Let’s say, just for the sake of illustrating my point, your humble Austin Music Minute maven had never heard of Father John Misty, the wild and woolly solo project of Josh Tillman. The former Fleet Foxes drummer said a final “meh” to FF’s majestic aesthetic in 2011 before devoting himself entirely to his own demented adventures in songwriting.
But let’s just say this was something new for me. I have to admit that, even before listening to Fear Fun, the man would have instantly won me over the moment I read things like “I’M COMING TO YOUR TOWN SO YOU CAN FILM ME WITH YOUR IPHONE!” on his website. That, and the following statement referring to icons linking to his Facebook and Twitter profiles: “These icons may be tiny but they will take you to websites that will be around for at least another 8 months before they are bought and made uncool by major media conglomerates —>.”
And there you go.
He’s brilliant and bizarre, that Father John Misty, purveyor of a most eccentric brand of folk rock, and one of the few artists who can sing about death and have you cracking a smile – perhaps even laughing uproariously. Fear Fun is immersed in strange musings and trippy imagery, and for those of us who appreciate the art of humor macabre, he can be devastatingly funny.
Treat yourself to something special and spectacular. Father John Misty is in town for a show tonight at Emo’s, 2015 E. Riverside Dr. Songwriter Jessica Pratt opens the show. Get there after 9 p.m. This one comes highly recommended.
