For those blissfully unaware of folk indie legend turned orchestrally cynical rockstar Josh Tillman, also known as Father John Misty. Those who haven’t heard his painfully charming “Real Love Baby” nor his now 10-year-old tenderly disillusioned ode of an album “I Love You, Honeybear” – The Fillmore in Detroit on Feb. 18, 2025 was a proper and true introduction. Tillman graced the stage with a mixture of self-aware wit and a surprisingly reserved stage presence in comparison to other bands, charming instead through its orchestral grandeur and somewhat crooning nature.
Joining the ex-Fleet Foxes drummer on his American tour was Canadian rock group Destroyer. I had never heard any of their tracks before that night, but I left a fan of vocalist and songwriter Dan Bejar’s diverse tracks, which now span nearly three decades. The band behind Bejar was strong and well-rehearsed, though Bejar himself appeared to be in a somewhat drunken haze on stage.
During the intermission, walking through crowds —hipster men with— and not to sound unprofessional, but with genuinely awe-inspiring facial hair.
Father John Misty’s performance was marked by a distinct lack of conversation—he let the music speak for itself. Poised and suave, Tillman playfully mocked moments from his music video “Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose.” His voice is strong as ever, with a band despite its small size performing grandiose tracks like “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools Of Us All.”
The balance of intimate acoustics and these grand, impressive racks was incredible. The sweeter, more endearing tracks blended seamlessly with the more complex pieces, showcasing Tillman’s versatility without feeling disjointed.
The setlist was a trip through Father John Misty and his six albums. Opening with “Funtimes in Babylon” and making its way through crowd favorites like “Nancy From Now On” and “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings.” Even if typically I’m the kind to be petty if my favorite track is skipped over, it was such a good mix between old and new and niche that by the end I had enjoyed myself without “When You’re Smiling And Astride Me”.
The set for Father John Misty was oddly notable; aside from color-changing lights placed behind the band, the stage was surprisingly reserved. There were no elaborate backgrounds made of screens or stage props— an absence that has often characterized shows in the wake of callback tours post-Eras Tour (no hate to Taylor Swift, of course). In a way, this was a refreshing change.
But towards the end, during tracks like “Mahashmashana” (his latest album’s title track, a sprawling 9-minute epic) and “Screamland”, flashing lights revealed an impressively minimal black hole-looking art piece on stage. As the show neared its end and the encore began, the red curtains were pulled back to reveal the art piece in full.
Father John Misty sold merchandise relating to themes of his latest album, the obvious being LPs of his 2015 album on its 10th anniversary and “Mahashmashana”. The rest of his merchandise reflected something many fans of him are well aware of, his ironic sense of humor.
For reference, there was a black-and-white T-shirt featuring an edited image of Josh Tillman alongside “Evangelion’s” (1995) Misato. The Inner Decay x “Mahashmashana” bumper stickers played with the album’s themes, featuring absurd slogans like ‘My other car is a persisting hallucinogenic reality, and so are you.’ Another shirt was a reference to a poorly translated “BORN TO DIE” T-shirt reworked to center around the themes of insanity and reincarnation that follow his latest album.
These offerings were a pristine reflection of Tillman as an artist— serious in his performance and introspective in his music, but nevertheless embracing the absurd in his humor.
As the night drew to a close, he left me as a viewer with a clear consensus. Father John Misty remains as captivating as ever—both in his music and his ability to surprise and provoke thought.
