without any overcrowding or over-scheduling.

The event also remained a safe space the entire time, with the organization Our Music, My Body tabling the festival so that concert-goers had someone to talk to if they felt violated, or if they just wanted to get further educated on consent and keeping everyone comfortable in public spaces. Throughout the weekend, bands like Diet Cig and Stuyedeyed began their sets announcing that any behavior that made others feel unsafe wouldn’t be tolerated.

If you missed out on the weekend, relive the experience with our photo recap below.


Day 1 featuring Stuyedeyed, V.V. Lightbody, Melkbelly, NE-HI, The Regrettes, Diet Cig, Michigander, Basement, Khruangbin, and Local Natives

Day 2 Featuring Common Holly, Major Murphy, Lume, Palm, REZN, Post Animal, Pool Holograph, Slow Mass, Chicano Batman, Real Estate, and Father John Misty

Artist Portraits

Audiotree Music Festival Returns to Kalamazoo September 22nd & 23rd

Chicago’s Audiotree returns to Kalamazoo, MI to host yet another incredible weekend of music at Audiotree Music Festival 2018. The lineup this year includes plenty of Audiotree alum and some newcomers. Acts include Local Natives, Father John Misty, Post Animal, NE-HI, The Regrettes, Diet Cig, Melkbelly, Michigander and more— you can check out the full lineup below.

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Grab your tickets here and get ready for the fest by re-visiting the highlights of ATMF 2017.

PHOTOS: Rock The Garden 2018

LIVE: Weyes Blood Puts on Stunningly Beautiful Performance at Auditorium Theatre

"The woman who called herself nameless sure has an incredible voice," WXRT's Marty Lennartz gushes, standing on the stage at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre. The woman he is referring to is Natalie Mering of Weyes Blood, who had introduced her band to the audience halfway through her set, adding in that she'd rename nameless.

About forty minutes prior to this post-introduction from the radio DJ, Mering had glided onto the theatre's dimly lit stage, where the words to her song "Diary" flowed out of her as she remained staked out center stage, full of poise and sans instrument.  That same calm and composed demeanor clung to Mering as she picked up her guitar for the second song. Although her music has this mellow undertone, her voice soared through the sparkling venue, with its swooping ceilings and endless rows of lights. "I hope it looks as beautiful out there as it does from here," she said as she transitioned over to the keyboard for her third song of the evening, called "Used To Be." The track builds up, gradually adding layers, like the song that followed, "Seven Words." Weyes Blood's most popular track, "Seven Words" contains gospel elements that immediately envelope its listeners, along with Mering's ethereal vocals. 

Weyes Blood's support set for Father John Misty winded down with Mering and her band shifting around on stage again; first with Mering back with her guitar for "Generation Why" and then back on the keys for the final song of her set, which brimmed slightly over thirty minutes. Mering dedicated the latter song to the people all the way in the back in her composed and calculated speaking voice, which complemented her mellow musical style. She and her band shuffled offstage after Mering thanked the crowd for their welcoming reception to her music. Check out photos from her stunning performance below.

It's been an unstoppable year for Weyes Blood; playing festivals like Pitchfork in Chicago, touring with Father John Misty, signing with Sup Pop Records for her next record...and we can't wait to see what's in store next for soothing powerhouse. 

See all of Weyes Blood's upcoming tour dates here, and listen to her latest double single below. 

PHOTOS: Father John Misty at The Chicago Theatre 5.15.17

Father John Misty At The Chicago Theatre, 5.15.2017

Listen to Father John Misty's latest album Pure Comedy below, and check out his upcoming tour dates here.