Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
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November 29–December 6, 2001
music picks|rock/pop
Daniel Johnston
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His days of homemade-cassette obscurity long replaced by hip "indie genius" status, lo-fi musician and artist Daniel Johnston is the secret everybody knows. Somewhere around 1995’s Kids soundtrack — where his little songs about Casper stole the show from Folk Implosion’s funky rock numbers — the world took notice of Austin’s lo-fi pop and blues savant and his confused fables and ditties about unrequited love. Now those old tapes are hot eBay items, his oddball marker sketches are the stuff of gallery exhibitions and his shows have been known to draw really well, too. And therein lies the problem: A small gaggle of die-hard fans are always front and center, pacing during the opening act and exploding when Johnston finally starts. As if they’re the only ones in on the secret, they shout out requests for songs from the old, old days and sing along obnoxiously louder than Johnston himself. Untainted by (or even repulsed or unaware of?) such rabid displays, Johnston stands behind his keyboard and pretends not to notice just how famous he’s become.
Thu., Nov. 29, 10 p.m., $8, with The Capitol Years and Bitter, Bitter Weeks, at The North Star, 27th and Poplar Sts., 215-684-0808, www.northstarbar.com.
