Mission Mission

Everyone’s favorite one-trick pony will be performing live  at the Make-Out Room for four days straight starting this Sunday!

Hey now! It’s Jonathan Richman!

This manchild will be playing mere blocks from your home September 20th-23rd, so catch him while he’s hot.

Do you care?  Did you ever?  San Franciscans often shit humongous bricks over this guy, I’m curious to hear if this is still the case.

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.

It’s been five years since the city knocked down the Fell Street Off-Ramp. The Octavia corridor is all vibrant and everything, and Market Street is prettier or whatever. But I still recall when, as a teenager in Sacramento, the only thing to do on the weekend was head to SF for 1.) an Amoeba run, and, often 2.) show at Bottom of the Hill. This translated to a fair amount of time on the Fell Street Off-Ramp. As soon as it broke from the freeway proper, it began snaking past buildings, tearing around corners, flying high over Market, thru the treetops, within *inches* of the First Baptist Church’s big dome. And then it set you down gently, kitty corner from Il Borgo. It made a Volvo station wagon feel like the Batwing.

Anyway, it was on one such trip that we really discovered the Mission for the first time. After Amoeba, we cruised up Stanyan to 17th Street, came down that great big hill into the Castro, and cruised through the Mission en route to a Fucking Champs show I think. Looking out the window up and down Dolores and then Valencia and then Mission was like finding a hidden prehistoric valley. We found an apartment here as soon as we could.

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.