Father John Misty- 5/20/13 Turner Hall Ballroom

 I didn't know quite what to expect when I went to see Josh Tillman, and his latest project "Father John Misty" take the stage at Turner Hall Ballroom on a Monday evening in May.  From YouTube videos, he seemed like a charismatic front man.  What I witnessed on stage was a performance and persona that rivaled the likes of Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips mixed with Charles Bradley (whom I also have recently reviewed).  Simply put, this man, at least in this incarnation, is an entertainer in the fullest sense

Musically, Tillman has a fantastic voice with a great range and carried the crowd in the palm of his hand with his narrative vocals, drawing mostly from his release Fear Fun (one of my favorite records of last year).

Father John Misty didn't skimp on delivering a full sound live either.  Tillman was clearly the focus, with the spotlight literally always on him, but also was backed with a great group
five support musicians, who helped create a loose-feeling vibe that went along well with the tunes off of Fear Fun.  What will be interesting is to see what Father John Misty does next, especially as Tillman, effective in January, quit Fleet Foxes, the band which he gained the most notoriety with to per sue this endeavor. 

Thanks to my friend, Stephen Bloch, for allowing me to use his great photos in this post. 

Grade: A

Charles Bradley- 5/3/13 Turner Hall Ballroom

 A true gentleman and a genuinely humble performer, we had the honor of meeting Mr. Bradley before his show at the Turner Hall Ballroom.  Bradley was a surprise favorite performer of mine from last year, with his show from last February ranking only behind My Morning Jacket for my favorite show in Milwaukee for 2012.  Bradley's warm and caring personality did not surprise me in the least.  He immediately inquired about my arm injury (see pic of me in the sling next to him), stating that he would keep me in his prayers for a speedy recovery.  Bradley does not take his stardom for granted and took the time to take posed pictures with me an my fellow concert companions in the parking lot before his show, along with a handful of other fans who spotted him. 

As for his performance, Bradley's set featured most of the tracks off his latest release, Reserved for You.  While equally as engaging as he was last year on stage, Bradley's newer material is much brighter in nature with warmer timbres than his first release, No Time For Dreaming.  The more upbeat numbers about love were a contrast to the soul-wrenching songs about heartaches and pain which dominated No Time for Dreaming. The show, consequently, took on more of a cheerful vibe.  Bradley's band, "The Extrodinaries" was solid, but lacked former Paul Cebar saxophonist Tony Jarvis, who appeared with the group last year.  While one might not think that an exceptional saxophonist would help drive a soul act, Jarvis's absence was noticeable.  However, what also came across more than last year was the axemanship of guitarist Tommy Brennick.  Brennick is truly an exceptional guitarist who also played more than proficient bass with the opening act, Paul and the Tall Trees. 

I hope Bradley becomes an annual Milwaukee act or years to come.  He's top notch!

Grade: A

Jim James- 4/19/13 Pabst Theater

My Morning Jacket's front man and his backing band delivered a highly entertaining, soulful and wonderfully engaging set of music.  The performance was exceptional.  As an avid MMJ fan, my only complaint was that the encore, which consisted almost exclusively of Monsters of Folk (another band that Jim James is in) tunes, didn't include much "Jacket."  That aside, James is a master entertainer who is clearly on his A game.

 Grade: A