My dad was born in 1955. He moved to Natick, MA when he was 9. He lived a block away from Jonathan Richman2 and John Felice3. In 1970, they started the Modern Lovers4 together. My dad was the keyboard player. They might have called them organists back then. I'm not sure.

My dad wasn't very good. But then again, that's part of the charm. The Modern Lovers record isn't very good from a technical standpoint. But it has energy. And so did my dad. When they practiced, he used one of those big organ things with foot-pedals that you sometimes find in thrift stores. He said they would tape a microphone to the speaker and run it through the stereo to amplify it.

He said Jonathan never wrote down the lyrics to any of the songs. Apparently there are about 200 verses to Roadrunner that no one has ever heard, save for those living above the Felice basement. I am told there is a tape in our house with a 75-minute version of A Plea for Tenderness, but we don't have a reel-to-reel anymore, so I've never heard it.

I guess Dad played about 15 shows with the Modern Lovers. One of his more recollections involves the band playing at a high school dance. Apparently, the audience was not very enthused about the proto-punk anthems of the Modern Lovers, and demanded something a little more familiar. I tend to imagine that this was like the scene in Back to the Future where Marty McFly plays Johnny B Goode to everyone and then says "Well, I guess you guys aren't ready for that one yet." Anyway, the band stopped their set and proceeded to play the entire Led Zeppelin II album, during which Jonathan improvised an albums-worth of lyrics in his usual self-righteous fashion. He said the dance organizers demanded they stop by the time they got Moby Dick. They still got paid.

As you may know, my dad didn't last long in the Modern Lovers. In the spring of 1971, his family moved to Arlington. Only 16 at the time, he was forced to tag along, but I comfort myself by assuming that he must have fought damn hard to stay in the band. I bet he slept for weeks on Jonathan's couch just so he wouldn't miss a practice. Eventually he was replaced by Jerry Harrison5.

It is nice knowing that my dad was in the Modern Lovers. When the DJ drops the needle on Roadrunner, I do my best to make dad proud as I shout along with all the other Modern Lovers. "Radio On!" indeed.

1.The Modern Lovers were active from 1970-1973. They never recorded a proper album, but there are a few records available which document the band's existence, the most essential of which is "The Modern Lovers," which is mostly taken from a number of their demos. If the people documenting the genesis of punk were not so New York-centric, they would realize that this is the first truly punk album. It was not actually released until 1976, 3 years after the band had disbanded, and by that point, all anyone could talk about was CBGB. Well what about Gloucester High, dammit? What about Gloucester High?!

2. The driving force behind the Modern Lovers. After breaking up the band in 1973, he went on to perform as Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, with a completely different (less exciting) set of Lovers. Eventually he dropped them altogether. Jonathan is recognizable to the general population as "the guy playing guitar in There's Something About Mary."

3. After quitting the Modern Lovers in 1971, John went on to found the Real Kids, a Boston punk staple. They are very highly regarded. They still play together, but remember, they are as old as my dad.

4. The Modern Lovers were active from 1970 - 1973. They never recorded a proper album, but there are a few records available which document the band's existence, the most essential of which is The Modern Lovers, which is mostly taken from a number of demos. If the people documenting the genesis of punk were not so New York-centric, they would realize that this is the first truly punk album. It was not actually released until 1976, 3 years after the band had disbanded, and by that point, all anyone could talk about was CBGB. Well what about Gloucester High dammit? What about Gloucester High?!

5. At time, a Harvard film student, Jerry would later become keyboardist for the Talking Heads. They are also very highly regarded, but to their discredit, they topped Vice Magazine's list of Bands that Suck. Since their induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, there has been an exhibit featuring Jerry's animatronic head engaged in permanent conversation with similar heads of all his former band members.