i like, “I do not accept messages transmitted via cell phones":
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-343832-jonathan-richman-vs-commonwealth-of-massachusetts.html
― Ward Fowler, Monday, 7 April 2014 20:04 (ten years ago) link
http://radiovalencia.fm/waxcracklepop/2014/03/03/wax-crackle-pop-show-15-special-guest-jonathan-richman-helps-celebrate-lous-birthday/great VU stories / music / thoughts from jonathan.
― tylerw, Monday, 7 April 2014 20:07 (ten years ago) link
Was reading this on the subway when I heard somebody say something like "I walked four blocks to your house" and I looked up and around to see if Jojo was there.
― You Never Even POLL Me By My Screenname (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 8 April 2014 00:26 (ten years ago) link
Interview on Michael Shelley's show on WFMU today. Shelley says "it's wasn't my best work but it was interesting."
― Junior Dadaismus (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 22 November 2014 16:40 (nine years ago) link
i paid homage to this thread's title in print this week: http://www.citypaper.com/music/short-list/bcp-the-short-list-dillon-francis-jonathan-richman-say-anything-more-20141118,0,1146964.story
― 504 Gateway Timeout Boyz (some dude), Saturday, 22 November 2014 16:46 (nine years ago) link
I don't think Jojo himself what approve of the cussing.
― Junior Dadaismus (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 22 November 2014 16:51 (nine years ago) link
Michael just described the interview once more and is playing one more tune before he actually airs it. Jojo kind of evasive, pretending he doesn't understand questions. Sounds typical to me, looking forward to it.
― Junior Dadaismus (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 22 November 2014 16:52 (nine years ago) link
this is adorable
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qYbrxe_nKM
― stoomcursus rockisme (unregistered), Saturday, 27 June 2015 23:43 (eight years ago) link
backstory and description of that tape (but so glad it's all in one download on the Tube; so tired of big o track by track and rename em all and put each one in new folder whiiiiine) http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=1481
― dow, Sunday, 28 June 2015 02:20 (eight years ago) link
Thanks for that. Not sure I realized before the similarity of "Government Center" to "I Think We're Alone Now."
― How I Wrote Matchstick Men (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 5 July 2015 16:28 (eight years ago) link
I didn't realize it until now!
― stoomcursus rockisme (unregistered), Sunday, 5 July 2015 18:42 (eight years ago) link
More JR on Big O:Vinyl Rarities (tracks from various shows)http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=2295
Brooklyn 2010http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=462
The Lost Albumhttp://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=164
― dow, Sunday, 5 July 2015 20:31 (eight years ago) link
cool, I didn't know about that lost album, and the early '80s is one of my favorite eras for him
― stoomcursus rockisme (unregistered), Sunday, 5 July 2015 20:36 (eight years ago) link
Doesn't look like the Top of the Pops clips have been posted on here before. I just saw this for the first time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im1NQm57wws
― timellison, Monday, 26 October 2015 01:02 (eight years ago) link
OK, it's not Top of the Pops! It's a Dutch show called TopPop.
― timellison, Monday, 26 October 2015 01:09 (eight years ago) link
Never saw that will take a look. Think I actually did see a Top of the Pops video once for one of the alternate, later "Roadrunner" takes.
― Franzen Arcade (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 26 October 2015 01:13 (eight years ago) link
Just got home from his show here in Durham, NC on the Duke campus. It was wonderful. If you like him at all, and you've never seen him play before, and you get a chance to, you should take it.
― JRN, Saturday, 31 October 2015 03:34 (eight years ago) link
Ishkode! Ishkode!: Jonathan Richman’s first new album in five years
Have not heard this yet
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 7 April 2016 20:02 (eight years ago) link
it has terrible distribution!
― wizzz! (amateurist), Thursday, 7 April 2016 20:03 (eight years ago) link
i've heard it, it's good!
― tylerw, Thursday, 7 April 2016 20:07 (eight years ago) link
It is good, and it does have terrible distribution. Not sure if the no-digital thing was part of the plan or if they just don't care
― Evan R, Thursday, 7 April 2016 20:25 (eight years ago) link
richman is pretty anti-internet, i don't even think he does email.
― tylerw, Thursday, 7 April 2016 20:28 (eight years ago) link
all his shit has been terribly distributed since, like, forever. the one exception being that album that came out after TSAM
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 7 April 2016 20:59 (eight years ago) link
it's not even on amazon. or in my local record store. you kind of have to buy it from the label (which is a tiny label run by a guy who has a record store in cleveland; i don't think they've signed any other artists).
i get the feeling that richman is either totally ignorant of, or more likely, totally indifferent to the record industry. i'm not sure that his albums are afterthoughts per se (certainly his /songwriting/ is not an afterthought) but the actual distribution of them is obviously not foremost on his agenda.
similarly, he seems positively sanguine about the fact that the majority of his old records (most of the ones not on rounder) are out of print. but i don't think it's helped his legacy. imagine deluxe editions of his 80s records, for example, would get a fair bit of press for him.
but oh well, he's jojo! he just does his artisanal masonry stuff a few months out of the year, and tours w/ tommy larkin the rest of the time. don't think he gives much of a shit about the rest of it.
― wizzz! (amateurist), Thursday, 7 April 2016 21:58 (eight years ago) link
i missed his closest concerts this time out. but i saw him on his last two tours--the last one not even supporting a record IIRC.
― wizzz! (amateurist), Thursday, 7 April 2016 21:59 (eight years ago) link
he was still great the last time i saw him two or three years ago. but yeah, i think he reallllly does not care about the business side of things. he could easily have the profile of at least someone like robyn hitchcock, but even that tiny level of cult fame must be unappealing to him.
― tylerw, Thursday, 7 April 2016 22:02 (eight years ago) link
I don't blame him really. He's a great live show, great songwriter, great player, good for him for just focusing on the stuff he likes to do.
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 7 April 2016 22:04 (eight years ago) link
yeah, it's totally refreshing really -- I hope he makes enough dough to just keep doing it his way. (though yeah, i wouldn't mind reissues, or a nice box set or something)
― tylerw, Thursday, 7 April 2016 22:07 (eight years ago) link
Saw him for like the 5th time live last night. It definitely had its great moments but this may have been the first time I was a tad disappointed. A short gig-an hour, and he raced through some cuts--"That Summer Feeling" and started and stopped others quickly.
I liked his delivery though of "When We Refuse to Suffer," "Take Me to the Plaza at 2 am"(not sure of the exact title), and “As My Mother Lay Lying"
― curmudgeon, Friday, 8 April 2016 14:27 (eight years ago) link
No merch for sale at the show. He strolled onstage in a winter coat carrying his acoustic guitar in its case. He threw down the coat on the stage, opened the case and started strumming. I was told he likes to take the train from town to town when he can. He said he doesn't have a tv and doesn't like having one in his hand.
He encouraged the crowd to clap and dance and said "I don't do concerts, Beethoven does concerts (and he does them well)."
― curmudgeon, Friday, 8 April 2016 14:32 (eight years ago) link
Saw him on this tour, too. Wasn't utterly moved the way I have sometimes been in the past, but I was charmed as always, and as always I left feeling like I understood him and his world view a little better. I teared up a little at "As My Mother Lay Dying," too.
― Evan R, Friday, 8 April 2016 14:34 (eight years ago) link
Paramahansa Yogananda composition on the new album.
― timellison, Friday, 8 April 2016 23:43 (eight years ago) link
He made a vague yoga mention at the show I saw
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 9 April 2016 16:01 (eight years ago) link
huh never noticed this before for some reason
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVfCOfh_7VE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdZAQwIMx7k
― Οὖτις, Monday, 18 April 2016 15:07 (eight years ago) link
He played near us the night of the San Bernardino shootings. There was just a heaviness in the air and going to see him play in a Costa Mesa strip mall seemed like the right thing to do. 34 years of going to gigs and somehow I'd never seen him before or even made note of the albums after than one with "Velvet Underground" on it.
At first I was freaked out. Jonathan sounded depressed! He moped. I thought of Margaret Keene paintings. He interrupted songs with a routine about not wanting to go back to an earlier time. His eyes bugged out unsettlingly. He sang in French and Arabic about Van Gogh and I was overcome with this feeling that I (as an audience member) really didn't want to disappoint Jonathan Richman. After about twenty minutes of this he broke and in that unmistakable voice, shouted to someone in the back of the room "HEY, IS THAT BAG OF FRIES STILL THERE? LEMME HAVE THOSE FRIES." I think I was so caught in all the odd stories about him that not once did I consider that he's a master showman and works the crowd like a fucking pro. Great show. Definitely go see him if he passes through.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/776/23494874812_c71702f28f_z.jpg
― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 19 April 2016 01:48 (eight years ago) link
He also came on stage in the big coat and did the same routine with throwing down the coat, opening the case, and go. Couldn't tell you if it's all part of the act, but he definitely seems to have constructed his own space out of things. As noted upthread, he definitely seems indifferent to the business/marketing/hype cycle of the world.
― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 19 April 2016 01:53 (eight years ago) link
haha that sounds fabulous. I can see how he would take on the local vibe of an evening to some degree, and work with it until he got it right.
― the 'major tom guy' (sleeve), Tuesday, 19 April 2016 02:03 (eight years ago) link
how long has he been touring w/ tommy larkin? must be over 20 years now.
― wizzz! (amateurist), Tuesday, 19 April 2016 04:40 (eight years ago) link
No, not as long as that but still TOO LONG! Wish he'd put together a little and and tour. He got really unambitious after There's Something About Mary.
― everything, Tuesday, 19 April 2016 04:51 (eight years ago) link
I think he's been playing with him like 23 years, actually, but I don't know if that was all duo?
― timellison, Tuesday, 19 April 2016 05:12 (eight years ago) link
there's about zero chance that jonathan richman is going to get a band together.
― wizzz! (amateurist), Tuesday, 19 April 2016 16:47 (eight years ago) link
He has grown very complacent it is true.
― everything, Tuesday, 19 April 2016 16:49 (eight years ago) link
yeah, but he's retirement age, so it's OK.
― wizzz! (amateurist), Tuesday, 19 April 2016 16:59 (eight years ago) link
he's a master showman and works the crowd like a fucking pro
otm
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 19 April 2016 17:05 (eight years ago) link
He got really unambitious after There's Something About Mary
tbf it's probably hard to go more ambitious than Major Role as Singing Narrator in Hollywood Blockbuster. then again he had been doing the stripped down music thing for decades by then.
maybe it's more ambitious to not do the easy thing and just slap together a band that runs through Roadrunner every night.
last saw JR in Athens at the 40 watt club and the experience was a lot like described above. most charming performer i have ever seen.
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Wednesday, 20 April 2016 11:00 (eight years ago) link
I've seen him with a band inside the last 20 years, but I couldn't peg a date to it …
― Roaming gang of aggressive circlepits (ithappens), Wednesday, 20 April 2016 12:52 (eight years ago) link
August 96, it turns out.
― Roaming gang of aggressive circlepits (ithappens), Wednesday, 20 April 2016 12:54 (eight years ago) link
what was it, drums and bass?
― tylerw, Wednesday, 20 April 2016 14:51 (eight years ago) link
wait you're saying richman did a drum'n'bass album in the 1990s??
― wizzz! (amateurist), Wednesday, 20 April 2016 17:34 (eight years ago) link
yeah a collab with µ-Ziq iirc
― tylerw, Wednesday, 20 April 2016 17:37 (eight years ago) link