Watch Daniel Johnston Perform Live on This Day in 2009
Image via Photoshot/Getty Music Features Daniel Johnston
Beloved singer/songwriter and freak-folk pioneer Daniel Johnston unexpectedly passed away last year, in September, following a health decline. He had been retired from touring since 2017. He was a fixture in the Austin, Texas music scene for years and gathered fans across folk circles and beyond—Kurt Cobain once wore a Daniel Johnston t-shirt to the 1992 VMAs. He had—and still has—fans far and wide.
On this day (March 24) in 2009, Johnston performed a set for Paste at our South By Southwest outpost at Radio Room in his native Austin. The show was short-but-sweet, featuring songs like “Life in Vain,” “Rock This Town” and “Mean Girls Give Pleasure.”
Watch selected cuts from Johnston’s set below (featuring “Life in Vain” and “Love Wheel”), and keep scrolling to hear his Daytrotter session from the same year. Watch the entire set on our YouTube channel.