photo credit: www.alterna2.com

A travesty I know, but I’d never seen Jonathan Richman in concert before last night. We arrived at the Swedish American Hall – the rustic community center venue above Café du Nord that could have been the site of my 5^th grade piano recital – early enough to catch angelic opener Ólöf Arnalds. Luckily, not even the offensive lack of alcohol at this all ages show could tarnish the evening’s whimsy.

Ólöf Arnalds. First impression? Can I take you home in my pocket for safekeeping and endless Icelandic cheer? Arnalds opened her set with a brief a cappella number that felt more like a melodic poem than a song, and blammo, the audience was hooked. Like, I-can-hear-the-floor-boards-creak hooked. Jonathan Richman (who stood in front as captivated as the rest of us) was right when he said that Arnalds is something different – namely, a beautiful and haunting voice that lands somewhere between the playfulness of St. Vincent, the whimsy of Sigur Rós, and the delicacy of Bjork (well, when she’s delicate). Her command of tone and dissonance was hypnotizing.

In short, she’s dreamy. Music geeks will appreciate her subtle mastery and others will think she’s purty and plays guitar good-like. Why do we care? She was Björk’s handpicked opener for last year’s Björk/Dirty Projectors Housing Works benefit and also personally invited to this three-night Richman fiasco – so she’s got the street cred (or well, star cred). Check out this video for the title track of her lovely album Innundir Skinni and prepare to frolic.

Now, I know that Jonathan Richman’s fans span generations – what with followers from The Modern Lovers right up through his appearances on Conan O’Brien or as one-half of the Greek chorus in There’s Something About Mary – but I was still surprised to see them all representing in the audience. Hipsters from every decade, unite! Richman approached the mic with the earnest and almost child-like wonder for which he’s known, strummed the guitar like he wasn’t quite sure of its sound, and again – blammo, audience in the palm of his hand. And with Chuck Berry moves and dancing-in-a-lesbian-bar lyrics, what’s not to like? My favorite moments included the cow bell dance break (when he was freed from the burdens of rhythm or spatial awareness), the Keith Richards song (“minor six harmony – no one did that then”), and a rousing rendition of “This Romance Will Be Different For Me” from 2008’s Because Her Beauty Is Raw and Wild. The chemistry between Richman and drummer Tommy was understated and undeniable, creating both the spontaneous feel of improvisation with the comfort and expertise garnered by seasoned performers. It was a pleasure to watch.

photo credit: newlywedgirl.wordpress.com

I think the genius of Richman boils down to his ability to cover the entire emotional spectrum in a single stanza. We aren’t bombarded with jokes in that Adam Sandler stand-up musician kind of way, and we aren’t drowning in serious melancholy. Instead he manages to deliver verbose and hilarious narratives in the same breath as real life lessons. Last night’s “When We Refuse to Suffer” exemplified this coupling brilliantly: one moment he croons, “We turn the air conditioning on and we’re so happy that we’ve avoided bugs and sweat,” and the next he pulls away from the mic to conclude, “No more refusal to feel.” We laugh and we think – and he’s moved on before we have a chance to take ourselves seriously in either regard (the next song was about formaldehyde).

So friends, don’t miss out. And you’re in luck! One more show tonight (7/23) of this awesome pair – info here. Enjoy your Skittles and 7UP (read: flask), read up on Swedish architecture, and have an enchanting Owl Mag endorsed evening. Two whimsical thumbs up.

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