Jonathan Richman is often called "the godfather of punk," but you wouldn't know it to look at the thin, goateed singer-songwriter.
Heck, you wouldn't know it to listen to him, either.
Richman has long since abandoned his electric guitar for a simpler, acoustic sound. He tours with Tucson drummer Tommy Larkins and plays songs that often veer into a foreign language.
But as a young man in the early '70s, he founded the Modern Lovers and wrote the totally kick-ass songs "Roadrunner" and "Pablo Picasso."
You may recognize Richman from his frequent appearances on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien." Or maybe you saw him in the Farrelly Brothers' 1998 film, "There's Something About Mary," where he and Larkins played music that served as a Greek chorus.
Richman and Larkins will play an early show at Club Congress Friday at 7 p.m. Lemondrop Gang will open. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 on Friday.
