Scammers: they’re in your email pretending to charge your credit card for Norton Anti-Virus fees (just me?), they’re on your phone calling from familiar area codes, and they’re apparently pretending to be Modern Lovers singer and solo performer Jonathan Richman.
Over the weekend, reports arose that an Olympia-based music festival, LoveOly Summerfest, had booked who they thought was the cult indie-rock singer/songwriter in what would’ve been his first live performance since the pandemic started. But when the Evergreen State College radio station tried to book a pre-show interview with Richman, the singer’s publicist had never heard of the festival or of Richman’s alleged booking. Apparently, festival organizers (the Olympia Film Society) had been hoodwinked by someone who had gotten in touch pretending to be Richman.
Olympia Film Society executive director Audrey Henley said in a statement, “We are shocked that this happened. We’ve been booking bands for the past 30 years, and this is a first for us. We hope this does not in any way hurt our relationship with the real Jonathan Richman and that he will return to Olympia soon.”
Richman himself also sent out a statement:
“Hello everyone! This is the real Jonathan Richman! I just heard of your wonderful festival and sounds like an ideal place for me to play someday. No hard feelings on my part and no apologies necessary from the wonderful people at OFS who have invited me and Tommy up to play so many times. Did the guy who called you up manage to imitate my voice pretty good? Cuz if he did, you’ve got to hand it to him, most people can’t do it! But seriously now for just a second, I am sad for any disappointments and expenses caused to the Film Society and the fine people of Olympia. Of course I will come back to play for the Olympians!”
Well, Richman certainly has a good attitude about the whole thing. What a guy.