Father John Misty Beefs With Strand of Oaks Over Divisive Festival Set
Last Friday, the day after Donald Trump’s Republican National Convention speech, Father John Misty (aka Josh Tillman) used his set at WXPN’s XPoNential Music Festival in Philadelphia to lament the state of entertainment and politics. Tillman’s extensive speech, which preceded an improvised, 10-minute song illustrating his exasperation, divided attendees: Some praised its honesty while others noted its limited crowd-pleasing value. The next day, Tillman justified the “obscenely vulnerable” speech as a bulwark against entertainment’s “narcotic properties and horrifying efficiency in elevating madmen to the heights of influence.”
Among Tillman’s detractors was Strand of Oaks’ Timothy Showalter, an established local artist, who interpreted Tillman’s behavior as a slight against the festival. Tillman responded, “The future is going to have a hay day with us and our reality tv Mussolini, but at least you’ll be able to say you did your best to tweet at the dissenters.” See all that, along with plenty more fan engagement from Tillman, below.
Furthering your entertainment career by calling entertainment stupid
— Timothy Showalter (@Strandofoaks) July 23, 2016
Funny it didn’t happen at a big pay day fest. Instead at fest run by an amazing group of hard working people bettering their community
— Timothy Showalter (@Strandofoaks) July 23, 2016
Stay off the internet and go on a hike. People work hard and love music.
— Timothy Showalter (@Strandofoaks) July 23, 2016
Shows have saved my life. The stage is a privilege more importantly FANS are a privilege. Go on a lecture tour if you have so much to say
— Timothy Showalter (@Strandofoaks) July 23, 2016
If everyone is watching, you know that you will get attention. Benefiting from the problem is not the solution. So sick of this shit
— Timothy Showalter (@Strandofoaks) July 23, 2016
Start a charity, work for habitat for humanity, volunteer, whatever. Be productive.
— Timothy Showalter (@Strandofoaks) July 23, 2016
My grandpa used to say if philosophers were farmers the world would go hungry.
— Timothy Showalter (@Strandofoaks) July 23, 2016
That’s it. I love your music so much. But don’t come to my town and insult my peoples intelligence.
— Timothy Showalter (@Strandofoaks) July 23, 2016
Tillman responded:
@Strandofoaks This is as callow and short sighted as me asking you how many followers you got from your mid/high profile tweetgasm
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
.@Strandofoaks Entertainment is context. History is full of disgusting forms of entertainment justified by cultural bias and passivity.
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
@Strandofoaks Draping yourself in local boy righteousness is an easy sell. No matter where I was, what I saw the night before fucked me up.
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
@Strandofoaks @wxpn The future is going to have a hay day with us and our reality tv Mussolini
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
@Strandofoaks @wxpn but at least you’ll be able to say you did your best to tweet at the dissenters.
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
Turning his attention to WXPN, which published an article yesterday siding with Strand of Oaks, Tillman tweeted:
Fuck your goofy ass article and enjoy your provincial, vanilla chili cook off niche @wxpnfm
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
The neediness and political pettiness of these stations is unreal. Every band hates it. Tour is grueling but you make time to form bonds.
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
I thought I had capital with @wxpn. I ridiculously thought that though much of the audience might not get it they would bc we have history.
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
Stations I’ve busted ass for hv threatened in an instant to cut support not only for me but my label if I played a show sponsored by a rival
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
To internalize such an obviously current sentiment as a personal slight instead of doing your job to promote the message of artists is crazy
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
@fatherjohnmisty funny you bring up “doing your job”
— Matt (@WuCurdy) July 25, 2016
.@WuCurdy @wxpn Maybe you and I have radically different ideas about what my job is and part that might actually be why I’m in my position
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
He added that he didn’t accept payment for the festival:
@RRP268 @Strandofoaks Didn’t take the money, Jesus, that assumption is sickeningly common, grow a pair
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
In conversation with disgruntled fans, Tillman elaborated on his stance.
@fatherjohnmisty @JCDollarsign if people connect with your music shouldn’t they get what they paid for? Or are they paying for performance?
— A (@Alex_Corrie) July 25, 2016
@Alex_Corrie @JCDollarsign If what I do onstage doesn’t work then people will stop coming and you will have your sweet vindication
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
@fatherjohnmisty is it possible to understand and even agree with your sentiments yet disagree with how you aired them?
— Andrew Thompson (@arthompson36) July 25, 2016
Referring to XPN host Bruce Warren, Tillman replied:
@arthompson36 Yes, I was fucking upset, Bruce Warren told me moments before I went on how upset he was but I fuckig said something about it
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
As the conversation died down, Tillman approvingly quoted a fan’s interpretation of the events.
@fatherjohnmisty we have to decide as a society if we want our culture to be distilled to its monetary value, or its societal influence
— Chloe-Rose (@honeypiebaking) July 25, 2016
Wow, 1/2000 tweets actually gets it right https://t.co/11H2OYtigY
— FARMER JAH MISERY (@fatherjohnmisty) July 25, 2016
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