Sat., Aug. 17, Jonathan Richman

Over the years, Jonathan Richman's musical persona has evolved. The childlike naiveté has molted away in favor of dry, bemused wit. But his musical ethos remains simple, straightforward and catchy. His 1970s band the Modern Lovers featured future new-wave alums (the Cars, the Talking Heads). Richman developed a cult following long before the There's Something About Mary soundtrack brought him fame. The last couple albums have seen the 62-year-old artist finding a more stately voice that evokes Leonard Cohen with earnest, unsentimentally honest still-life portraits, bubbling with off-kilter energy. 1400 Alhambra Boulevard, www.vaporrecords.com/catalog/a_jon_richman.html.