Fri. Oct. 17

Jonathan Richman: The coolest, nerdiest rocker to emerge from Natick. That, and, well, a whole lot more. He was there picking up on the Velvet Underground's cues in the early '70s with the Modern Lovers, putting ironic, sometimes dark twists on throbbing, minimalistic rock 'n' roll. And then he turned his back on that sound and band - although he re-formed different versions. Richman has been noted, really, since the 1980s for his whimsical, light, acoustic-based music. Music not without wit or occasional bite mind you. But Richman - who plays the Somerville Theatre Friday Oct. 17 with percussionist Tommy Larkins - has embraced the ethos of Neil Young's "I Am A Child," which is in no way a negative thing. That's a song, of trying to be able to see the world through a child's eyes, to yearn for an optimism that seems so hard to find sometimes.
 

The records that Jonathan Richman has made over the past 30 years have long held a special place in the hearts of his fans.He's revered by countless fellow artists, and has built a remarkably loyal international audience through his tireless touring. His deceptively straightforward songs embody timeless qualities of humanity, optimism, emotional insight and a boundless sense of humor, untainted by cynicism or transient notions of hipness. Richman's fans have remained fiercely devoted over the years, and his audience expanded substantially in the 1990s, thanks to his frequent guest spots on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," his prominent appearance in the 1998 film comedy smash "There's Something About Mary," and the inclusions of his Modern Lovers classics "Ice Cream Man" and "I'm A Little Airplane" on "Sesame Street." Though he no longer calls these parts home, he pops up around Boston at least once a year, most recently at the Somerville Theater, an ideal venue. One can hope he digs deep into his catalog to play "New England," as wonderful a paean to our parts as you'd want to hear. (The Yankee magazine website I do some work for, www.newengland.com, adopted it as its theme song.)
For much of his career, Jonathan has toured almost almost nonstop around the world. "Traveling and playing for new people in new places is one of my favorite things," he says. "It's great playing places that are off the beaten track. You can learn a lot when you play in a little town in Holland or Western Australia, and you learn different things than you would learn playing a big city. This year we're going to try to play in Extremadura, which is the southwest of Spain--we might become the first American entertainers ever to play there. I'm hoping that we can able to play the Canary Islands soon.
... Playing shows and making records keeps been getting easier and more fun. Me and Tommy play totally different than we played two years ago. We already play a different style than we played on that live DVD, and the way we played then was totally different from the way we played three years before that. I still feel like we're just starting out, and I still learn new stuff every night." Truly, there is a sense of spontaenity and joy in what Richman does. He carved for himself a most improbable path and found his way into fans, new and old. Yes, a Boston treasure. The show is opened by Hilton Valentine at 7. Tickets: $15. (It's promoted by the Middle East; call the club's number below for further info or tickets or access the Somerville Theatre's website.)

55 Davis Square, Somerville, 617-864-3278 www.somervilletheatreonline.com