Jonathan Richman Returns to The Kitchen Joined by Drummer Tommy Larkins

In 1975, The Modern Lovers-founding cult icon Jonathan Richman played The Kitchen, for an event curated by yet another legendary songwriting figure-Arthur Russell. 2017 marks a big return to The Kitchen for Richman, who honored The Velvet Underground's John Caleat the organization's gala in April, and who the Kitchen is pleased to announce will be performing from November 18 to November 22 at their Chelsea home. With their unadorned work, Richman and his drummer Tommy Larkins (formerly of Tucson bands Naked Prey and Giant Sand) bring a transporting, bare sense of joy wherever they play-beginning with their collaborations in the early '90s and continuing steadily through the years. Richman is excited for Xylouris White, the Cretan music duo Georgios Xylouris and Jim White, to be joining him on the bill for these shows. They will be performing selections that combine laouto, vocals, and drums.

Jonathan Richman and Tommy Larkins will perform November 18-22; shows on Sat. and Sun. evening begin at 7:30pm, and Mon.-Wed. performances begin at 8pm. General admission tickets are $25, and member tickets are $20; they can be purchased at www.thekitchen.org, by phone at 212.255.5793 x11, or in person at The Kitchen (512 West 19th Street), Tuesdays-Saturdays, 2:00 - 6:00 P.M.

Some weighty titles, like the "godfather of punk," have been attached to Richman's legacy. These assertions often recall the Rolling Stone 500-greatest-albums-ranking The Modern Lovers, the only studio album released by the eponymous group, which came out two years after they disbanded. Greatly inspired by the Velvet Underground, the band recorded demos with John Cale in 1972, played a number of New York venues, and then broke up two years later. The band's brief existence, nevertheless, was momentous, with the bold deadpan of Richman's lyrics and delivery leaving huge impressions on other musicians. David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Siouxie and the Banshees, and Joan Jett were among those who covered The Modern Lovers' work.

Richman's music continues to take in the world around him, expressing a range of feelings in response to his environment and contemporary experiences. Over the years, he has done this in a range of styles and languages that has manifested in the likes of a country album (Jonathan Goes Country), a number of songs that embrace comedy, a vast catalog of softly introspective tracks, and music that often blithely jumps between languages. While his music "has grown more complex and sophisticated," (The New Yorker) his underlying playfulness, and career-long rejection of polish, remain.

His 2016 album, Ishkode! Ishkode!, was his first release in five years, and sees him leaping, over the course of its three final songs, from gleeful, anecdotal acoustic country rock ("Outside O'Duffy's") to an accordion-centric French-language Charles Trenet cover ("Longtemps") to the intimate chant, "Mother I Give You My Soul." This wandering nature is central to the pairing of levity and technical roughness in his work: Richman is seemingly not chasing mastery, but rather something rarer-life, fun sincerity, and feeling, in whatever form they may take.

About Jonathan Richman and Tommy Larkins

Jonathan Richman has been playing music, recording and touring for most of his life. Jonathan and his drummer Tommy Larkins win fans wherever they play. In the early 1970s, Jonathan formed the noted band The Modern Lovers. Tommy Larkins was in the groups Naked Prey, Giant Sand and other popular bands in Tucson, Arizona.

About Xylouris White

A friendship going back 25 years resulted in Xylouris White forming four years ago. Two albums have been released: Goats was no.1 on the Billboard world music chart and their sophomore triumph Black Peak came out in 2016. Xylouris White have toured the world countless times, playing in palaces and sheds; the bars and concert halls of the world, as well as opening for the likes of Swans, PJHarvey and Kurt Vile. Aquarium Drunkard said, "More and more, it seems the duo are inventing a new musical language, one based on deeply telepathic interplay and pure, transcendent abandon." They play punk rock festivals and folk music conventions and they aren't just trying it on.

Funding Credits

Music programs at The Kitchen are made possible with endowment support from Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust; annual grants from The Amphion Foundation, Inc., The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Howard Gilman Foundation, and The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation; and in part by public funds from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

About The Kitchen

The Kitchen is one of New York City's most forward-looking nonprofit spaces, showing innovative work by emerging and established artists across disciplines. Our programs range from dance, music, performance, and theater to video, film, and art, in addition to literary events, artists' talks, and lecture series. Since its inception in 1971, The Kitchen has been a powerful force in shaping the cultural landscape of this country, and has helped launch the careers of many artists who have gone on to worldwide prominence.