You never know quite what to expect with Father John Misty.
The last time he visited our studio, he took our portrait of David Lynch off the wall and brought it into the studio with him as a backdrop to his performance.
This time, there were less shenanigans, but the music exciting enough as he ran through live versions of his new songs (with the help of a 7-piece band) on the eve of his album release and just hours before the launch of his tour behind ” I Love You, Honeybear“.
His explorations of marriage and love are just what you would expect from the Josh Tillman: painfully truthful yet often hilarious and witty.
He says he even surprised himself and couldn’t believe he was writing “these kinds of songs.”
“To me, I guess, love songs, I’ve always categorized as being trivial or something and then kinda this experience I was having was really messy and amazing and all that stuff…maybe that’s what’s part of what is interesting about the album, is trying to shoehorn this preexisting worldview into this whole set of new realizations.”
“This album in particular was kind of only facilitated by this very isolated, sort of, safe place that is a relationship, where you can examine all these deranged things about yourself that start surfacing. It wasn’t until I started to really get a grip on the fact that people were going to hear this album that I wanted to run away and never come back.”
Since exploring these themes in public is daunting, he creates a “bizarre psycho drama between me and audience members” at his live shows to handle it. Which is why you MUST see Father John Misty live anytime you get a chance.
His show tonight at the Roxy is sold out but you can enjoy his full live performance on KCRW right here.
Last but not least, a post show portrait by Larry Hirshowitz:
Father John Misty Set List
I Love You, Honey Bear
Strange Encounter
Chateau Lobby # 4 ( In C For Two Virgins)
True Affection
The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apt.
Holy Shit
Bored In The USA