136 SPRING 2019
SIEBEN ON LIFE
I moved to Austin, TX, in 1996 to attend the
University of Texas at Austin. Directly across
the street from campus was a music store called
Sound Exchange, and on the wall was (is) a mural
by Daniel Johnston. It depicts his iconic Jeremiah
the frog, adorned with the saying ““HI, HOW ARE
YOU?” (Google “Kurt Cobain Daniel Johnston” if
you need a quick pop-culture reference.) I passed
the mural every weekday for a number of years,
and it never failed to make me smile. In truth,
I didn’t know who Daniel Johnston was when
I first laid eyes on it, but was soon clued in by my
more savvy friends, and I became an instant fan
of both his music and visual art output.Earlier last year, I received an email from Jeff
Wheeler, an artist from Texas whose work
I have long admired. He stated that he and Daniel
were longtime collaborators and asked if I had
any interest in exhibiting their work in Austin
at The Volcom Garden. Without hesitation I hit
him back with an emphatic “YES!” A dialogue
began, and shortly thereafter, Jeff asked if I’d like
to accompany him to visit Daniel at his home
in Waller, TX. Once again, my answer was an
unequivocal “YES!”We met at Daniel’s house on June 15th, 2018, and it
was one of the most surreal Fridays of my life. His
home is like a museum, filled with comic books,
VHS tapes, toys, music ephemera and so much art!It was like wandering through a very carefully
curated secondhand store where everything was
purchase-worthy. After an hour or so, Daniel’s
sister Mojo asked if we’d like to go grab some
lunch at one of Daniel’s favorite taquerias and
then go thrift-store shopping—two things
I probably would have done on my own that day.
Lunch was great. We listened to Daniel reminisce
about years gone by, and when the check came
Mojo informed us that Daniel wanted to buy us
lunch. So in addition to meeting the man himself,
I can now proudly boast that Daniel Johnston
bought me tacos. Thanks, Jeff, Mojo and Daniel for
such a wonderful day. I still occasionally pass
by that mural next to UT, and now it makes me
smile even more. —Michael SiebenDaniel Johnston Bought
Me Tacos
And I’m Still Smiling...
Photo by: Courtney Sheets