Brother Daniel Comes to Town

Daniel Smith considers himself an “entertainer.”

“I’m, at least, attempting to entertain people,” he says, with just the hint of a chuckle.

That characterization may come as a surprise to folks already familiar with his band, Danielson, a group that’s been saddled with all the baggage that comes with another e-word—evangelist. See, Smith and his band aren’t shy about being Christians and wear their spiritual hearts on their sleeves, indie cool be damned. Or darned.

In fact, they’ve managed to amass a darned good bit of indie cred over the past decade and a half, recording with the likes of Steve Albini and Kramer, releasing the masterful Ships in 2006, and helping launch the career of friend and former bandmate Sufjan Stevens.

They’ve also managed to inject a playfully positive vibe into the indie scene. After all, this is a band that used to dress as doctors and nurses onstage, and Daniel became known for donning an elaborate tree costume. These days, they sport postal worker-ish uniforms with homemade patches and custom John Fluevog shoes.

“We’re kind of spoiled, I will admit,” Smith says, when asked about the band’s custom kicks (which you can check out here). “But overall, the stage presentation is more linked to the service industry, and it’s a bit of a club.”

It’s obviously part of the fun of staging a live show, which Smith says is all about “bringing people together, people from different realities, into a common space, where we can grin ear-to-ear and have a blast together.”

And if anyone experiences what Smith calls “the healing powers of the spiritual world and the creator,” that’s all the better. “It’s great when people can access the music on that level, too,” he says.

Tonight, the band will be playing a few new songs—including the excellent “Moment Soakers”—as well as a hefty dose of Ships and some older material at the Ottobar. The doors open at 8 pm, and it’s an all ages show.