Pitchfork

Over the years, Daniel Johnston's life and art have been the subject of a book, a documentary film, various art exhibits (including a portion of this year's Whitney Biennial), tribute albums, and a line of soft drinks. (OK, we made that last part up, but we think Daniel would totally go for it if given the opportunity.)

So what's next? A rock opera, of course.

Unrequited love is a bitch, but as many a musician/patron of the arts/human being knows, it also serves as a muse. Recently, the Houston, Texas-based Infernal Bridegroom Productions have taken hold of this lack of reciprocation, utilizing it as the theme to a rock opera based on Daniel Johnston's life and music.

The production, titled Speeding Motorcycle after the tune on Johnston's 1983 album Yip/Jump Music, is arranged and directed by IBP founder Jason Nodler, and has been in the works for over a year now. Artistic director Anthony Barilla used input from Johnston to develop the opera's score (performed by the IBP orchestra), and Tamarie Cooper handled the choreography.

Infernal Bridegroom Productions was behind the stage adaptation of Actual Air, the poetry book by the Silver Jews' David Berman, and put on a production of the Kinks' A Soap Opera. In a press release, Johnston said the following about Speeding Motorcycle: "I thought it sounded like a cool idea, and then I saw some videos of IBP shows, and my heart jumped for joy, because the shows were really entertaining and really put together well."

In addition to Speeding Motorcycle's title track, the rock opera also features the Johnston songs "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Your Grievances", "Rock 'n' Roll/EGA", "Mind Contorted", "True Love Will Find You in the End", and the previously unrecorded/unreleased "Loving Feelings".

Speeding Motorcycle opens May 25 at the Axiom in Houston, Texas, with a special preview party and show on May 24. The slightly redundant performance schedule looks like this:

05-24 Houston, TX - The Axiom (Preview Party)
05-25 Houston, TX - The Axiom
05-26 Houston, TX - The Axiom
05-27 Houston, TX - The Axiom
06-02 Houston, TX - The Axiom
06-03 Houston, TX - The Axiom
06-09 Houston, TX - The Axiom
06-10 Houston, TX - The Axiom
06-16 Houston, TX - The Axiom
06-17 Houston, TX - The Axiom
06-23 Houston, TX - The Axiom
06-24 Houston, TX - The Axiom

In other Johnston news, a tribute concert in his honor took place earlier this month in London, and saw participation from Teenage Fanclub, Vic Chesnutt, Jason Pierce (Spacemen 3, Spiritualized), James Yorkston, Howe Gelb (Giant Sand), and Johnston himself. On May 4, Johnston will perform at Los Angeles' Spaceland; it will be his first L.A. show in five years. While in town, he'll tape a performance for "The Henry Rollins Show", which airs on IFC.

As previously reported, the Johnston family's Eternal Yip Eye Music label recently released Welcome to My World, Daniel's first-ever greatest hits record. The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Jeff Feuerzeig's Sundance award-winning documentary on the musician, opened May 31 to critical acclaim, including a big "Two Thumbs Up" from Ebert and Roeper. If the Internet had opposable thumbs, Pitchfork would shoot them upwards in the direction of this film, but as is, we'll stick with a "go check it out."