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...

Thursday, Aug. 13, Irish Fest @ Summerfest Grounds. One year shy of its 30th anniversary, Milwaukee’s Irish Fest once again transforms the Summerfest grounds into a haven for Celtic culture. This year’s festival features musical performances from artist 3 Pints Gone, Gaelic Storm, The Red...

According to the venerable David Byrne, the better a singer’s voice, the more difficult it is to believe what the singer is saying. By that logic, Daniel Johnston may be the most truthful performer to ever grace a stage. He is the rare performer who is so genuine that he seems to believe every word that comes out of his mouth. At Turner Hall Ballroom last Thursday, for the third date of a relatively extensive tour . . .

Equal parts visionary and maniac, Daniel Johnston has seen his fame skyrocket after the 2005 release of The Devil and Daniel Johnston, a documentary detailing his struggles with mental illness. 2006 saw the proper release of Welcome To My World, Johnston’s 37th . . .

Daniel Johnston @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. Equal parts visionary and maniac, Daniel Johnston has seen his fame skyrocket since the 2005 release of The Devil and Daniel Johnston, a documentary detailing his struggles with mental illness.

Like many outsider musicians, Daniel Johnston’s work has a childlike quality to it, but it’s also saturated with darker themes that have earned him an extensive following from musicians as disparate at Pearl Jam, Bright Eyes, and Yo La Tengo.