Theo Lawrence, Jonathan Richman ft. Tommy Larkins

Jonathan Richman prefigured punk with the snotty, streetwise rock of the Modern Lovers. But by the mid-Seventies, he had abandoned the scuzzy guitars and rebellious lyrics for childlike acoustic ditties like “Here Come the Martian Martians” and “Hey There Little Insect.” That’s the popular line on Richman, anyway, who Austinites last saw playing the Mohawk with drummer Tommy Larkins in March. But check out the 1978 live version of “Ice Cream Man” sometime. He sings the goofy chorus on repeat for 8 minutes while hecklers demand his old tunes. They breathe an audible sigh of relief when Richman finally announces “the next song” … psych! “One more time! Ice cream mannnnnn.” Nobody has ever been more punk. —2859246