For the past 30 years, Jonathan Richman has made a career out of singing songs dealing with topics ranging from ice cream men to puppy love. With longtime percussionist Tommy Larkin accompanying him on the cocktail kit, Richman brought this act to the 9:30 Club Wedensday, Feb. 20.
Richman’s material was delightfully varied. While he might have 30-odd years of material to draw from, Richman might very well have chosen to play only his latest songs. He did play several songs from his newest album, last year’s Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow, but he did not neglect his older material.
Perhaps the most surprising inclusions were two songs originally released on the seminal self-titled album Richman recorded while fronting the legendary Modern Lovers in 1971. His classic “Pablo Picasso” is a typical romantic angst anthem turned on its head: “Some guys try to pick up girls and get called assholes / This never happened to Pablo Picasso.” Perhaps the most poignant number Richman played, however, was “Girlfriend,” originally released on the same album. On this song, Richman proved his remarkable skills as a showman, vividly setting the scene for the song, a heartfelt plea for female companionship. Perhaps the apex of Richman’s showmanship, however, was demonstrated during his rendition of “Velvet Underground,” his tribute to the legendary art-rockers. Midway through the song, Richman, who followed the band religiously as a teenager, launched into a pitch-perfect snippet of the Velvets’ “Sister Ray,” complete with nasal, gravelly Lou Reed vocal stylings.
While the inclusion of the older material was a pleasantly surprising, Richman’s newer songs were just as delightful. His breezy Spanish-language number, “Yo Tengo Una Novia” (loosely translated as ‘I have a girlfriend’), was a highlight, as was the cheerful ode to “Springtime in New York.”
With such “light” subject matter, it might seem initially easy to dismiss Richman as a “novelty” act, but that all depends on your definition of novelty. Richman’s panoply of songs may seem incredibly novel at first listen?he is earnest, and earnestness goes a long way towards novelty, especially to ears well-attuned to the ironic cadences of so much of contemporary music. Even with the rise of emo, which holds its earnestness up as a badge of honor, Richman stands apart. Emo may wear its heart on its sleeve, but Richman tears his heart right out and throws the whole bloody mess to his audience.
It is similarly easy to accuse Richman of purveying mere nostalgia, and certainly Richman’s songs brought back many memories to the aging audience present last Wednesday. This, however, is to be expected from any artist who has maintained a following as long as Richman has. While the aging boomers left the 9:30 Club smiling Wednesday night, so did the younger concertgoers. Some things, like ice cream men and puppy love, simply seem to go beyond nostalgia.
