Club Quattro, Osaka
Joshua Michael Tillman, also known as Father John Misty is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and drummer. Releasing a steady output of solo recordings since 2004, in 2008 Tillman joined Seattle folk-rock band Fleet Foxes (who are also playing in Kansai this month) as their drummer. After extensive touring with Fleet Foxes, promoting the album Helplessness Blues, Tillman played his final show with the band in Tokyo in January 2012. In May 2012, Tillman released the album Fear Fun under his new moniker Father John Misty. Tillman’s last release was the 2017 album Pure Comedy. The tracks revolve around themes of progress, technology, fame, the environment, politics, aging, social media, human nature, human connection, and his own role in it all. Included in the album’s release announcement to fans was a 1,800-word essay by the artist about its symbolism and meaning of the songs. It began like this: “Pure Comedy is the story of a species born with a half-formed brain.”