So I just got home from tour in time to catch Jonathan Richman play in LA. Excuse the lack of tour blogging. I may do a recap soon but it was a long trip with many great moments, so the task seems a little big right now. But JoJo... He always seems to show up at the right time to inspire to keep going. Honestly, I was a little offended when he asked me if I was still playing when I saw him at Rockaway, but that's the weird part: I feel like I know him because he's been there at several critical junctures reminding me to keep on. Not that I wasn't inspired already after the successes of the past month, but seeing Jonathan play his flamenco guitar at the age of 57, un-amplified and with the joy that captured an entire record store reminded me of why I do this. I've been saying for ages (even though it sounds a little pretentious) that I'm in the "Engagement Business" rather than the "Entertainment Business." And that's what Jo Jo does. He engages this innocent part in all of us with his songs about the pleasant smell of bus diesel in cities, chewing gum wrappers, young lovers, the good and bad of a day at the beach. There's something about him that allows us to be elemental in our likes and dislikes like the curmudgeon that refuses to get a cell phone or loving the faded colors of twilight. There's something about him that gets to the root of our common impulses that can encourage the guy that was standing in front of me texting half the show to participate unironically in a call and response on the anti-mobile side.

So there's no grand point to this blog. I just love his music. I used to see him perform all the time when I was first starting to get into the idea of playing solo. Then when I finished college and went to busk in Europe, when my own songs failed to get the reaction I wanted, I turned to Jonathan songs and got the tips I needed to eat for the day. [To be fair there were also a few Little Richard songs I'd do and a mean version of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," but the Jonathan songs were the freshest. I couldn't bear to do any Eagles or Simon & Garfunkel, I was too punk rock in my head at that time. And you know JoJo invented punk rock. :-)] Check out Jonathan. And please visit me again soon.

Love,

J