Way back in the day, 1977 to be precise, I was a student at Boston University and radio station WBCN frequently played a regional hit called Roadrunner by a band called The Modern Lovers. At the time, I found it humorous that the song, with its frequent references to Massachusetts and the City of Boston, to the Town of Roslindale and Stop 'n' Shops, to Needham and Route 128, was such an obvious local hit, and wondered if every major city didn't have a local performer parlay a similar song into a regional radio hit at the time (e.g., "I'm in love with Peoria. . ."). I liked the song but didn't pay it too much mind (I was more into jazz in those days).
Years later, life found me living in Atlanta, where local radio station WRAS frequently played songs from a pair of amusing records, almost comedy albums, called Jonathan Sings! and Rockin' and Romance by Jonathan Richman. It took me a while to realize it was the same performer who earlier had recorded Roadrunner, but my life still went on more or less as normal (I was more into post-punk in those days).
Flash forward a few years and I'm living in Albany, New York, and see that Jonathan Richman is performing in town. I went to the club, which was located in the back of a White Castle hamburger joint, and saw Jonathan for the first time. He didn't perform Roadrunner, but he did performed his standards Pablo Picasso and I Was Dancing In the Lesbian Bar, as well as a memorable extended version of Down In Bermuda from Rockin' and Romance, in which he explained how he transformed from the stiff new wave performer of Roadrunner, to the wonderfully fluid and engaging performer we saw that night.
That was 1986, and I realized that night that I would be seeing Jonathan every chance I would get for the rest of my life.
I've lost count over the years, but I estimate that I've probably seen Jonathan perform 10 to 12 times now, most recently at Atlanta's
Star Bar back in 2010 and the
Ballroom at the Highland Inn in 2011. I've seen Jonathan more times than any other performer, possibly twice as many times, or even three times more.
His music has continues to evolve over the years, incorporating flamenco and Italian influences and becoming ever more poignant and emotionally honest. Yet, he's always maintained his sense of humor, a childlike naivety, and an intimate engagement with his audience.
Last night, Jonathan played the first of a two-night set at The Goat Farm. I went last night and would go again tonight, but it's raining balls out there and
The Walking Dead season premier is this evening. So there's that.
It was one of the best Jonathan performances I've seen, although I say that every time and nothing will ever beat that first time at the Albany White Castle, anyway. He and long-time drummer Tommy Larkins clearly enjoyed the acoustics of the old brick and mortar building and the attentive quiet of the audience. In all his years of performing and touring, he's clearly honed his craft - whatever you want to call it - to a fine art, and each of his audiences are clearly in the hands of a master.
Last evening, he played his relatively recent songs almost exclusively, and it's probably the first time that I've seen him when he didn't cover
Pablo Picasso or
I Was Dancing In the Lesbian Bar. But that's okay, maybe he's saving them for tonight. He did perform
Egyptian Reggae, giving Tommy Larkins a chance to solo for a while, as well as new classics
Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild and
Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow, as well as a brilliant and simultaneously heart-breaking and hilarious rendition of
When We Refuse To Suffer.
Hmm. Rain's letting up a little. Maybe I can make it tonight after all.
