On a frigid Friday night, with the biggest snowstorm of the last decade looming over the horizon, an audience of all ages packed Mr. Smalls Funhouse in Millvale to pay tribute to one of the most misunderstood individuals in music history, Daniel Johnston.
Beach Boise, ID, supported by fellow local bands Westinghouse Atom Smasher and Scrum Force, performed its interpretation of Johnston’s unfinished album “Hi, How Are You.”
With proceeds from ticket sales benefiting the Hi, How Are You Project, the show honored Johnston’s art while also supporting a cause closely intertwined with his story: mental health.
“The Hi, How Are You Project is focused on giving youth the tools to prevent mental atrophy, recognize moments of mental crisis, and connect with resources that can help keep them safe,” said Graham Albright, who supplies vocals and guitar for Beach Boise, ID’s expansive ensemble.
“I’ve wanted to do this show for like five years,” Albright said. “I’ve wanted to take this on as a project, charitably, that we can use to resource people with good messaging. But when taking it on from a compositional point of view, I realized that the tunes that felt simple were a lot more complex than I had initially imagined.”
He added that Beach Boise, ID had been waiting a long time to add its own “stank” to Johnston’s work.
That “stank,” Albright said, was present throughout the night.
Westinghouse Atom Smasher got the ball rolling with a dreamy, post-country reinterpretation of Johnston’s music.
“They are very patient with the way that they approach music,” said Aaron Sheedy of Swissvale, who has seen the band perform a number of times. “I feel like the sparse sounds they give are a nice palette for Daniel Johnston’s music. Their slowcore vibe is really nice for his style.”
After Westinghouse Atom Smasher’s performance of “True Love Will Find You in the End,” it was Scrum Force’s turn. As the band began their set, lead singer Rodd Weatherford — wearing a black wig and a tutu around his neck — declared Scrum Force to be “the biggest brain rot core band this side of the Allegheny.”
Scrum Force’s energy-filled, chaotic performance included a mix of original songs and interpretations of Johnston’s work. The band has a conventional lineup of drums, bass, lead and rhythm guitars and vocals, but that is where the conventionality ends.
Weatherford delivered a powerful performance, pretending to read lyrics from a copy of Webster’s Dictionary and occasionally leaving the stage altogether to dance with the audience.
Scrum Force closed its set with a creative, almost post-punk rendition of Johnston’s “Walking the Cow,” before Beach Boise, ID took the stage.
Beach Boise, ID’s interpretation of “Hi, How Are You” was full of surprises. For some songs, a trio of violinists joined the band; at other moments, the group seamlessly transitioned from Johnston’s work into a rendition of the Beatles’ “In My Life.”
A highlight of the night was a surprise harmonica performance from singer-songwriter, poet and instrumentalist Wammo.
Wammo first encountered Johnston’s work while living in Austin, Texas.
“He [Johnston] would just walk up to anyone saying, ‘Hi, how are you? Here’s my tape. Please listen. Okay thanks. Okay bye,’” Wammo said. “He was super awkward and nervous. But all you had to do was listen to the songs. It’s like — oh my God. Oh my God. Here is this huge soul.”
By the end of the night, the Funhouse felt less like a concert venue and more like a shared space — part tribute, part celebration. As Beach Boise, ID closed out the album, strangers danced together beneath the low ceiling, carried by songs that exist outside the need for perfection. In that moment, Johnston’s music felt exactly as it always has: strange, fragile and unmistakably alive.
As Wammo said excitedly, “Daniel would have loved this.”
