While the opening night of Bluesfest saw country music tearing it up on the RBC Stage, those who spent the late evening at the River Stage were treated to a performance by one of the most enigmatic songwriters working today.
The Father John Misty persona is a creation of American musician Josh Tillman, who rose to prominence as the drummer in the highly regarded folk-rock band Fleet Foxes. After leaving Fleet Foxes in 2012, he began releasing solo singer-songwriter music under the Father John Misty name. He has since gained widespread popularity thanks to hits such as Real Love Baby and his collaboration with Lana Del Rey on tracks such as Let the Light In.
The 44-year-old Tillman is currently touring for his recent album, Mahashmashana, a late 2024 release that’s primarily about aging, dying and the afterlife.
The set opened with I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All, an epic, nearly nine-minute song about growing older from the perspectives of characters such as a washed-up prize fighter and a “legacy act” singer performing at a Las Vegas residency.
While Tillman is the star of the show, this song spotlights a series of instrumental solos, with band members on keyboard, drums, guitar and saxophone all getting a chance to shine.
Following the bombastic opener, Tillman and his band performed a few newer songs, such as Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose and Being You from his most recent album, as well as Q4 from 2022’s Chloe and the 21st Century.
After getting some of the newer stuff out of the way, Tillman hit the crowd with a few of his classics, such as The Night Josh Tillman Came to My Apartment and Nancy From Now On, which both prompted singing along and dancing from the crowd.
Interjected between songs were moments of witty banter that the Father John Misty persona has become known for.
“It’s the part of the show now where things pick up a bit,” Tillman said. “Actually, with my music, that’s not really going to happen.”
“So here’s a country ballad about a cat that died,” Tillman continued before performing 2022’s Goodbye Mr. Blue.
One of the more emotional moments of the evening was Mental Health, a song from Tillman’s newest album. The song, fittingly about modern psychological practice and the essence of human nature, builds up to a grand climax carried by existential lyrics.
“This dream we’re born inside feels awful real,” Tillman sang out, waving his arms to gesture to the stage. “But it’s all in your mind.”
Following Mental Health were a pair of crowd-pleasers. I’m Writing a Novel is one of Tillman’s older songs, but it has stood the test of time. Tillman got some cheers when he sang the lyric about a “Canadian shaman” early in the piece. Nothing Good Ever Happens at the Goddamn Thirsty Crow has become a live staple, with the lighting and drums going all-out to match Tillman’s aggressive and theatrical vocals.
Tillman then played two more songs from Mahashmashana, the gritty, bass-driven Kill Bill-inspired She Cleans Up, and the anthemic Screamland, complemented with strobe effects.
The set closed with the title track of Mahashmashana, the longest song of the night. The nearly 10-minute number is similar to Mental Health in that it’s all building to an emotional payoff. At the song’s climax, Tillman bellowed out powerful notes while the band behind him went ballistic with pure controlled chaos.
There was notably no encore following the show, which was sure to disappoint people yelling for a rendition of I Love You Honeybear. Tillman notably also didn’t perform Real Love Baby, the song that has seen massive popularity on social media, with even Cher saying that the composition represents the world she wants to live in.
But at the end of the day, could there have been a better way to end a set than nine-and-a-half minutes of dramatic existentialism?
