BY CLARA KETCHELL
I’ve been listening to Jonathan Richman for as long as I can remember. My parents would play “Abominable Snowman in the Market” frequently and even put the song on a couple custom CD mixes given as party favors for my brother and I’s birthdays. Even from a young age, I loved Jonathan’s mix of silly humor and heartfelt messaging, accompanied by instrumentals that would engage even the most restless toddlers.
I fell in love with Jonathan’s solo music, as well as his work with the Modern Lovers, throughout my adolescence. I always wanted to see him perform live but was certain he would never come further west than Pennsylvania at his advanced age. So, when I saw he was performing at The Bottleneck on October 1st, a venue I love in my Kansas hometown, I was ecstatic.
I arrived to Bottleneck close to 8pm, knowing there was no opener, and that Jonathan is famously punctual. The venue was almost full, with an interesting mix of 20-year-olds and 50-year-olds. Jonathan came out in a striped shirt, reminiscent of his look on the cover of I, Jonathan. He began performing, and it was instantly magical.
Jonathan’s stage presence is unlike many others. He talks to the crowd casually throughout the show, posing questions and making self-aware quips about the silliness of some of his songs. The show had the energy of a DIY concert, intimate and relaxed, like Jonathan was just another eclectic indie rock guy performing in a basement to a bunch of his friends.
As an amateur concert reviewer (I typically prefer photography), I did not write down every song Jonathan played. Instead, I’ll tell you about some of my favorites. Early in the show, he played “Pablo Picasso”, a Modern Lovers song. The song is one of my favorites, and centers on the singer, Jonathan, saying that the Spanish painter was “never called an asshole.” Jonathan added many silly adlibs not included in original recordings of the song that I enjoyed greatly.
The next song that struck me from Jonathan’s set was “Cold Pizza”. This is a newer song of his, and I was unfamiliar with it before the show, but it completely charmed me. The song is simple, it focuses on the joys of eating cold pizza. Jonathan had the audience sing the chorus with him, so a choir of voices singing “it is what it is what it is what it is, cold pizza!” rang through the Bottleneck.
I cried twice during this show, the first time when Jonathan performed “That Summer Feeling”. This song has always perfectly captured what I love most about Jonathan’s music, the mix of lighthearted themes and deeply sincere messages. While Jonathan made self-aware remarks about the silliness of lines like “When even fourth grade starts looking good, which you hated”, the softness of the song had the venue completely silent. IT felt as though the audience was holding its breath during this song. “That Summer Feeling” hit me hard emotionally, it’s a favorite of mine and my parents, especially my mother who passed away last year.
The final song I’d like to highlight is the show’s encore, “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar”. This song is the only time I took a photo or video during the set, as I absolutely love that song (and had drank enough pear ciders to lose a bit of my self-awareness).
Initially, I wanted to photograph the concert, however after contacting Jonathan’s publicist, I discovered that he does not allow any photography or videography of his shows, and even prefers if people refrain from taking cell phone footage. Wanting to respect the wishes of the artist, I restrained myself from taking photos or videos of the concert until the end.
“I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar” marks the second time I cried during this show, as my mom introduced me to this song and I associate it strongly with memories of her. I don’t believe much in supernatural entities, but I know I could feel her energy and spirit in Bottleneck that night, especially during this encore. I discovered later that my parents had attended a Jonathan Richman show together at Bottleneck 30+ years ago, adding to the sentimental and emotional weight of the evening.
The show was beautiful and done by 9:15pm. I’d recommend seeing Jonathan Richman to anyone who enjoys unique lyricism, intricate guitar melodies, and cold pizza.