I kinda wanted 2023 to be the year I saw Robyn Hitchcock again, but I think instead it's gonna be the year I saw Jonathan Richman again. I've seen both men twice, and Robyn more recently, so it's only fair.
Richman is fascinating. I've seen him get unsettled, almost annoyed, at audience applause (at Richards on Richards) - he wanted to play a song and people kept cheering, so much that he almost walked off (or threatened to). I've also seen him looking directly into someone's cellphone and lecture them: "I'm right here, why are you watching me on your phone?"). Or words to that effect. His press statement is succinct, and probably all we'll see from him. It's probably also all we need:
“The music we're doing now works well in quiet places like theaters and performing art centers. We still don't use a program or a set list so we don't know what we'll do until we do it. Please do not expect old songs. Many singers my age do a retrospective; this show is not like that. It's mostly stuff made up in the last 3 and 4 years. Some of the songs presented might be in different languages; this is not to be esoteric or clever, it's because the different languages help me express different feelings sometimes. One last thing, my idea of a good show has nothing to do with applause. It's about if all the songs I sang that night were ones that I felt.” - Jonathan
That quote is repeated on the Rio website for his March 9th concert (two days after my 55th birthday).
https://riotheatre.ca/event/jonathan-richman-live/
It would be a superb birthday gift to me if he did "Corner Store," which is my favourite Jonathan song of the moment, especially the Jonathan Goes Country version, but I really don't mind, I'll take whatever I can get. And I love that there's no setlist. I love that he does what he feels. Maybe he's feeling "Corner Store" too, wouldn't that be sweet?
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