Richman... also OFF
By chicago_chris in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 22, 2004 5:28PM
There's that apocryphal statement about the Velvet Underground attributed to everyone from critic Lester Bangs to Lou Reed himself that their records never sold a million copies, but everyone who bought one went out and started a band. Thankfully, one of those people was Jonathan Richman, who paid tribute to his idols in the song "Velvet Underground": "They were wild like the U.S.A./ A mystery band in a New York way/ Rock and roll, but not like the rest/ And to me, America at its best/ How in the world were they making that sound?/ Velvet Underground!"
Richman has gone on to become something of an idol himself, from his punk-rock days with the Modern Lovers to his appearance as the Greek chorus in Theres Something About Mary. Chicagoist has certainly long admired and embraced Richmans defiant white-boy geekiness in songs like "Im Straight" and his sense of humor in pieces like "Im A Little Dinosaur" and "Pablo Picasso," the latter of which features the timeless lyric, Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole. He was supposed to play at the Double Door on the 25th, but the show has ominously been "postponed." Hopefully, he'll make it back to the area soon in all his unhip glory.