Ancienne Belgique

DOMINO: DANIEL JOHNSTON AND THE BEAM ORCHESTRA: ‘Beam Me Up Daniel’ + SCREENING OF ‘The Devil And Daniel Johnston’ + ART EXHIBITION + TOMMIGUN A THOROUGH ART, MOVIE AND LI...

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DOMINO: DANIEL JOHNSTON AND THE BEAM ORCHESTRA: ‘Beam Me Up Daniel’ + SCREENING OF ‘The Devil And Daniel Johnston’ + ART EXHIBITION + TOMMIGUN
 
A THOROUGH ART, MOVIE AND LIVE EXPERIENCE ABOUT AND WITH DANIEL JOHNSTON
Yup, this ‘Beam Me Up Daniel’ is quite simply a total-evening annex total-experience. The perfect introduction for the Daniel Johnston-layperson and a feast for the Johnston-initiates amongst us. With performances, a documentary and an expo. All focused upon this eccentric character.
 
“Daniel Johnston reminds me of aspects that made me love art in the first place”. (David Bowie)
“The greatest songwriter on earth.” (Kurt Cobain)
 
Daniel Johnston (now almost 50) has already been active for more than a quarter century now but it's as if the world has only opened its eyes to this genius in the last few years. First turning point: the tribute album ‘The Late Great Daniel Johnston’, released in '04, on which the likes of Tom Waits, Beck, Death Cab For Cutie, TV On The Radio and Eels covered his songs. Another popular turning point: ‘The Devil And Daniel Johnston’, from ’05, a compelling portrait of this manic-depressive musician and a DVD that has now been screened worldwide at diverse prestigious film festivals. His music is slowly being rediscovered, his following grows (see too: the sold out ABBox in ’07) and his playful drawings (that often adorn his album covers) are even displayed/sold in expensive galleries. It's not without reason that Bowie invited Johnston to the Highline Festival in NYC that he put together a few years ago.
Johnston’s reputation began with a series of homemade lo-fi-cassettes that he began distributing among friends and fans in the early 80's. The Butthole Surfers and members of Sonic Youth were immediate fans. His first and also greatest exposure came when Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) wore a T-shirt portraying Mister Daniel during the MTV Music Awards in ’92.
Johnston’s songs are often about unrequited loves, existential themes or simply about The Beatles. Johnston: "When I was 19, I wanted to be The Beatles. I was disappointed when I found out I couldn't sing.". Humo wrote of him: “Lets be clear about one thing: Daniel Johnston (wavering, high, falset voice) can't sing … and yet: he writes and makes fantastic music.”. His latest release is called 'Is and Always Was' and is – according to Humo - “his very best album.”
Musical Johnston-tips: surf to www.hihowareyou.com and learn everything there is to know about Johnston. Buy the book ‘The Life, Art & Music of Daniel Johnston’ (by T. Yazdani & D. Goede, ‘06) and the CD ‘Welcome To My World, The Music Of Daniel Johnston’ (and also a heap of artwork while you're at it, but keep an eye on your wallet with this last tip as his artwork can cost you as much as $1500).

Beam Orchestra
Eleven-member, contemporary Dutch ensemble. Will serve as backing band to Johnston on the night but will also present instrumental versions of Johnston's songs. We saw their try-out earlier this year in Willem II (Den Bosch, NL)... and we approved.

SCREENING: ‘THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON’
(’05 – 110 min. - director: Jeff Feuerzeig)
The perfect introduction for Johnston-laypersons. Hailed as the DVD of that year by Sufjan Stevens in ’06. Uncut wrote of it: ‘****’. This documentary has already been screened at many film festivals worldwide and has also bagged countless awards (including ‘Best Director’ at the Sundance Festival, ‘Audience Award’ at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival,…).

ART EXHIBITION
For years, Johnston’s artwork has adorned the man's albums. But now it also tours with him to complete the total-experience. You can expect a selection of drawings of his characters, like Casper The Friendly Ghost, Jeremiah The Innocent (better known as the Hi, How Are You? Frog) or Captain America. In recent years, his work has hung in various galleries all over the world too (including the likes of the Aquarium Gallery in London, Clementine Gallery in New York,…)

Tommigun is the new project from Thomas Devos (Rumplestitchkin) and Joeri Cnapelinckx (Kawada). Musical friends are the likes of The Black Heart Procession and Scout Niblett. Which is not accidental. Tommigun makes music that is desolate one minute, but at the same time fragilely beautiful, and raw but reserved the next. Or as they say themselves: ‘heartbreak-hangover tunes, explosive bursts of anger’. The recordings for their first full-album took place in San Diego with musicians from the Californian indie-rock scene and with Pall Jenkins (Black Heart Procession) as producer. The album's release is planned for early 2010! Now touring Europe with Mister Johnston.

With the support of  and