A Mesmerizing Set from Father John Misty at Minnesota Yacht Club Festival

Whispers by the River and Jazzy Reveries

Late afternoon over Harriet Island Regional Park on July 18, 2025, as the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival hummed along the Mississippi’s gentle flow in St. Paul. The sun dipped low, casting a rosy glow on the crowd sprawled across blankets and lawn chairs, the air thick with the scent of river mist and distant barbecues. It was around 5:30 pm when Father John Misty—Josh Tillman in his enigmatic alter ego—sauntered onto the stage with his ensemble, a lanky figure in a loose shirt and that signature wry smile, like a poet who’d wandered in from a dream. I’d been weaving through the day’s earlier acts, but this slot felt like a quiet interlude, a chance to sink into something more introspective amid the festival’s building crescendo toward Hozier later.

Tillman opened with “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All,” his voice a soft-spoken murmur that floated out over the horns and gentle percussion, wrapping the audience in a hazy veil. From where I stood, midway back, his between-song patter was a challenge—those low, thoughtful asides blending into the breeze, words half-lost like secrets carried off by the current. It added to the allure, though, turning the show into a half-heard confession that begged you to lean in closer. Up front, folks nearer the stage were luckier; he interacted frequently, leaning into the lights to trade quips and nods, drawing them into his orbit with that deadpan charm that makes you feel seen, even in a sea of thousands.

What hooked me deepest were the jazz band elements threading through the set—the lush swells of saxophone, the brushed drums whispering like old vinyl, the piano keys dancing in that sophisticated, lounge-lizard sway. Songs like “Mr. Tillman” embodied it perfectly, a slinky number with brassy undertones that evoked smoky clubs and midnight philosophizing, the band’s interplay tight yet loose enough to breathe. It was a style that elevated the whole performance, turning indie introspection into something cinematic and alive. The crowd responded with a sway rather than a surge, heads nodding in quiet appreciation as the sun was losing it’s intense grip.

Then came the pinnacle: “This May Be the Last Time,” a beautiful love song that unfurled like a tender ache. Tillman’s delivery was hushed reverence—”This may be the last time, and the last time comes too soon”—each line a fragile thread pulling at the heartstrings, backed by strings that swelled just enough to cradle the vulnerability. For such a soft spoken artist, his words hit stronger than three fingers of bourbon.

It was the kind of moment that stops time, the festival noise fading to let those words hang in the humid air, leaving everyone a little raw, a little more connected. The set wove through classics and newer cuts with unhurried grace, clocking in around 50 minutes before yielding to the afternoon’s heavier waves. As the set was ending, Tillman gave a final, soft wave, vanishing into the stage like a character from one of his own tales—leaving us to ponder the charisma of a single man.

Band History

Father John Misty is the solo project of Joshua Michael Tillman, born May 3, 1981, in Rockville, Maryland. A former drummer for Fleet Foxes and Damien Jurado, Tillman adopted the Misty moniker in 2012, debuting with the album Fear Fun, a psychedelic folk-rock exploration of hedonism and escape. His breakthrough came with 2015’s I Love You, Honeybear, a baroque pop opus blending orchestral grandeur with satirical romance. Subsequent releases include Pure Comedy (2017), a sprawling critique of modern malaise; God’s Favorite Customer (2018), a more intimate unraveling; Chloë and the Next 20th Century (2022), delving into AI and existential drift; and Mahashmashana (2024), a return to raw, confessional songwriting amid personal reckonings.

Current Members

• Josh Tillman: vocals, guitar, piano

Note: Father John Misty performs as a solo artist with a rotating touring band featuring various musicians on horns, drums, bass, and keys for live shows.

Verified Setlist

1. I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All
2. Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose
3. Mr. Tillman
4. Goodbye Mr. Blue
5. Being You
6. Nancy From Now On
7. This May Be the Last Time
8. Pure Comedy
9. Things It Would’ve Been Great If They Were True
10. Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)
11. Holy Shit
12. I Love You, Honeybear

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