jonathan richman: is this guy a class fucking act or what?

yeah, that was a little disconcerting too. i was totally expecting the uber-geek to walk on stage, when out came this dapper fellow (if a little "intense" in the blank stare dept.) i'm sure he could have become the makeout king of montana with any girl in the place, and he certainly had the crowd eating out of his hand.

i had forgetten i wrote this little epic when i woke up from my 11pm nap.

As for my pal Andrew L's understandable interest in his chest, can I just mention that I HAVE TOUCHED JR'S BARE CHEST! Mmmm...

I've seen JR about five times, and was only disappointed once. He has nothing to do with punk, except that he occasionally sings a song called "Velvet Underground." He is a troubador. He sets down his guitar and dances, accompanied only by his own singing and clapping. He's charming, and cute like a bunny. But he tackles serious subjects (cf. "My Little Girl's Got a Full Time Daddy Now", "The Neighbors") that most songwriters wouldn't touch. And he's an extremely nice guy.

I've never seen him live but the rumour is he's playing Glastonbury so here's hoping.

By the way, love your prose, wish I could write like that when pissed.

Kris.

So, I guess my answer is "what". *smiles glassily, backs quickly but politely out of the room*

Yes, and you see that people who are great performers, or something else superlative, often blow away your conceptions of liking or disliking the domain in which they work. Your first paragraph indicates your reluctance to buy into received opinion about "greatness", "importance", etc., and it's true these opinions are often the result of stupid canon-happy past-never-experienced pseudo-worship, but sometimes people who are called great really (still) are when you get to see them. So yeah, Jonathan Richman is great, but what you're really writing about is how suprised you were that your contrary-ness was disarmed in spite of yourself. Hope it happens more often.

[sputtering]...he INVENTED punk rock on The Modern Lovers!

(i was referring to the post above yrs actually, m.)

This is something of which I am well aware. I was describing Jonathan circa now, as opposed to what may be fairly described as a bit of an anomaly in his career. He's never done anything like that record since. "Government Center" may be one of the happiest, most compassionate songs ever written, but it's probably the only thing on the record that wouldn't seem out of place if Jonathan busted it out today. I certainly don't see him playing "She Cracked," "Hospital" or "I'm Straight." Maybe "Girlfriend," but "Pablo Picasso"? I don't think he would curse onstage anymore!

I was at this gig too, Chris and I agree that it was brilliant (inc. Sex Machine cover). Was a tad disappointed that he didn't play "That Summer Feeling" which was the first song of his I heard, but with such a long career & large repertoire such things are inevitable I suppose.

(revive!)

In fact, his sheer un-rock n' roll attitude is what makes him so punk rawk.

Plus, he can write a fuckin mean song.

I saw him in Brooklyn many, many ages ago. He was great, and I hooked up with someone who was massively out of my league, so technically it was the greatest show I've ever been to.

I was only able to catch tonight's show and it was amazing. He may be in his 70's, but between his voice and his dance moves, he seemed as youthful as ever. His face obviously looks older, but surprisingly as I watched him up close, he reminded me of Henry Fonda around the eyes - he has the same twinkle in them that Fonda carried into his 70's.

Anyway, thanks to the MTA, traveling there kind of sucked, so I made the most of it - loaded up on merch (got the last Modern Lovers T-shirt my size) and stuck around with a few fans who wanted to meet him afterwards. During the show, there was a guy with an eyepatch off to the side that looked like David Johansen - when Richman came out, that guy was with him, and I said out loud "you know, that guy looks like David Johansen," to which someone replied "he IS David Johansen." I didn't know they even socialized together so that was pretty mind-blowing. He went straight home but Richman hung around for a bit and was very sweet. Class act all the way.

Must've forgotten this - they played on the same bill once back in the day:

http://www.furious.com/perfect/newyorkdolls.html

One more detail, when someone asked him to sign a CD of Precise Modern Lovers Order (Live In Berkeley And Boston), he said "THIS album captures how we REALLY sounded," or something like that, and he repeated it with a bit more emphasis, so I'd take that as a very strong recommendation.

Indeed.

Must've forgotten this - they played on the same bill once back in the day:

http://www.furious.com/perfect/newyorkdolls.html🕸

was there last night as well. Jonathan was on fire. have seen him many times over the years, but that was near the top. his affection for the "old world" came up in recent discussion here. Jonathan is very much in the old world needs to go mode these days.

thanks for sharing your experiences

as I think I've stated many times already it's a big dream of mine to see him someday

not so likely to happen

so I enjoy these second hand reviews

I’ve seen him many times but haven’t been paying attention recently so am also appreciating the reviews

I keep forgetting Jonathan was friends with Gram, but I'm sure half the details of this story are new to me!

Most gruesome fact: it takes a LOT of heat, more than a few gallons of gasoline to cremate a body, much to the misfortune of some Joshua Tree campers who didn't expect to see Gram's charred body.

Oh wow. I’ve read about it a few times over the years, originally in Trouser Press maybe, but need to listen to that later.

I like this 2023 Jonathan Richman song “En La Discoteca Reggaeton “ and he did it live last night at the 3rd and final night of his 3 nights in Baltimore’s kinda divey Ottobar. He had the audience do some fast clapping on “Reggaeton..” A good show. His version of “Pablo Picasso” added some new lyrics including the word “predatory” but he also did many verses the same. He changed the arrangement of “That Summer Feeling “ a bit . For one song he did a verse or 2 in Rocky talking to Adrian voice. I wasn’t crazy about 1 of the encores “Cold Pizza” but I liked his story and then the song “Older Girl” about how 14 years old Jonathan wanted to ask out a 15 years old girl who he and others walked to junior high school with every day including cold snowy New England winter days. Jonathan danced a lot onstage ( lots of 1960s and 70s moves ) and played a fair amount of Spanish sorta flamenco style guitar as well as 60s garage. He didn’t allow photos or videos and had the club turn off the ac .

https://jonathanrichman.bandcamp.com/track/en-la-discoteca-reggaeton

Here’s the set list

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/jonathan-richman/2025/ottobar-baltimore-md-235da06f.html

fantastic

I wish he would come to Europe

next time he plays Montreal I might try to catch a plane

I'm really not sold on that song that appears to be anti-antidepressants

Which song?

My Spanish is not good enough to get all the verses on “En La Discoteca Reggaeton “ but like "Dancin in the Lesbian Bar" it appears in part be about having fun out late dancing.

Oh, yeah the lyrics on "When We Refuse to Suffer" seems a bit simplistic in not recognizing that some people need anti-depressants

https://genius.com/Jonathan-richman-when-we-refuse-to-suffer-second-version-lyrics

There's a Jonathan Richman group on Facebook and it's pretty wonderful reading all the encounters fans have with him, especially when he's out about town outside of the show he's playing. As the thread title says, class fucking act all the way.

Oh, yeah the lyrics on "When We Refuse to Suffer" seems a bit simplistic in not recognizing that some people need anti-depressants

Some people really need air freshener too

Jonathan will be hosting/performing/DJ-ing for ~1 hour today at 4pm PDT/1pm EDT on Chico community radio:

https://kzfr.org/

Chico looks like an awesome town, mainly because every video I see of it has Jonathan going into a store or restaurant or walking in the street while singing and strumming his guitar. Change Minneapolis to Chico and Prince to Jonathan, and this Onion article could be me someday.

He still has a house here in SF so he splits time between the 2 cities, and he's no stranger to coming in to various bookstores, restaurants, bakeries and bodegas and delivering an impromptu show (scroll up to May 3, 2022 post upthread).

archive up (Jojo shows up at 01h02m):

https://kzfr-media.s3.us-west-000.backblazeb2.com/audio/fun-house/fun-house_2025-04-29_15-00-00.mp3

Playing the Make Out Room here in SF five nights in a row again coming up in a few weeks. Definitely been to this a few times. Hope I can make it to one this time.too.

https://jonathanrichman.bandcamp.com/album/only-frozen-sky-anyway

BY JONATHAN RICHMAN
FEATURING TOMMY LARKINS ON DRUMS AND JERRY HARRISON ON KEYBOARDS

Jerry was on the last album. Maybe the last couple? It’s nice having him back.

I like the new Frozen Sky album. He did a bunch of songs from it when I saw him in March 2025.

FWIW, I just caught the final show of Harrison, Belew & Co.'s Remain in Light tour (at least for 2025) - lots of fun, but the icing on the cake was seeing Ernie Brooks there enjoying the show among the audience. Pretty nice to see these friendships after all these years.

Man, a Modern Lovers reunion tour would be pretty wild.

was just listening to Modern Lovers 'Live' (1977) - what a joy, neverending ice cream man a highlight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK6j78mHpRc

the morning of our lives such a wonderful song that only jonathan could deliver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbUYJfbZ-Qc

:')

That is a seriously underrated album.

The new one, Frozen Sky, is very good. The Pitchfork review makes it sound like more of a departure than it is. It’s very much in the same vein as his last couple of albums which is just fine. It’s great having Jerry onboard but I get the sense that Jonathan isn’t giving him a chance to get fussy with anything. Which is good.

Oh Moon was the last one that really stunned me. Everything since then on Blue Arrow records has been consistent and great if unsurprising.

I’ve been doing an Alex Chilton deep dive for a while and in some ways he and is like Jonathan’s evil twin. Both primarily known for influential early work but quickly veered towards a simpler approach in almost every way. Except JR has kept up as a songwriter while Alex was doing covers.

Really, the person Jonathan really reminds me of is Christine Lavin. His recent song “Cold Pizza” seems like a reference to her “Cold Pizza For Breakfast.” Both funny, unpretentious, and occasionally heartbreaking. Jonathan could totally do a cover of “Amoeba Hop.”

One of my favorite moments when I saw him at Bell House was when a boy (probably no more than ten years old) requested "Cold Pizza" and Jonathan actually got on his hands and knees and moved to the edge of the stage so he could hear him speak. (The boy was in the very front with his mother.)

For those who want even more Ice Cream Man, I stumbled on this 1986 performance from Spanish TV. Only 2 reprises of the chorus this time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06i6r-JHOh0

“My Little Kookenhagen” is a great one.

I’ve been doing an Alex Chilton deep dive for a while and in some ways he and is like Jonathan’s evil twin. Both primarily known for influential early work but quickly veered towards a simpler approach in almost every way. Except JR has kept up as a songwriter while Alex was doing covers.

Jonathan’s evil twin

Ode to a little black bat on the new album and "But We Might Try Weird Stuff."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccsASP0aofY

#onethread

I didn't realize David Johansen painted the cover of Jonathan's latest album.

I mentioned earlier, when I saw him a few years ago at Bell House, Johansen actually was in the audience with his wife. Afterwards, the three of them (and Tommy!) were basically hanging out long after everyone cleared out save for a few people at the bar. Kind of a nice memory that's grown sad now that it's come out that he was being treated for cancer for quite some time.

The Mercer Arts Center may have collapsed, but everyone who played there etc. etc. etc.

Time for a repost of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_1sA0PVArw

I saw Jonathan Richman when he did his residency at Baby's All Right, and at the last minute my partner (who had no idea who he was) asked to go just to do something different and to get away from a whole lot of stress we were dealing with from the landlord. I said Richman might've been a good choice because he was a big burst of positive energy, which is true and the kind of thing I knew my partner wanted to hear. He did not disappoint (not that there was any doubt), he was awesome and afterwards we even got to say hello. I wanted to say something nice to him, something very brief but also something that would get across everything I could possibly want to convey, so at the risk of sounding too mushy, I just said "you make life better" and he immediately said, "oh, that's a lot better than making life worse!" Love this guy, and my partner spent the next day streaming all his stuff off YouTube. ("I Was Dancing In The Lesbian Bar" is the favorite.)

Haha, that's a perfect response from him. Glad he's still got it.

yeah that is “comment so very much in character” (and great at it).

yeah that is “comment so very much in character” (and great at it).

Now I finally know what to say to him so as not to annoy, if and when I get to see him again.