So Sick Edits

Save Spunky: Pavement’s Bob Nastanovich Launches Fundraiser to Help Daniel Johnston’s Cat

Bob Nastanovich, the percussionist and keyboardist for Pavement, has launched a fundraiser to save Spunky, the cat that once belonged to late singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston. A GoFundMe page created today seeks to raise $2,000 to provide healthcare for the feline.

“Daniel’s cat, Spunky, has lived all alone in his house since he died and was recently taken to a rescue organization,” Laura Anderson, one of Johnston’s friends who once worked as his tour manager, said in a statement in the GoFundMe listing. “She has had a tumor in her mouth and a cancer scare (fortunately her biopsy was negative). She is slowly returning to health; the final challenge is to take out all her teeth, and she will have to learn to eat new food while she heals. … We are hoping to raise money for the extraction surgery and post-op care, so that Spunky will avoid infections and live her remaining years in comfort.”

Johnston, a prolific cult hero beloved by Kurt Cobain, Tom Waits, and Matt Groening, among others, died of natural causes in 2019. In the early Eighties, Johnston handed out tapes of his music, which were simplistic ruminations on life and love, to bands who traveled through Austin, where he lived. The tapes earned him the support of groups like the Dead Milkman, Sonic Youth, Mike Watt, and others. Because of this support, his album Fun came out on the major label Atlantic in 1994, but sales were minimal. Nevertheless, he maintained a dedicated following through his death.