Everybody can come to this party with the bonfire & BBQ

COLUMBIA MO 16 September 2012

Alex Bond: Singer/songwriter Jonathan Richman kicked off the evening with drummer Tommy Larkins for the Ninth Street attendees. The wide-eyed Massachusetts native performed an eclectic mix of acoustic folk rock with a worldly influence, singing songs about Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer and a multilingual song about partying. While entertaining, Richman yielded to the fan yelling, “I like Wilco,” admitting, “When I’m in the crowd, I don’t like the opening act that overstays its welcome. We don’t want to be that band.” (read more)

Jonathan Richman - Live on 9th Street, Columbia MO 2012 via

Jonathan Richman performing live on 9th Street outside of The Blue Note, Columbia, MO, September 16, 2012.

Thanks Matt!

Does anyone know the name of this song? Is it La Festa, La Fiesta, Ja La, or BBQ Party?

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Jonathan and Tommy played a 30-minute set last night, opening for Wilco at an outdoor concert in Columbia, Mo. Here are the songs as I remember them -- aside from the first and last, they're not necessarily in the right order.

"No One Was like Vermeer"
Song I haven't heard before, something about "We just had a fight and I should have been softer"
"Let Her Go into the Darkness" (first time I've heard it with the female character's point of view added)
Foreign language medley: a song in Italian, one in Hebrew and Arabic, and one in Spanish
"I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar"
"Egyptian Reggae"
"O Moon, Queen of Night on Earth"
"Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow"
"My Affected Accent"
"Keith Richards" (first time I've heard it, though I've heard about it)

Jonathan seemed to be in fine spirits and did a lot of dancing. He's opening for Wilco at seven more upcoming shows; this was the first. The set was a delight, though brief. He hasn't been in Columbia for 12 years, and I hope he returns sooner than that.

Gary

Thanks Gary!

Wilco Tour in September

Image rb

A long time ago, Jonathan Richman was talking to my friend in Iceland. She said, ‘If I was up there onstage, I would just be dancing around!’ And that made me cry. But then Jonathan Richman said, ‘When you're playing by yourself in front of a lot of people, it's like there's a matador and a bull, and you don't know which one you are. But the one thing you do know is that the crowd wants to see one of you die and one of you survive.’ That made me so relaxed. (source)

According to Pitchfork, Chan Marshall (Cat Power) said the above, but… say what? If factual, the bull reference would seem to reference Picasso in some way and we know about the role of Pablo Picasso's confidence in Jonathan Richman's songbook. Perhaps it's a joke, or a reference to Taurus, Jonathan's zodiac sign… Or a new song? At any rate it would be interesting to see Jonathan Richman and Cat Power touring together.

Until that happens, what could be better than seeing Jonathan Richman supporting Wilco this month?

Sun 16 Sep Columbia MO The Blue Note/Outdoors

Tue 18 Sep Santa Fe NM Santa Fe Opera

Wed 19 Sep Tucson AZ TCC Music Hall

Sat 22 Sep Berkeley CA Greek Theatre

Sun 23 Sep Reno NV Grand Sierra Theatre

Tue 25 Sep Jacksonville OR Britt Pavilion

Wed 26 Sep Redding CA The Cascade Theatre

Fri 28 Sep Palm Desert CA McCallum Theatre

Sat 29 Sep Avila Beach CA Avila Beach Resort

Here's a video promoting Wilco at the Hollywood Bowl on 30 September, but with Joanna Newsom opening that date instead of Jonathan Richman. Still an amazing lineup.


September 30: Wilco at the Hollywood Bowl via

I don't do concerts–I do dance parties–that's all I do...

AMSTERDAM 16 August 2012

Bitterzoet

Now we've got a little bit of ambi-ence, a little bit of at-mo-sphere

These nice videos from YouTube videographers rialto1961 and feelyourselffree should have you dancing or at least keeping the beat wherever you may be! A particularly lovely performance...


JONATHAN RICHMAN on air-conditioning via

rialto1961: Jonathan explains why the AC interferes with the sound but, because people are nearly fainting, he allows the AC to be put on again. Live at Bitterzoet, Amsterdam, 16-8-2012


JONATHAN RICHMAN live @ Bitterzoet part 1 via

rialto1961: Jojo live at Bitterzoet, Amstrerdam, 16-8-2012. Starting the show with EGYPTIAN REGGAE, LET HER GO INTO THE DARKNESS, HER MYSTERY NOT OF HIGH HEELS


JONATHAN RICHMAN live @ Bitterzoet part 2 via

rialto1961: Jonathan Richman and Tommy Larkins at Bitterzoet, AMSTERDAM, 16-8-2012 playing a new song BOHEMIA


JONATHAN RICHMAN live @ Bitterzoet part 3 via

rialto1961: Jonathan live at Bitterzoet, AMSTERDAM, 16-8-2012 doing a new song presumably called HE GAVE US THE WINE TO TASTE IT, NOT TO DISCUSS IT !


Jonathan Richman at Bitterzoet Amsterdam 16th aug 2012 via

feelyourselffree: Jonathan is more than just his music, it is also about his humor, his mimic and his dancing!

Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild
I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar


JONATHAN RICHMAN live @ Bitterzoet part 4 via

rialto1961: Jonathan Richman, truly one of a kind....live at Bitterzoet, AMSTERDAM, 16-8-2012, performing WHEN WE REFUSE TO SUFFER, NO ONE WAS LIKE VERMEER, NOT SO MUCH TO BE LOVED (end of show, no encore)

Many thanks to Sarah Wooten!