Mission Mission

Night two was right up there with night one. Jonathan and Tommy played a new song that goes “The country scares me to death / Any place where John Deere tractors are more important than dancing scares me to death.” Amen. Tonight is night three, and Sherri will be attending. She entered our contest, and here is her winning entry:

Because I can still sing Corner Store after all these years? No, prob not good enough… How about that the combo of he and Minor Threat (dated myself there) got me thru San Diego State as one of the lone skatepunks in a school of blonde frat boys & valley girl wanna-be’s? And that just reading his name made me light up with a fond memory smile… time to revisit an old friend.

We liked this one because we like that she associates Jonathan with Minor Threat. And we’re really into skate punks this week. And we like revisiting old friends. Congrats, Sherri!

Photo from last night’s performance by Bedtime Champ.

Last night’s show was a stunner. The house was packed, and Jonathan and Tommy were in top form. They played a lot of old hits, and debuted some great new material, including a chant-along proto-punk rant about cellphones that should probably satisfy the needs of those people that constantly shout requests for She Cracked. Tonight’s contest winner is Will. Here is his entry:

I’ve seen Jonathan Richman only once before, in early 2001. It was the day after my 20th birthday and as a treat my friend offered to drive me from Norman, OK to Rubber Gloves in Denton, TX to see him perform. I was in my first year of college and had only recently began to broaden my musical horizons (with the aid of the still functionin Napster and Audio Galaxy) so I had either not yet heard of or had not paid any attention to the name Jonathan Richman. I decided to go since a free show was a free show. The opening act was Eric Bachmann performing songs from his still fresh project Crooked Fingers. Richman came on shortly afterward, shaking the hand of Penn Jillette who somehow appeared in the audience. He played for a good hour and a half on the bare stage, what I would soon learn were classics from his days with the Modern Lovers, love ballads in spanish, songs that were inflatable water park sinisterly child-like. This was the first time I heard his music and I wish that I could have the pleasure of discovering the music of every great artist so intimately. To experience Jonathan again would be great, but to experience him again in such a raw and almost unrehearsed state would be a fitting sequel.

This one we liked because of the imagery of Penn and Jonathan being buddies, the opportunity to reiterate that these shows can be raw and unrehearsed, and despite the fact that chuckling at the Audio Galaxy reference made us feel old. Congrats, Will. Show time is 8pm, don’t be late!

Photo of Jonathan thanking the crowd after last night’s show by wizardmountain.

Jonathan Richman and drummer Tommy Larkins begin their four-night residency at the Make-Out Room tonight. The club gave Mission Mission a small block of tickets to give away to readers, and we decided to do it contest-style. Tonight’s winner is Joel, and here is his entry:

Probably by most accounts I don’t deserve to go to this show. I’ve never knowingly heard Jonathan Richman. However!–at a formative time in my life (late high school), Craig Mitchell’s MyBoot.com and its flagship unfinished novella, My Girlfriend Hates My Futon, firmly impressed upon me how incredibly worthwhile one of his concerts would be. For the last 9 years or so I haven’t had the chance to find out for myself, but this seems like perfect serendipity. This is that chance. Now is the time.

For reference, or on the off chance that you have no idea what I’m talking about, said novella is only available on the internet archive. I’ve gone to great trouble to find the pertinent chapter for you: [link]. While you’re at it, try giving the rest of the story a read and just see if it’s not the sort of thing that would have given high-school-aged you some ideas about music.

Well we have kind of a short attention span right now, so we’ll get back to you about the novella, but we certainly like the idea of reminiscing about high-school aged us, and we like serendipity. Congrats, Joel!

Photo of Jonathan and Tommy at Rockaway Records by pneyu.

We announced a contest last week, and it’s in full swing. The prize is a pair of tickets to one of four dates Jonathan Richman and drummer Tommy Larkins are playing at the Make-Out Room. In case you’re unaware, the shows these guys play at this particular venue are unlike most others. They debut new material, they tinker with unfinished songs, they experiment with weirdo instruments, and they collaborate with special guests like neighborhood celeb (and Tom Waits bud) Ralph Carney.

We’ve gotten tons of great entries, including this one from Claire:

Having grown up in the Mission (Albion!), I am now in RURAL MINNESOTA, that tundric wasteland, at a liberal arts college: this blog is my freaking lifeline. I have no car, and the only culture I am exposed to is on the cheap inflatable water slide internet and my group of friends from NY and SF. Shows? Nope. First Ave, that Mecca of Prince and Paul Westerberg is a 45 minute drive, and a substantially longer walk. And, their shows are all 18 and over, kind of like every other venue here. I left First Ave a message in February giving them every reason I could think of to let a 17 year old into Cat Power… I’m sure they’re still playing the message and laughing over it. I just turned 18 in March, and have yet to go to a show in the Twin Cities. The only person I knew who would have let me borrow their car broke up with me by making out with another girl right in front of me last month. So, I get back to SF on June 15th and am in desperate need of some music unrelated to Sandstorm, from the frat boys in the room to my left, or Sarah Brightman, by the gay man to my right- I play Beserkley albums on my radio show as loud as possible to get those terrible strains out of my head. Please take pity- when I was 4 I learned all the words to I’m A Little Airplane, and proceeded to teach it to my preschool class.

Jonathan plays the 16th through the 19th of June at the Make-Out Room, which unfortunately is 21+, so Claire isn’t eligible to win

But you are! Contest details here.

Photo of Jonathan Richman and Tommy Larkins at the Make-Out Room in October 2006 by aymanshamma.

Jonathan Richman and drummer Tommy Larkins are doing four nights in a row at the Make-Out Room next month (June 16, 17, 18 and 19). The club has partnered with Mission Mission to offer some free tickets to our aufblasbare rutsche readers. We’ve got a pair for each evening. To enter, email us at missionmissionmission [at symbol] gmail [dot symbol] com and explain why you deserve to go. Please also indicate which date you’d most like to attend.

Winners will be decided based on strength of argument, creativity, and maybe some other criteria too. We’ll notify winners ASAP, and winning entries will be posted on the morning of the performance for which it wins tickets.

Photo of Jonathan and Tommy at the Make-Out Room by miscellania

Previously on Mission Mission:

REVIEW: Jonathan Richman’s New Album ‘Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild’

Remembering the Fell Street Off-Ramp

Driving My Volvo to Its Demise

I just bought the new Jonathan Richman album, and it’s bringing chills to my skin (I’m listening to track #8 at the moment). He migrated to San Francisco years ago, and this new album reflects this move. I fell in love with the Mission at the same time I moved here, because Jonathan (who was already my #1) would play four-night stretches at carrera obstaculos hinchables down the street from my Dolores Street apartment. His music makes walking on the streets of Valencia, Guerrero, and Mission Street much more romantic than it actually is.

He lives in the Outer Mission a few blocks from my apartment, and when I see him walking down the street every now and then, sentimental electricity runs through my muscles, tendons, and bones. To truly enjoy San Francisco (forget the bars, the hip clothes, and the ethnic food — I’m talking about atmosphere), you must get this new album.

Previous instances of Jonathan Richman on Mission Mission here.

Update: Allan liveblogged his first listen for Jojoblog. His thoughts here.

My cousin Jojo fronts this great band from Berkeley called Please Quiet Ourselves. Their label, Mushpot Records, sent them to SXSW this week, and I got the following tour diary from my aunt:

It is craz-z-z-z-y here in Austin @ sxsw – nonstop music. JoJo’s first gig was at Sonny’s Vintage – that’s sonny in the gray suit and hat on the right. It was a good start for their first show in Austin. JoJo wore his green KDVS t-shirt! Tomorrow they play at Lovejoy’s which is right smack dab in the middle of all the clubs – so they’re pretty excited. Tonight I saw Jens Lekmann – what a treat!!! I was right up front listening to him play – his mannerisms are just like Jonathan Richman‘s. then went to go see Yo Lo Tengo – a little too loud and dissonant/distorted for my ears – but it was in the Austin Music Hall which houses 4000. Great food here – had delicious bbq beef rifbs for $11 on our anniversary. Having a great time…you guys would love it here! See you soon, love, Jane

Link to bigger pic.

jonathan richman @ the makeout room, originally uploaded by k4rl.

Jojoblog administrator RB loved my Volvo movie, asked me to join the team, I said hells yeah, and they gave me full admin power without batting an eye. In my mind, Jonathan Richman goes hand in hand with the Mission, thanks to dozens of shows (see photo), and of course the campaign. So I’m thrilled to be contributing to the foremost Jonathan fan resource on the web.

Here’s our beloved sedan’s last ride. The trip starts in the Mission, and the video features music by local artist and Mission District proponent Jonathan Richman. For more Jonathan, peep this imeem post for a gem of a Hedwig cover.

Last week, the Bay Area print edition of The Onion published my interview with Cake‘s John McCrea, in advance of their big NYE show at the Warfield. Following is the unpublished full-length version of our talk, in which we delve a little deeper into things San Francisco:

Cake is a consistent band. Despite hitting fairly big during the alterna-boom of the mid-’90s, they stayed true to themselves and their sound. Fans stayed true too, and Cake has been going strong ever since. In October, they put out “B-Sides and Rarities”, their first self-released effort since parting ways with Columbia Records. In November, they embarked on their Unlimited Sunshine Tour, a rock anti-festival of sorts, featuring an eclectic lineup and a strict no-wait policy between acts. On New Year’s Eve, they bring their show to the Warfield, with Oakland’s the Lovemakers in tow. Frontman John McCrea keeps a tight leash on everything Cake-related (during shows he operates the venue’s disco ball with a foot pedal), but it’s all a part of delivering a quality product.

A.V. Club: How has the Unlimited Sunshine Tour been?

John McCrea: Musically, it’s the most cohesive tour that we’ve put together. The different sounds fit together in a way that’s not repetitive but is also not gratuitously jarring, though I prefer that jarring quality to the repetitious quality of most festival concerts wherein you have basically the same rock drumbeat every song for five hours. The human ear turns off after a certain point. That’s the value of variety, that the human body can stay engaged.

AVC: What’s Cake doing lately to keep bodies engaged?

JM: We’re playing a subtly anti-war Kenny Rogers song called “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town” about a guy who comes back from Vietnam paralyzed from the waist down, and his relationship problems after that. Probably the saddest song about war I’ve ever heard. It’s on our album, B-Sides and Rarities, that we released in October on our own label.

AVC: Right, so having ditched the majors, do you feel like you’re right where you want to be?

JM: We’re not where we don’t want to be. It’s good not to be on a sinking ship. It’s better to be on a little raft, I suppose. There are still a lot of confusing aspects to the situation right now that will be pretty challenging, but it’s certainly easier to do this without the incredible waste of the major label industry system. By the same token, if music sales continue plummeting and the rate that they’ve been plummeting, we won’t be immune to that either. Just separating ourselves from a major label isn’t enough to insulate us from the stark reality of all recorded music being free. I want music to be free, but I also would love sandwiches to be free, and rent to be free.

AVC: Still, despite industry ups and downs, your fans have stuck by you for more than a decade. Does that surprise you?

JM: I think what you’re doing, and we all do it somewhat, it taking for granted the idea that it’s a use-and-discard culture. In this fearful frenzy of not wanting to be associated with a band that’s over six months old, people use music as a badge to wear instead of something to listen to. There’s something self-hating about our culture that suspects anything that is too widely embraced. In other words, if the groundlings like the Shakespeare play too much, maybe the people up in the fancy seats think maybe this isn’t his best play. Regardless of the quality of the music, if too many people like it, there’s this distancing process that has to happen.

AVC: On a related note, Cake’s sound doesn’t change much from album to album. Why don’t fans get tired of it?

JM: I guess I would ask someone to listen to the variance between songs on a single record, and then ask that same question. I don’t believe in gratuitous progression or evolution of a band. The prime directive should be to the individual song. I don’t want to sacrifice a song for some sort of theoretical, overarching narrative. That’s my problem with that. I like to be able to go a lot of different places on one album. Also, I’m glad that certain bands have a certain sound that they don’t try to reinvent because they feel like they’re supposed to reinvent it. For instance, AC/DC. They’re providing a quality service by making that sound, and if they totally reinvented it, no one would be making that sound. I would feel sad.

AVC: How are fans reacting to your cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”? Any stage diving?

JM: As far as I’m concerned, we play easy-listening music. There’s no hormonal, veins-bulging-from-the-neck thing going on. I’m always taken aback when people start crowd surfing or moshing to an easy-listening song. It tends to happen when we’re playing for a college crowd.

AVC: I saw your friend Jonathan Richman at the Great American Music Hall the other night. Lots of fans were requesting older material, and he ranted a bit about how, to him, those songs were like day-old bread.

JM: I respect him tremendously, but I have a different view about it. Music being sort of a service occupation — now more than ever — i think it’s honorable to play a song that people want to hear even if you’ve played it a lot. I think it’s honorable to reinvent it and find a way to be thrilled with it again. There’s a real nobility to what I saw when I saw Frank Sinatra live. I saw it as really honorable, him playing songs to regular people. Maybe those people weren’t in the music industry, or didn’t realize that was “day-old bread”. They just loved that song. They wanted to hear “Mac the Knife” by Frank Sinatra. Is that perspective so wrong?

AVC: So on New Year’s Eve, will you surprise the audience with some oft-requested favorites?

JM: I don’t know if it’s a surprise if I say what’s gonna happen, but yeah there are surprises. And there are some surprises that are non-musical. There will be all kinds of stimulation. We’re giving away a tree every time we play for the rest of our career — however long that lasts. We’ll ask some question like “How long did the Civil War last?” Last night somebody answered “four years”, and they were right, and we gave them a Colorado Blue Spruce. We’re asking them to send a picture of themselves standing next to the tree every year or two, and we’ll watch the tree grow as the person shrinks.

AVC: Speaking of things green, what’s your take on local San Francisco politics as of late?

JM: There are some things that happened in San Francisco politics that could happen nowhere else in country. I’m grateful things are as progressive as they are. Compared to all the other cities that we visit in the United States, it’s pretty remarkable. People lambast us using catch phrases like “San Francisco values”, but i just think values are shitty everywhere else, so… live it up. That said, all my friends have moved to Portland, and I’m not sure if San Francisco’s gonna be as livable without any musicians or degenerates. Sure there are lots of great musicians and bands, but they’re musicians that happen to have jobs at Yahoo! or something.

–Allan Hough