As guitar-strumming funny men go, Jonathon Richman falls somewhere between Adam Sandler and a lovesick school girl. Once, 30 years ago, he was the Godfather of Punk. His band, the Modern Lovers, won irony-loving hearts across the globe with hits like “Roadrunner.” But in recent years, he’s better known for his appearances in There’s Something About Mary (as That Crazy Guy with a Guitar) and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. His shtick is plaintive and hilarious at the same time. In concert, it’s sometimes hard to know whether to laugh or bring the guy a box of Kleenex. …
This article appears in Mar 5-11, 2008.