Photo by  Stephen Bloch

On Sunday, July 31, Father John Misty launched the North American segment of his 2022 tour at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo. During the performance, Father John Misty, also known as Joshua Tillman, was joined by his band and The Colorado Symphony to perform beloved songs from his extensive discography, including cuts from his most recent release Chloë And The Next 20th Century.

Father John Misty and the ensemble swiftly lifted the film from the night with “Nancy From Now On” off 2012’s Fear Fun, his debut album under his now nationally-known moniker. The singer/songwriter then moved into two songs off of 2018’s God’s Favorite Customer: “Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All” and the eponymous “Mr. Tillman.” He continued the theme of eponyms for the next song and the first song off of his most recent release, “Chloë.”

Next came the clean and tender anthem to farewells, “Goodbye Mr. Blue,” which highlighted The Colorado Symphony’s string section. The orchestral elements during the 20-plus tracks–11 of which were cuts from Chloë And The Next 20th Century–shined brightly during some newer songs like “Kiss Me (I Loved You),” “(Everything But) Her Love,” “Q4,” and the second part of the Father John Misty’s latest offering’s namesake “The Next 20th Century.”

In addition to the expert utilization of the symphony on the tracks off Chloë And The Next 20th Century, they were not the only songs during the evening that benefited from the large-scale ensemble. Tillman has consistently been mindful of arrangement on all of his compositions, including the aforementioned 2012 LP Fear Fun, 2015’s I Love You, Honeybear, 2017’s Pure Comedy and 2018’s God’s Favorite Customer. The attention to sonic layers and lyricisms coupled superbly with the symphony throughout the evening.

The middle of the set included the extensional and absurd libretto of “Things It Would Have Been Helpful to Know Before the Revolution” before the ensemble moved into earlier gems, including “Pure Comedy,” “Hollywood Forever Cemetery,” and the closing track “Love You, Honeybear.”

After the main set, Father John Misty returned to the stage sans symphony for an encore of raw takes, including “Holy Shit,” the beloved “I’m Writing a Novel,” and closed with his sardonic song and nod to fellow poet Oscar Wilde, “The Ideal Husband.”

Father John Misty
Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, Colo.
July 31, 2022

Set: Nancy From Now On, Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All, Mr. Tillman, Chloë, Goodbye Mr. Blue, When You’re Smiling and Astride Me, Nothing Good Ever Happens at the Goddamn Thirsty Crow, (Everything But) Her Love, Q4, Total Entertainment Forever, Things It Would Have Been Helpful to Know Before the Revolution, Funny Girl, Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins), Kiss Me (I Loved You), Hangout at the Gallows, Buddy’s Rendezvous, Pure Comedy, The Next 20th Century, Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings, I Love You, Honeybear

Enc.: Holy Shit, I’m Writing a Novel, The Ideal Husband