Jonathan Richman at The Goat Farm, Atlanta, March 6, 2014

March Madness, Day Three: Jonathan Richman kicking off his 2014 tour with the second of two nights at The Goat Farm. He says that he likes the place, both for the sound of the room and the artistic ambiance of the center, and the intimate setting seems perfectly suited to him.

Photo by Alex Weiss

I've lost track of the number of times I've seen Richman since the first performance I caught back in 1986 at the QE2, a club located in the back of a White Castle in downtown Albany, New York.  That night, I knew that I would never pass up a chance to see him play again, anytime, anywhere, and over the decades since that night, I've lived up to my vow.  This is now the fourth time I've seen him in recent years (post-2010), following performances at The Star Bar, the Highland Inn, and last year at this same venue, and I'm confident that I've seen him many more times than I've seen any other performer.

Photo by Alex Weiss

Sorry for all of these "borrowed" photos from Facebook, but it's a testament to Richman's performance that even though I brought both a camera and a Droid with me, I was so mesmerized by the performance that I forgot to take any pictures until the one cell-phone pic at the top of this post.

Photo by Alex Weiss

Last night's setlist relied heavily on relatively recent material, with many songs sung in French and Italian. The only "old" song from the "classic" Jonathan Richman period was I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar, but he also performed newer favorites like Vermeer and Because Her Beauty Is Raw and Wild. But Richman's performances have long ago surpassed mere covers of classic favorites or the rolling out of a bunch of new songs to promote the latest album, and have become intimate, unique expressions of the present moment in whatever venue he's finds himself playing.  

As always, he was accompanied by his long-time drummer, Tommy Larkins, with whom he's developed near-telepathic empathy, and together that make their minimalist yet highly expressive music sound like it rolls naturally and effortlessly out from their heart.

Beyond the above, I don't know what else there is to say about a Jonathan Richman performance, and I mean that as a compliment of the highest order.  Words don't justify, etc.  It was a great show, and I'll leave it at that, except to add that I also appreciated the fact that the show wrapped up by 10:00 pm, and that I was home in bed by 11.  Yes, I know, unlike the eternally youthful Richman, I'm getting old. . . .