Father John Misty is the stage name of American singer-songwriter Joshua Tillman. He is known for his brooding baritone vocals and sardonic lyrics that satirize life in the digital age. Father John Misty has developed a cult following over the past decade through his captivating live performances and critically acclaimed studio albums. When he tours, fans are eager to know all the details about the show, including who the opening acts will be. Having a great opening act can really set the tone for the rest of the concert. So does Father John Misty use opening acts and if so, who has opened for him in the past and who might open for him on future tours? Let’s take a closer look.
Why Have an Opening Act?
Most major touring artists and bands have one or more opening acts who perform before them. This serves several purposes:
- It allows exposure for up-and-coming artists. An established act like Father John Misty can give a boost to newer or lesser known artists by inviting them to open the show.
- It helps get the crowd warmed up and excited before the headliner. The opening act provides some entertainment while people are finding their seats and getting settled.
- It provides time for the headlining act to prep and do soundchecks behind the scenes while the opener is on stage.
- A hand-picked opening act can set the tone and “vibe” for the rest of the show.
For all these reasons, having an opening act is standard practice at concerts. Now let’s look at Father John Misty’s history with opening acts.
Father John Misty’s Previous Opening Acts
Throughout his career, Father John Misty has assembled some impressive and eclectic lineups of opening acts to kick off his shows. Here are some of the artists who have opened for him over the past several years:
Pure Bathing Culture
The dream pop duo Pure Bathing Culture opened a string of West Coast shows for Father John Misty in early 2013, right around the time that his breakthrough album Fear Fun was gaining momentum. They helped enhance the psychedelic folk vibe of Father John Misty’s set.
Promised Land Sound
This Nashville-based garage rock band opened some shows in 2015 behind Father John Misty’s acclaimed I Love You, Honeybear album. Their fuzzy guitar jams aligned well with Joshua Tillman’s 70s-inspired rock stylings.
Alex Cameron
The Australian musician played a number of dates with Father John Misty in 2017. His eccentric onstage persona and new wave influenced sound complemented the ironic detachment of Tillman’s songwriting.
Meg Duffy
Best known as the guitarist in the indie rock band Hand Habits, Meg Duffy also opened solo shows for Father John Misty during his 2018 world tour. Their introspective, folk-tinged acoustic songs matched well with the mood of Father John Misty’s material.
Jenny Lewis
In 2019, the beloved indie pop songstress Jenny Lewis was tapped to open several shows in Europe and North America behind Father John Misty’s God’s Favorite Customer. Lewis and Tillman have collaborated together before and her sunny California sound interwove nicely with Father Misty’s sardonic musings.
Elliott Smith
The late, great songwriter Elliott Smith has been a major influence on Joshua Tillman’s musical style. So for select solo shows in 2020, Father John Misty decided to open his own concerts playing the songs of Elliott Smith. It was a special tribute for fans and introduced some to Smith’s discography.
Who Might Open for Father John Misty’s Next Tour?
At the time of writing, Father John Misty is putting the finishing touches on his upcoming fifth studio album, Chloë and the Next 20th Century, due out in early 2022. This means a new world tour will likely follow not long after. While no opening acts have been officially announced yet, we can make some educated guesses about who Father John Misty might tap next based on his tour history and evolving music tastes. Here are some possibilities:
Molly Lewis
Molly Lewis is an indie folk musician with a knack for insightful, amusing songwriting delivered in a quirky style somewhat reminiscent of Father John Misty himself. Lewis has opened tours in the past for comedy-music duo Garfunkel and Oates, demonstrating her ability to warm up the crowd. Her music would pair up well with Father John Misty’s newest batch of satirical chamber pop songs.
SASAMI
SASAMI is a Los Angeles based singer-songwriter who makes grungy, distorted indie rock music. But she’s also revealed a talent for writing beautiful orchestral arrangements behind the noise. These cinematic elements would complement the lush strings and horns played up on Father John Misty’s new album. SASAMI’s darkly funny lyrics are also tonally similar.
Andy Shauf
Andy Shauf is a Canadian musician with a knack for storytelling in song. His rich baritone voice and colorful characters sketching compelling vignettes are reminiscent of Father John Misty’s songwriting at times. Shauf’s recent album The Neon Skyline delved into love, loss and interpersonal relationships in an intimate way that could make for an interesting thematic transition into a Father John Misty performance.
Phosphorescent
Matthew Houck’s band Phosphorescent make moody, expressive folk rock centered around his soulful vocals. They recently incorporated more electronic textures and horns into their sound on their 2018 album C’est La Vie, indicating they could ably complement the eclectic mix of organic and synthetic sounds on Father John Misty’s new material. Their poignant songwriting would resonate well with fans during the set changeover.
Ryley Walker
This innovative guitarist and singer-songwriter makes progressive folk and jazz fusion records with a nostalgic twist, sometimes even covering Dave Matthews Band in his own eccentric style. The musical wit and cleverness of his catalog would enable Ryley Walker to hold his own as an opener for Father John Misty fans awaiting the lyrical humor of the main event.
Conclusion
Based on his preference for casting opening acts that either complement or provide contrast to his own music, we could expect Father John Misty to make another intriguing lineup decision when he tours behind Chloë and the Next 20th Century. Fans know that in addition to performing his new songs with typical passion and ingenuity, he will likely select an up-and-coming artist whose music entertains, inspires thought, and sets the stage effectively for the remainder of the evening. Part of the magic of a Father John Misty concert is experiencing how seamlessly it all comes together.
Year | Tour | Opening Act(s) |
---|---|---|
2013 | Fear Fun Tour | Pure Bathing Culture |
2015 | I Love You, Honeybear Tour | Promised Land Sound |
2017 | Pure Comedy Tour | Alex Cameron |
2018 | God’s Favorite Customer World Tour | Meg Duffy |
2019 | God’s Favorite Customer World Tour | Jenny Lewis |
2020 | Solo Acoustic Tour | Elliott Smith (tribute set) |
Potential Opening Acts for Next Tour
Artist | Genre |
---|---|
Molly Lewis | Indie folk |
SASAMI | Indie rock |
Andy Shauf | Singer-songwriter |
Phosphorescent | Folk rock |
Ryley Walker | Progressive folk |
Key Takeaways
- Father John Misty has a history of recruiting interesting up-and-coming artists as opening acts on his tours.
- Past openers include Pure Bathing Culture, Promised Land Sound, Alex Cameron, Meg Duffy, Jenny Lewis, and Elliott Smith.
- Possible openers for his next tour include Molly Lewis, SASAMI, Andy Shauf, Phosphorescent, and Ryley Walker.
- The opening act serves to warm up the crowd and complement or contrast the tone set by Father John Misty.
- Part of the appeal of a Father John Misty show is seeing who he has chosen to kick things off each tour.