The House List » Father John Misty

Five Questions … with Har Mar Superstar

March 29th, 2013

More than a decade ago, Sean Tillmann decided to leave behind indie guitar rock for a more crowd-pleasing, sex-charged version of R&B. And performing, often shirtless, as the dynamic Har Mar Superstar, he found a newer, bigger audience. Since then, he’s moved from Minnesota to New York City and hit the road with bands like the Strokes, Father John Misty and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Har Mar Superstar (above, performing “EZ Pass”) has a new album, Bye Bye 17, out next month, and ahead of his show on Monday at The Bowery Ballroom with the Virgins, he exchanged e-mails with The House List while on a long drive through the Midwest where he revealed himself to be a fan of Deniece Williams’ “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” (“Footloose, bro”) and Philly rockers Free Energy, plus he answered Five Questions.

What’s the best part of playing New York City?
I love taking a taxi home from the show. It gives me whole new levels of partying possibilities. The show always benefits from that luxury.

Living in NYC, is there any special relevance to playing The Bowery Ballroom?
The Bowery Ballroom is one my favorite places to see shows. It’s a classic. It feels like homecoming playing there mid-tour. People are always impressed when you tell them you’re playing there.

Your fifth Har Mar album, Bye Bye 17, comes out next month. When you release new music is there some sense of relief that it’s done, or is it really just the beginning and you’re excited to play the new tunes live?
This is definitely just the beginning. I love playing live, and new songs make it so much more exciting. Bye Bye 17 is particularly exciting because the response has been huge and immediate. The songs make people pay attention.

After all these years on the road, what have you learned to make touring easier?
Touring with your friends makes everything easier. Stay at hotels with free breakfast.
Get stoned.

Do you have to be depressed to write a sad song? Do you have to be in love to write a love song? Is a song better when it really happened to you?
Love songs are best when they’re sad. Real-life experience helps you channel the emotions. Next time someone tears your heart out, write a love song. It feels good. —R. Zizmor

Tags: Bowery Ballroom, Bye Bye 17, Deniece Williams, Father John Misty, Five Questions, Har Mar Superstar, Preview, Sean Tillmann, the Strokes, the Virgins, Video, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
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Father John Misty Delivers the Fun

January 15th, 2013

Father John Misty – Webster Hall – January 14, 2013

You may know of him as J. Tillman or as the drummer of Fleet Foxes, but today he goes by the more papal moniker Father John Misty. And while Father John Misty may not have any formal ties to the Catholic Church, he came to Webster Hall on a dreary Monday night in the dead of winter ready to preach the fine virtues of some damn fine folksy blues. In the months he’s been on tour since the release of his debut Father John Misty album, Fear Fun, last April (he’s recorded several other solo albums as J. Tillman), his songs have taken on a life beyond their recorded versions. “I’m Writing a Novel” has developed into a knee-slapping romper with that classic-rock drive behind it. His pleas of “Jesus Christ, girl!” alongside the soul-melting guitar riffs at the start of “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” had enough power behind them to bring observers to their knees.

Tillman makes it no secret that performing all this was great fun. His tall, lanky body, tangled-marionette dance moves and too-hot-for–Ed Sullivan hip gyrations make for a show all on their own. Such over-the-top stage moves make for the perfect complement to his playful songwriting. It’s also a hell of a lot easier to have fun in a crowd when the person singing onstage is unabashedly dancing his ass off. Having played through most of Fear Fun, Father John Misty went with a cover of Canned Heat’s “On the Road Again” as his encore. And now that he’s played a few shows in New York City, it might take a new album to bring back Father John Misty again. But maybe by then we’ll be calling him a saint. —Dan Rickershauser

Photos courtesy of Mike Benigno | mikebenigno.wordpress.com

Tags: Canned Heat, Father John Misty, Fear Fun, Fleet Foxes, J. TIllman, Photos, Review, Webster Hall
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Petty Fest – Webster Hall – October 24, 2012

October 25th, 2012

Photos courtesy of Joe Papeo | www.irocktheshot.com

Tags: Adam Green, Adriel Denae, Albert Hammond Jr., Alberta Cross, Andrew W.K., Cabin Down Below Band, Carney, Corey Chisel, Cyndi Lauper, Delta Spirit, Fab Moretti, Father John Misty, Fred Armisen, Guster, Har Mar Superstar, Hurricane Bells, John McEnroe, Johnny T, Justin Townes Earle, Karen Elson, Matt Sweeney, Mooney Suzuki, Nicole Atkins, Petter Ericson Stakee, Petty Fest, Photos, Ryan Miller, Sammy James Jr., Steve Schiltz, Webster Hall
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Father John Misty Sells Out

October 25th, 2012

Father John Misty – The Bowery Ballroom – October 24, 2012

Known to many as the former Fleet Foxes drummer, Josh Tillman has successfully launched a solo career as Father John Misty. In an interview this spring on KCRW, he revealed the moniker was a red herring for his obvious creative shift. “The name was really just something that I could just live with because it doesn’t have any meaning. Meaning doesn’t age very well. Absurdity does in my mind, so I just wanted to go with something malleable and absurd and a name that could be manipulated,” he explained. And last night at a sold-out Bowery Ballroom, Tillman, certainly an eccentric, did not disappoint.

Tillman opened the evening with a diatribe about crowds often yelling, “Fire,” but at concerts it tends to be “Bruce Springsteen.” An odd tangent coming off playing Petty Fest at Webster Hall earlier in the evening. Tillman’s lithe frame was quickly on display as his gesticulations commanded the beginning of “Funtimes in Babylon,” with his head thrown back against the blue and purple lights. Between “Only Son of the Ladies’ Man” and “Nancy from Now On,” he ordered the disco ball to be turned on. And Tillman continued his unique dancing, including sequences of Freddie Mercury–like shimmying to the honky-tonk of “I’m Writing a Novel” and rag-doll flaying to “This Is Sally Hatchet.”

“If I wanna run this show off the rails, it’s my job,” exclaimed Tillman. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that. With the close of the show, the audience was completely engulfed in Tillman’s stage presence, joining along in dance and song for “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings.” Having already covered the bulk of his recent release, Fear Fun, the encore was a duo of covers: Bing Crosby’s “Nevertheless (I’m in Love with You)” and Canned Heat’s “On the Road Again.” Needless to say, the folks lucky enough to enjoy the show were not disappointed. —Sharlene Chiu

Photos courtesy of Mike Benigno | mikebenigno.wordpress.com

(Father John Misty plays Webster Hall on 1/14.)

Tags: Bing Crosby, Bowery Ballroom, Canned Heat, Father John Misty, Fear Fun, Fleet Foxes, Josh Tillman, Petty Fest, Photos, Review, Webster Hall
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Cut Loose with the Music of Tom Petty Tonight at Webster Hall

October 24th, 2012

You know who has a million great songs you probably already know by heart? Tom Petty. The guy’s a legendary hitmaker who’s been making music to raucously sing along to since 1976. Blues, roots, rock, country. You name it, he’s done it. And tonight at Webster Hall, the Cabin Down Below Band—the same guys behind Dylan Fest and Stones Fest—are having a party to celebrate his music. And they won’t go it alone. Far from it! Expect guests galore, like Father John Misty, Andrew W.K., Justin Townes Earle, Delta Spirit, Karen Elson, Ryan Miller of Guster, Jody Porter of Fountains of Wayne, Caveman, Petter Ericson Stakee of Alberta Cross and lots, lots more. As an added bonus, 100 percent of ticket proceeds will benefit the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund and the Musicians Cancer Fund. And a word of advice: You might want to take a sick day tomorrow.