Father John Misty kicked off his tour earlier this month to support his latest album Mahashmashana, with indie-rock band Destroyer opening for most of the North American dates. The tour made its way to New York, first with a sold-out show at the Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston, followed by a sold-out show at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on Tuesday, February 25.
The historic Kings Theatre was packed with eager attendees – the last time Father John Misty played at the venue was eight years earlier. Despite the gap, many in the crowd were returning to see Misty for the fourth, tenth, or twelfth time, with some having seen him just days earlier in Kingston. The audience was predominantly made up of millennials and Gen Zers, though one usher pointed out a newborn in the mix. “The little guy’s first show,” he joked. Needless to say, those parents have set the bar high.
The night kicked off with “Funtimes in Babylon,” before diving into a setlist that showcased Mahashmashana in its entirety. The album’s nearly 9-minute dance track, “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All,” got the crowd moving early on. Fans got to enjoy highlights from 2018’s God’s Favorite Customer, such as “Mr. Tillman” and the title track, along with a few tour regulars like “Nancy From Now On” and “The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apartment.” To round out the evening, Tillman treated the audience to “Buddy’s Rendezvous” and “Q4” from his 2022 semi-jazz release Chloë and the Next 20th Century.
What truly stands out about Father John Misty’s performances is his uncanny ability to make every person in the room feel like he’s singing directly to them, even with a few thousand of others around. Throughout the show, he showed off his signature moves, twirling his mic stand like a dance partner, holding hands with a few lucky fans in the front row, and speaking to the crowd with the intimacy of a close friend. “Don’t worry. You’ll never get old,” Tillman told the collective group, before singing “Summer’s Gone,” a beautiful and stripped-down reflection on the passage of time. Later, I spoke to some fans who confessed they avoided making eye contact with Tillman. “It’s just too much,” the fan said.
Tillman later leaned into the crowd for a moment during Mahashmashana’s “Being You,” and asked “Anybody bit off more than they could chew? I’ve got a note for you: just dissociate completely.” As the song progressed, he gazed thoughtfully, hand on his cheek, and sang: “And I wonder what it’s like / I wonder what it’s like / to be you.” If Tillman was dissociating, he sounded damn good doing so.
The nearly two-hour set had the audience dancing to the high-energy “She Cleans Up,” while the atmosphere became almost reverent during “Screamland” and the epic title track “Mahashmashana,” with many swaying slowly, eyes closed, absorbed in the music.
For the encore, Father John Misty served up a mix of classics, including a solo acoustic “I Went to the Store One Day,” before bringing the band back with crowd favorites like “Holy Shit,” “Chateau Lobby,” and, of course, “I Love You, Honeybear.”
After the Brooklyn performance, Father John Misty took the stage at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre before continuing his tour, with upcoming stops in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. before heading to Europe in July. New tour dates have also been announced, including a July 13th show at the picturesque Beak and Skiff in Lafayette, New York, with tickets starting at $59.50.
For more information on Father John Misty’s 2025 tour, visit fatherjohnmisty.com.
photos by Will Oliver
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