"I guess I’m an artist. That’s my super power."
March 6, 2014 9:06 PM Subscribe
A short and sweet 10-minute documentary on musician and artist Daniel Johnston. [SLYT]
Daniel Johnston previously 1, 2
"Daniel Johnston has spent the last 20 or so years exposing his heartrending tales of unrequited love, cosmic mishaps, and existential torment to an ever-growing international cult audience. Initiates, including a healthy number of discerning musicians and critics, have hailed him as an American original in the style of bluesman Robert Johnson and country legend Hank Williams.[via]
[...]
Throughout his career, Daniel's songs and drawings have been informed to some degree by his ongoing struggle with manic depression -- lending an added poignancy to his soul-searching times. His five-month stint with the carney left him in Austin, where he decided to stay. In the midst of that city's mid-eighties music scene, Johnston was a definite iconoclast. While he continued to hand out his tapes for free, Austin record stores started selling them; in fact, the became best-selling local releases. Soon, a camera crew from MTV's seminal "Cutting Edge" show came to town and all the Austin bands suggested they feature Daniel.
[...]
Daniel gained his widest public exposure to date when, at the 1992 MTV Music Awards, Nirvana leader Kurt Cobain (who constantly touted Daniel in interviews) wore a Johnston T-shirt."
Daniel Johnston previously 1, 2
Apparently, he did a tiny desk concert recently-ish. Very nice.
posted by narwhal at 10:37 PM on March 6, 2014
posted by narwhal at 10:37 PM on March 6, 2014
It turns out I was a vampire myself, in a devil town.
posted by bpm140 at 10:43 PM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by bpm140 at 10:43 PM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Super power indeed. I love Daniel Johnston's music so, so much.
There's a very rough quality video of
of Daniel singing a song in 12-bar blues on some organ in someone's home...I can never quite remember what it's called but every time I see that video it gives me chills. It has the line "I thought I saw an angel sitting on a post".
I know he's got troubles, maybe more than most. But holy hells he's a true artist through and through.
posted by Doleful Creature at 11:00 PM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
There's a very rough quality video of
of Daniel singing a song in 12-bar blues on some organ in someone's home...I can never quite remember what it's called but every time I see that video it gives me chills. It has the line "I thought I saw an angel sitting on a post".
I know he's got troubles, maybe more than most. But holy hells he's a true artist through and through.
posted by Doleful Creature at 11:00 PM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Daniel never fails to fill my heart with joy.
posted by humboldt32 at 11:44 PM on March 6, 2014
posted by humboldt32 at 11:44 PM on March 6, 2014
I saw Daniel Johnston 2 or 3 times in Gainesville, FL, during the 90s (at The Covered Dish), owned by my roommate at the time.
It seemed on every occasion there was a lot of stress about finding his notebook (I didn't think he was going to go on one time, but eventually he did)--I remember him singing a love song and tearing up during a song. I think there's hit and miss, but man, when he hits, you can really hear the genius below the surface.
(I'm assuming everyone's seen the full-length documentary on him.)
posted by whatgorilla at 12:51 AM on March 7, 2014
It seemed on every occasion there was a lot of stress about finding his notebook (I didn't think he was going to go on one time, but eventually he did)--I remember him singing a love song and tearing up during a song. I think there's hit and miss, but man, when he hits, you can really hear the genius below the surface.
(I'm assuming everyone's seen the full-length documentary on him.)
posted by whatgorilla at 12:51 AM on March 7, 2014
In a perfect example of Austin Texas's self-referential, historically based, commercially-driven "Weirdness," the old Sound Exchange on The Drag is now a restaurant called, "Thai, How Are You?" Daniel Johnston's mural, has gone from a symbol of the lazy community and creativity of the pre-Slacker days to a symbol of everything jacked about that town, now.
posted by pomegranate at 4:51 AM on March 7, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by pomegranate at 4:51 AM on March 7, 2014 [3 favorites]
most people have a breaking point with Daniel Johnston. I did it for as long as I could and have some very weird memories.
Or you could talk more about that here because I bet 100% of us would like to know.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:40 AM on March 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Or you could talk more about that here because I bet 100% of us would like to know.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:40 AM on March 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Or you could talk more about that here because I bet 100% of us would like to know.
I am part of the 100% and would be happy to hear about any of your experiences you're comfortable sharing.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:47 AM on March 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
I am part of the 100% and would be happy to hear about any of your experiences you're comfortable sharing.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:47 AM on March 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
One of the most amazing experiences I ever had was seeing my friends at Houston's Infernal Bridegroom theater company produce a rock opera ("Speeding Motorcycle") in collaboration with Johnston back in 2006. It centered over what a Johnston fan might call the Laurie Narrative, and then his emergence from that despair. It closed with a new song ("Lovin' Feelings") Daniel wrote for the show.
It ran again in 2007 in Austin, but after that lots of bad things happened -- the company folded, and one of the principal actors died -- so plans to tour it or sell DVDs become untenable. It really was a beautiful, heartwarming and heartbreaking work, and remembering it always makes me smile.
I hope, at some point, it gets the attention it deserves. I took some pictures, back then, that might be fun to look at if the idea of a Johnston musical appeals, but they predate any attempt by me at decent photography. That is, though, Johnston's autograph (and eyeball) Sharpie'd onto my friend AJ's scooter.
posted by uberchet at 9:38 AM on March 7, 2014
It ran again in 2007 in Austin, but after that lots of bad things happened -- the company folded, and one of the principal actors died -- so plans to tour it or sell DVDs become untenable. It really was a beautiful, heartwarming and heartbreaking work, and remembering it always makes me smile.
I hope, at some point, it gets the attention it deserves. I took some pictures, back then, that might be fun to look at if the idea of a Johnston musical appeals, but they predate any attempt by me at decent photography. That is, though, Johnston's autograph (and eyeball) Sharpie'd onto my friend AJ's scooter.
posted by uberchet at 9:38 AM on March 7, 2014
uberchet, I saw it too! It was amazing. And later that spring he played at the Orange Show with Kathy McCarty. A really lovely, sweet show.
posted by pomegranate at 5:08 AM on March 8, 2014
posted by pomegranate at 5:08 AM on March 8, 2014
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(I will go watch the linked video now.)
posted by mudpuppie at 9:23 PM on March 6, 2014 [3 favorites]