Back when I was living in Washington, DC, some of my best friends and I used to carouse in the streets of the Columbia Heights district after the bars closed, half-dancing, half-skipping, and full-throat singing “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar” by Jonathan Richman. There were times when we were actually dancing in an actual lesbian bar, but this song was still the catch-all for any good time had in the District: it’s just so damn happy and humable and all about overcoming the cool coolness of cool people and having a good time in spite of the wallflowers. I think some of my highest highs (not drug-induced, of course, but fun-induced) were during these late-night revelries.
Jonathan is touring once again, and my friend Annie said he was amazing last night in DC. She kept screaming “LESBIAN BAR! LESBIAN BAR!” and Jonathan acquiesced, and with great verve and amazingness, so Annie reports.
The performance probably went something like this:
Last time I saw Jonathan live, I reviewed it here:
“At the Jonathan Richman Show”
Sorry for the lo-fi recording. You may have to crank some volume to hear it.
4 Comments
I just watched this for the 5th time.
Scotter is my favorite music reviewer, blogger, and honorary lesbian ever. The JRich show last nite was amazing, and his rendition of “Dancing at the Lesbian Bar” was e.p.i.c.!
Of course, not as epic as our late nite revelries that Scotter has so eloquently recounted.
Next time y’all are in the District of Columbia, come on over to our swingin’ pad, and I’ll sing you a song about the ice cream man, while there is an abominable snowman in the supermarket and we drink the wine because it’s there to be tasted not discussed.
I don’t know why he ever bothered to retouch this song for Surrender to Jonathan; it sounds so much better when it’s a little lo-fi and laissez faire, if you catch my drift.
A Jonathan show is never to be missed. His new material is so great, too. He’s not just coasting on his older stuff.