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New Jersey may have Bruce, but Massachusetts has Jonathan- a guy who has always been unapologetically himself whether it was being totally sober in the 70s, writing pleas for tenderness in a genre known for bravado, dancing in lesbian bars, or driving down to NYC every weekend to be Velvet Underground's biggest fan before anyone else was. a guy who despite being a rock legend, spends his days installing pizza ovens around the san fransisco area.
I've seen him live a few times now, and watching him play his sweet silly songs in an unapologetically sincere + sort of autistic way is somehow just as transgressive as the proto-punk he invented with The Modern Lovers over 50 years ago. I can't help but smile ear to ear for his entire set. effortless humor and charm.
Something that's also stood out to me after seeing him live a few times now, is the way he recontextualizes the classics. When he played "Old World" in 2022 he changed the lyrics to recognize how some things should be left in the past rather than simply romanticizing it. And last night he played with the iconic "Pablo Picasso" to focus less on the swagger of Pablo, and more on how that type of guy is actually kind of an arrogant creep. Angel Prost (of Frost Children) wrote a great essay on Jonathan's reinvention for her email-only newsletter a few years ago, if you'd like to read it I'm sure I can dig it up for you.
From last night-
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an oil painter. I was obsessed with colors.
Then I heard Velvet Underground and saw you can paint with a guitar
Anyways...if more people were a bit more like Jonathan the world would be a better place. A huge inspiration to me!
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much to be said about him, both in his utter sincerity and songwriting prowess, I recall finally understanding him when I found a letter he sent to the Velvet Underground in an art museum, at once, so much joy, and so much complexity even just before the Modern Lovers days!
Mar 8, 2024
I seriously love this guy so much and I love him exponentially more now after seeing him live last night. This man is 73 now with the goofiest most pure and youthful spirit! And his dance moves are infectious and his puppy dog eyes and sharp wit!
16h ago
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the man, the music, the mindset, the little dances on stage. If they could bottle him I'd have a glass a day and I think it'd cure all my ailments.
Jun 14, 2024
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this site is pro sincerity
Dec 15, 2023
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tomorrow PI.FYI launches to the public
this project is the result of thousands of hours spent coding everything from scratch after I got laid off six months ago
no thiel-bucks or weirdo outsider money, just a pure desire to make something fun and true to Perfectly Imperfect’s day one goal of helping people find new things from real human beings, not algorithms or AI
a pure labor of love that I’ve been quietly plotting for two years and it’s completely self-funded from my (rapidly) dwindling savings account
so thank you for coming along for this weird ride 🫶 let's see where it goes
Jan 21, 2024
Feb 2, 2024