Father John Misty proves he is a modern-day rockstar at Boston show

It is 8:50 p.m. and the crowd is eagerly waiting for Father John Misty at House of Blues.The venue is fully packed, it is impossible to move in the general area. As the stage crew raises the microphone to nearly 6.5 feet, the audience is unable to comprehend what’s to come. Yet, when J. Tillman walks on stage, the height of the microphone makes sense. Impressively tall, wavy haired and bearded, Tillman looks like Jesus from a medieval painting. With all weightiness, he starts singing “Every Man Needs A Companion,” an expected, and yet also an odd choice for the opener. While “Every Man Needs A Companion” has always been the opener, it is peculiar since a large portion of the audience is not familiar with Tillman’s (as Father John Misty) debut album “Fear Fun” (2012). Also, although it is a brilliantly affecting song, “Every Man Needs A Companion” is not necessarily the liveliest. The song was certainly not a presage of the rest of the show, which was unexpected, dynamic and thoroughly entertaining.

Over the past 20 years, many music critics have stressed the fact that there hasn't been a new “rock star” in the vein of Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain or Axl Rose. The only two exceptions of this view may be Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Julian Casablancas of the Strokes. J Tillman, although certainly not as iconic as the people listed above, might be regarded as the new “rock star” with his energy and stage presence. Tillman is a combination of Presley, Prince and Yorke; his hip moves and effeminate hand gestures are reminiscent of the great rock legends, and his awkward personality is not unlike Yorke’s. When he sings “when you're smiling and astride me” Tillman looks particularly charming, as the crowd wants to either be him or be with him.

Tillman has released only two albums as Father John Misty, so he is able to get through most of his repertoire over the course of a show. When live, Tillman sounds even better. He is able to alter his songs and add a certain twist to them. The only disappointment of the concert would be fan-favorite “Chateau Lobby #4,” which unfortunately lacked the trumpet that made the recording of the song stand out. That said, Tillman succeeded in altering many of his songs for the stage, “True Affection” being the best example. Tillman transformed “True Affection,” recorded as an electronic song, to a rock jam that truly roused the audience.

Finding the perfect venue for a Father John Misty concert is tricky. Tillman loves audience participation, yet the venue also has to be able to accommodate a large group. House of Blues is the perfect middle ground; it’s neither an arena like TD Garden nor a small establishment like the Sinclair. Audience participation was especially necessary for “Bored in the USA,” as it provided the necessary laughing tracks on the song.

Tillman closed the show with "True Affection," but returned to the stage for a three-song encore. The first of which, "I Went to the Store One Day", was hauntingly beautiful yet very simple. Tillman performed by himself with his guitar. The big surprise was Tillman's rendition of the iconic Nine Inch Nails song "Closer." Although Father John Misty's overall sound is indeed different from Nine Inch Nails, the sex appeal of Tillman matched perfectly with the provocative lyrics of "Closer." The final song of the encore was "The Ideal Husband," and it featured a bizarre dance performance that was uniquely Tillman. In a sense, the performance of "The Ideal Husband" was an encapsulation of the show: loud, eccentric and sexy. It was one of a kind.