Bunny Gaubert, 25, contacted Hinckley via Twitter and ended up creating his website and booking his Chicago date, which the venue later canceled. She said her generation is more willing to forgive Hinckley because his infamy pales in comparison to the new realities of growing up in “the weird, dark America” after 9/11.

“Our world has less shock value” than in 1981, she said. As someone who suffered mental illness in her teenage years, she said she can also empathize with his journey to get well. “After being put away like that and judged, he could have chosen anger and resentment, but instead he chose to make songs of peace,” she said.

Matt Paneth, an independent concert promoter in New York who booked the Brooklyn show, characterized Hinckley as someone who is simply trying to regain lost time.

“He didn’t get to experience life and he’s putting out a message of positivity in his music. There’s something heartfelt and honest about it,” said Paneth, 31, whose company, Scenic Presents, specializes in punk shows. One Hinckley song, “Never Ending Quest,” he said is particularly poignant: “He’s saying he’s on this quest to get out there and live his life. That’s a beautiful, honest message.”