What’s the deal with Daniel Johnston? That depends on who you ask. Some will say the songwriter is a mad musical genius, others will say Johnston is the glorified equivalent of a Wesley Willis, an outsider artist whose songs are thin at best. Whatever your opinion is on Johnston there’s no denying that the man speaks from his soul. There’s a childlike quality to his voice and a simple wisdom to lyrics, which for decades has captivated musicians from M. Ward to Wilco to Kurt Cobain, who famously sung Johnston’s praises in the ’90s, well before a 2005 documentary, The Devil and Daniel Johnston, introduced the troubled songwriter to a much larger audience.
Daniel Johnston
Tonight @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.
