From the first few bars of opener I Love You Honeybear, it was clear this was going to be a grand scale performance, both sonically and emotionally. The song was delivered as a dramatic anthem, more bombastic and powerful than it is on the album of the same name. Father John Misty wasted no time dropping to his knees, throwing dance poses and hoisting the microphone stand above his head.
Since reinventing himself under this guise with 2012’s Fear Fun, Josh Tillman’s creation is as much about his own charisma and ego as it is about his extremely intimate songs. The conversational style that typifies this music is a big part of its appeal, cleverly combining deadpan sarcasm, self-deprecation and heartfelt sentiments. It was a remarkable thing to be presented with song after song, and each one felt like a big moment – no mean feat considering the man only has two albums to his (current) name.
True Affection was reinvented as something close to a dance tune, with massive delays and electronic drum sounds revealing the club hit that could have been. While on record Honeybear’s arrangements, including strings and mariachi horns, make it a considerably more lush affair than its predecessor, many of the show’s most energetic and engaging moments were from the newer album. Fear Fun tracks Only Son of the Ladies’ Man, This Is Sally Hatchet and Everyman Needs a Companion, all based around acoustic guitar, sounded like classic folk/alt-country songs. However, they lacked some of the vigour and quirkiness of the recent material.
Holy Shit began as a mid-tempo piano tune, before unexpectedly exploding into a barrage of atonal sound halfway through. The band then wound their way back through the noise to finish the song as a revved up rock’n’roll number, which segued into a bile-fuelled and invigorated take on The Perfect Husband.
Misty returned to do a little stand-up in the guise of an audience Q&A for the encore, delighting the crowd with his quick wit and droll delivery. Father John Misty delivered a goddamn incredible show, he is a fucking master of the dark arts and you need his magic in your life.
BY ALEX WATTS
Photo by Ian Laidlaw
Loved: Realising and quickly accepting my man-crush on FJM. Also Bored in the USA, tuuuune.
Hated: All the little Taylor Swift fans packing out the tram on the way home. I could kill you with my laser eyes.
Drank: An elixir of understanding mixed with a potion of gentle befuddlement.
