By Simon Stone
From the moment Jonathan Richman takes to the stage (through the back curtain rather than from the side) with his long standing (or sitting) drummer Tommy, there’s a palpable positive feeling in the Luminaire. At once child-like & ancient, Richman spends the next hour & a quarter holding the audiences attention with songs & some spritely dance moves.
After starting with an abridged “Let Her Go Into The Darkness” that outfoxes the man attempting to sing along behind me, he moves swiftly into a brief blast of “Egyptian Reggae”. Even though I didn’t know all the songs he played, there was no need to be a super-fan to thoroughly enjoy this show.
“Keith Richards”, a song about Keith Richards had the crowd in hysterics & “Pablo Picasso” from the 1st Modern Lovers LP was recreated with just a Spanish guitar & light drumming, to be not so much a biographic song, but more a song about how it doesn’t matter what you look like or where you came from, anything is possible.
Closing with “Not So Much To Love As To Be Loved” he leaves the stage (again through the back curtain) with a wave & a huge smile on everyone’s faces.
Jonathan Richman live at the Luminaire review: 5/5
