Page 22 - the Noise December 2016

JONATHAN RICHMAN = GENIUS By Beverly Napalm
Genius is a word flung around rather flippantly these days. But for dear Old Uncle Jona- than I’m happy to be a little flippant, and fling the “G” word into the ring. Jonathan fought the pre-punk wars for us all, with élan and grace. His first band The Modern Lovers were remarkable and out of step for the time. The Lovers fit the classically “ignored during their lifetime but now highly regarded and influential” mold. They were essentially a no frills garage punk pop band, their magic dust largely due to Richman’s unique campy observa- tions and delivery. They dressed casual and where remarkably ordinary and un-hip fash- ion wise. A deliberate decision for sure. Richman was happy to let their music speak for itself. The Lovers musical blueprint may have been cribbed from the Velvet Underground, but there was a joyous abandon in the manner Richman celebrated rock and roll with a
During one of Tommy’s more prominent percussive outbursts a drummer friend of mind taps me on the shoulder and says, “Don’t you wish you could play drums like that?” I do. Wouldn’t you? But for the most part, all eyes are on Jonathan. Playing a strapless acoustic guitar, he wanders on and off the microphone, to the edge of the stage singing and strumming unamplified. At 67 he is still twinkly eyed and full of wonder and hope af- ter nearly 5 decades of heartfelt pop. His songs are sung in English, Arabic and Italian. The freshness in his unpretentious and un-jaded abandon is inspiring. I mean, this is Jonathan Richman! And he’s happy to be singing to 90 people in a downtown coffee house, regard- less of his legacy. And that’s why we love him. Genius.
childlike uncluttered approach and delivery.
“Roadrunner”, possibly the Modern Lovers finest 5 minutes, is dramatic and an instant
earworm. It’s a road trip mix tape classic! Upbeat, unpretentious and repetitious pop, based around only two chords! They are two of the best rock and roll chords mind you! - E and A. Which are probably the first two chords anyone who picks up a guitar would get to grips with. Thus “Roadrunner” is one of the easiest pop songs to learn by a novice musi- cian, and one of the many reasons why I am drawn to Jonathan’s music. There is strength and wonderment in his perceived naivety.
Tonight however, in the 44 years, (!), since “Roadrunner’s” conception Jonathan arrives with a plethora of chords and a confidence in his newer material. (Steadfastly refusing to play his biggest hit, and quite rightly so). Firecreek Coffee is a superb venue to witness such an event. It’s intimate and cozy, almost like Mr. Richman is playing in your living room. I am sure everyone in the room felt a connection with Jonathan at some point during the evening. It seems for 30 seconds at least, he looked directly into the eyes and soul of every single person in that room, holding their gaze briefly almost to the point of discomfort, before scanning the room for his next connection. That’s one of his things. He makes a point at every show he plays to try to connect with the audience on a more intimate level than almost anyone else I can think of. This is important, and certainly one of the many things that makes an evening in his company so special.
His approach is stripped down, and a refreshing take on back to basics Latin flavored rock and roll. Presented as a visually refreshing two-piece, Jonathon’s wiry song frame- work is augmented by the good-time percussive accompaniment supplied by Tommy Larkins on drums. Larkins is a Tucson veteran with Giant Sand and Naked Prey, whose per- cussive chops enhance Richman’s bare-bones strum. Larkins effortlessly dazzles us by flit- ting from sympathetic accompaniment to energetic coloring. I can’t figure out how much of the set is improvised, (certainly a good proportion), as there is much interplay between the two in a seemingly un-choreographed manner. At times Jonathan is happy to put his guitar down wander around the stage and treat us all to a quick shake of the maracas and a bit of dancing, sort of like your drunk Uncle may attempt at a family gathering, (note:- however, Jonathan is a teetotaler). Even when his guitar microphone stops working, there is cause for a celebratory percussion and dance break whilst the sound engineer scram- bles for a working mic cord. It’s loose, it’s funny and fun, and most importantly, we can all dance to it! It’s true entertainment.