Though he might be best known to the masses as the musical narrator featured the Farrelly Brothers' film Something About Mary, Jonathan Richman has been making important underground rock sounds since the '70s.

As the leader of the influential proto-punk band the Modern Lovers, Richman specialized in a stripped-down style of garage rock that would become popular as the decade progressed. Ironically, the band (which also featured future Talking Head Jerry Harrison) split up in 1973 when Richman tried to take the sound in the more whimsical, acoustic direction for which he has become known.

Singing playfully sweet pop songs with an almost childlike innocence, Richman has been plying his eccentric niche of songcraft ever since, occasionally veering into other areas like country and Latin music. The now locally-based songwriter and his principle collaborator drummer Tommy Larkin have become frequent performers to the Bay Area thanks to their healthy SF following. Expect old favorites along with tracks from Richman's latest album Because Her Beauty Is Raw And Wild at these shows in Sebastapol and San Francisco this weekend.

Jonathan Richman

Saturday, Dec. 1, 8:30 p.m. $15
Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastapol

Sunday, Dec. 2, 7 p.m. $16
Great American Music Hall