What do a woman in a bunny mask, a coat rack, two guitars, a giant iPhone, and a bottle of wine have in common with each other? Absolutely nothing, except that they were all a part of Father John Misty‘s performance at Music Hall of Williamsburg last Saturday.
Currently touring as a solo act, former Fleet Foxes drummer Father John Misty (whose real name is J., for Joshua, Tillman) gave the crowd more than just his music, but his tongue-in-cheek shamanistic wisdom as well. Tillman kept the crowd laughing while emphasizing the humor and wit in his singles “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” and “Nancy From Now On.”
Taking breaks to do a little performance art featuring both the bunny-woman and the coat rack, Tillman then introduced a giant iPhone frame on stage that was placed in front of him less than half way through the set (an obvious gesture towards fans who spend more time watching the show through their iPhones than their eyes). He also took the time to pour out an entire bottle of wine into a wine glass, which overflowed and streamed down the table that was placed center stage. Acting as if nothing had happened, Tillman resumed playing the rest of the set, which included almost every song off his debut record, Fear Fun, along with new songs such as “I Love You, Honeybear.”
Having mastered the witty stage banter that started Father John Misty in the first place, Tillman captivated the crowd with his beautiful lyrical imagery. By the end of the set, the crowd was so silent and attentive that one would think that no one at the show owned a cell phone.
