Cosign

picture thanks to Enrique.

Daniel Johnston is back. Seemingly healthy, intelligible and with a pretty ambitious tour. Chicago’s Metro was packed last Wednesday for the proclaimed “best song-writer of all time”. Openers Office gushed at even being on the same stage with the man and the idiom “we love you Daniel” rang as a heartfelt chorus from the crowd of cultish fans the entire night.

Johnston started the set with his four string guitar crooning the classics off “Hi How Are You?” and “Songs of Pain”. Soon, he was accompanied by “a friend from college” and played crowd favorites off the reissue of “The Late Great Daniel Johnston” and a cover of the Beetle’s “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” (see video). The crowd went nuts as Daniel recounted a dream in which he was on trial for his own suicide. He explained, “I was in the back of the courtroom saying ‘No!, no!’ ……okay”. I guess…?

Members from Office and some other dudes came out after a brief seemingly unplanned intermission and jammed for a little bit while Daniel walked around showing his excitement.

Despite the love, Johnston cut his set short and left the stage in his typical overwhelmed fashion. With still about 4o minutes left for the set, the crowd started an encore chant that resulted in an emotional and shaky rendition of “True Love Will Find You In The End” (see video).

The short set left no one disappointed (accept the bored and confused girlfriends dragged out by their comic book fan-boy counterparts) and the aura of bizarre excellence that is Daniel Johnston lingered in the air with the same power that its had since 1988.

Check more pictures here.