[Illustration via EDGEART]
If Jonathan Richman didn’t already exist, we would have never thought to invent him, which is a testament to both his originality and the shortcomings of our collective imagination. For more than 35 years, Richman has been a tireless advocate of hopeful romanticism, rugged individualism and unyielding optimism, travelling the world like some post-modern Jimmy Stewart with a guitar telling anyone that would listen that, despite all the hard-bitten cynicism that surrounds him, it’s still a wonderful life. He is, in short, the immaculate heart on the dirty sleeve of rock n’ roll. Years from now – many years, hopefully — when they write his epitaph, it will say something along the lines of: he left the world a happier place than he found it. ” target=”_blank”>We have a pair of tix to see JoJo at Union Transfer tomorrow night (Friday June 8th) to give away to the first reader to email us at FEED&PHAWKER.COM with the correct answer to the following question: Who, as the Modern Lovers’ song goes, ‘never got called an asshole’? Put I LOVE JONATHAN in the subject line and please include a mobile number for confirmation. Good luck and godspeed! — JONATHAN VALANIA