Will Johnson

(put it in a vial, put it in my veins..) 📸: @joshweichman

VHS Tour Diary 1: Philadelphia, PA, 4/8-4/9, 2026, featuring “medleys” from rehearsal and our show at @johnnybrendas all shot by @ocular_dreams @jdthorud @tget32 The full Magnolia band has never lived in the same city. We got close for most of the band’s existence and really all only lived in the same place when we were called Songs: Ohia. That was nine months in Bloomington, IN, from November 2022-August 2023. Then @mikeslomobrenner started touring with us (Philly), then Molina moved to Indianapolis, then back to Chicago, then to London. Rehearsals were rarely very long and they never, until the last two years touring with Molina, came with a list of what we might play at the shows. That might explain why we’ve been doing a lot of homework before we get together for shows now. It’s a really good thing to just get into it, to be ready for the big practice days that are usually compressed into no more than ten hours. For this tour we had 32 songs ready to go for the shows. What you see in this video is us rehearsing at @goatmotherindustrial ‘s house both on April 8th (re-learning “Lonesome Valley”) and 9th (relearning “Talk to Me Devil, Again”), and then some out-of-time (or maybe any time between 1979 and now) looking footage of us playing at Johnny Brenda’s. We all grew up watching VHS tapes of our favorite bands and this makes me feel like I’m watching someone else play. It’s pretty humbling to hear people screaming along to “farewell transmission” and pretty exciting to feel the straight rock and roll energy from the band, somehow transmitted more acutely through obsolete media. What an incredible thing it is to play Jason’s and our songs again. There are still shirts and posters from the April shows at the link in our bio. Tickets are still available for our August Midwest run at the following places - we’d love to sing along with you at all of them: Thursday, August 27th - Bloomington, IN @thebluebirdbar Friday, August 28th - Chicago, IL @lh_schubas Saturday, August 29th - Louisville, KY @whirlingtiger Sunday, August 30th - Cleveland, OH @beachlandcle

Tickets are moving fast for @magnoliaandjohnsonelectricco 's Midwest run this August! Come catch these incredible songs in their land of origin 🌒 8-27-2026 Bloomington, IN - The Bluebird 8-28-2026 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall 8-29-2026 Louisville, KY - Whirling Tiger 8-30-2026 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom (All photos 📸 Rob Kaniuk @lobotomy_rob )

I can think of a number of friends, acquaintances, heroes, and total strangers that are more deserving of such a thing, but this book is now available and in the world. Thank you, John Krajicek, for staying dedicated to this, and for your patience and kindness. Thanks to Texas A&M University Press, and I send all love and gratitude to those who wrote something for this project. I’m humbled, grateful, and remain intimidated by it. 💙, -wj

Midwest US! The mighty @magnoliaandjohnsonelectricco has just announced dates in your direction. Do not miss this incredible band. Tickets on sale now! 🦉🌙

When his baseball years were over, he drove home and shattered all his bats against a tree. He went on to become one of the biggest superstars in pro wrestling history. (headed for Birmingham/Old Bailey Gallery in May)

Players: Paintings by Will Johnson & Morgan Jones Johnston opens Saturday May 23rd @theoldbailey.gallery from 6-9pm Artwork by @willjohnsontx and @ruggedandfancy Live solo music sets by @willjohnsontx and @duquettejohnston The Old Bailey Gallery 4909 5th Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35222 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A rare performance of “Nashville Moon” by #magnoliajohnsonelectricco at the #blackcatdc on 4/10/2026. Loved Will’s vocals on this one! 🎥 - @j0nandrewsontour #fanconcertvideos #wherethefuckisjonandrews #jasonmolina

@magnoliaandjohnsonelectricco 's East Coast tour starts today! A few newly released tickets remain for Friday 4/10 in DC @blackcatdc -- Philly, Amherst, and NYC are all sold out! 📸 Alex Jackson

“Just Be Simple” live in San Antonio, TX, at @thelonesomerose on 9/19/25. In the fall of 2002, when Jason Molina invited most of us who became the band called Magnolia Electric Co to join Songs: Ohia, he gave us CD-Rs of the recently recorded and as-of-then unreleased Magnolia Electric Co record. I (@groakus ) was still using a portable CD player with a cassette adapter to listen to CDs in my car. About a week after he gave it to me, I finally had a chance to listen to it, in full, on a long drive - my favorite way to listen to records. Hearing “Farewell Transmission” and “Riding with the Ghost” back to back blew my mind. “How is a friend of mine writing songs like this, and recording them this way, with Steve Albini?” I thought. And then “Just Be Simple” came on. After the epic that is “Farewell” - a universe of its own - and the Full Moon Fever-ness of “Ghost,” it sealed it - “Jason is the best timeless songwriter I know” I thought. I - and all of us, really - were fully Neil Young’d at the time, but we were also Sweetheart of the Rodeo’d and John Prine’d, too. This song - with its direct cinema feel, lilting melodies, and crushing lyrics, felt like a reinterpretation of both the universe of “Farewell Transmission” that was also rooted in some the most classic American songwriting traditions. And in that way it felt like Jason had accomplished something so many others had tried to do before - created a true concept album, but in a completely uncontrived way. I think it’s the crux of the album. And @willjohnsontx sings it so beautifully. What a joy to live in this song, every time we’re lucky enough to play it. ************ We released more tickets for our DC show after it initially sold out - we’d love to see you there! 4/9/25 - Philadelphia, PA - @johnnybrendas SOLD OUT 4/10/25 - Washington, DC - @blackcatdc NEW TIX AVAILABLE 4/11/25 - Amherst, MA - @thedrakeamherst - SOLD OUT 4/12/25 - Brooklyn, NY - @babysallright - SOLD OUT Footage shot by @jdthorud and @tget32 @ocular_dreams Edited by @groakus Live recording mixed by @ramblecreek Song by @jasonamolina Originally released by @secretlycanadian on the 2003 Songs: Ohia album The Magnolia Electric Co

“Look Up” Jon Dee Graham Summerland LP, 1999

It was always about like this, anytime we got together. He harbored the energy and wisdom of the older brother I’d always hoped for. Rest easy, sweet bear. We were incalculably fortunate to have you in this world. I’ll hear your laugh forever. 📸: @adamyoungworks