Thanks to Cause=Time, music blog by Julio Enriquez, I found out that Daniel Johnston will be in Denver, at the Ogden Theatre, on April 5th. Tickets go on sale this Friday 2/15 and are $22.50 through Ticketmaster.

Daniel Johnston, known as the "musician’s cult musician", is probably one of the greatest songwriters of all time. As Dean Ween of Ween said, "Most songwriters would have given anything to have written one song as good as any Daniel Johnston tune, and he has hundreds."

Daniel has a rare gift. It has been called a sort of simple brilliance many times over. His life story has been at times heartbreaking and volatile, but I have read in recent interviews that he now claims happiness.

Daniel’s first big break came in the mid-80s while in Austin and he managed to scam his way into the filming of MTV’s Cutting Edge feature on the Austin music scene. He promoted his home-made cassettes which carried his signature cartoon drawings - which have since become collector items, along with any drawings and recordings Daniel has created.

Severe manic depression, stints in mental hospitals, anti-depressants, paranoia and suicidal acts (like crashing a plane that he and his dad were flying) have resulted in career of spotty brilliance, but brilliant non the less. To learn more about Daniel, definitely check out the fascinating documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. In the film someone asks Daniel if he is writing any new songs – this at a time in his life when he was in and out of mental hospitals. Daniel says he couldn’t write songs cause of all the meds, and then goes into a little tune:

I couldn’t write a song if I tried
Doo doo do
I couldn’t write a song if I tried
Doo doo do
Something inside has gone up and died
and I couldn’t write a song if I tried.
Doo doo do

This moment in the film is so touching because it becomes so clear that being an artist is just what Daniel is, yet at times it is an unbearable load.

Though some people find it hard to listen to Daniels music because of the homemade production and his off, high pitched voice, his song writing capabilities can't be denied. I suggest listened to Discovered Covered, an two disc album with covers on Disc one and the originals on Disc two. When I first heard this album I thought these artists (see play list below) were able to truly express Daniel's intentions. However, as I come to ‘know’ Daniel more, I now here his versions as some of the most honest and touching songs. 

Discovered Covered - Disc 1 (covers) Playlist

1. My Life Is Starting Over Again/Teenage Fanclub with Jad Fair
2. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Grievance/Clem Snide
3. Impossible Love/Gordon Gano
4. Living Life/Eels
5. Walking The Cow/T.V. On The Radio
6. Good Morning You/The Rabbit
7. Sorry Entertainer/Calvin Johnson
8. Devil Town/Bright Eyes
9. Dream Scream/Death Cab For Cutie
10. True Love Will Find You In The End/Beck
11. Go/Sparklehorse with the Flaming Lips
12. Blue Clouds/Mercury Rev
13. Love Not Dead/Thistle
14. Like A Monkey In The Zoo/Vic Chesnutt
15. Dead Lovers Twisted Heart/Starlight Mints
16. Story Of An Artist/M. Ward
17. The Sun Shines Down On Me/Guster
18. King Kong/Tom Waits

Official Daniel Johnston website - www.hihowareyou.com
Discovered Covered - www.discoveredcovered.com
The Devil and Daniel Johnston - www.sonyclassics.com/devilanddaniel

Ogden Theatre
935 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80206
www.ogdentheatre.net