May 16–23, 1996

critic pick|rock/pop

Too Much Joy

Although Too Much Joy hasn't been heard from much in the past few years, their fan base is as loyal and passionate as ever. And I don't mean just the local faithful who will turn up at the Khyber next Wednesday to see these noisy popsters. I'm talking about a guy named Newt Gingrich.

On his last big outing he was desperate enough to pose with pigs on Jay Leno's show. The thing is, Newt — it turns out — is a fan. A TMJ Man. A Joy Toy. Or at least that's the impression given by the letter (bearing Newt's watermark and signature) sent to TMJ thanking them for helping inspire the 1994 Republican Revolution. Cited especially as a rallying cry was the theme-song line "To create, you must destroy." Frontman Tim Quirk swears the letter's not a hoax.

"It's a modified form letter that apparently goes to generous funders or something," says Quirk. "Apparently a big TMJ fan managed to foist this on him at the right time."

Newt played along until some of the more degenerate aspects of TMJ became apparent. Maybe it was the line "No Mom, I'm not on drugs," from their cover of L.L. Cool J's "That's a Lie." Or maybe Newt didn't like the lyric "This world is run by clowns/who can't wait for it to end." At any rate, now Newt's staff is denying the letter ever came from his office.

"And the girl who was working there who was a big Too Much Joy fan? Not only does she not work there now — she never worked there."

The authentic-looking letter has drawn the attention of Time and Newsweek, and so far Time has printed a bite-sized feature on the controversy (excluding the rumor about the "disappeared" staffer). "It's kind of hard to think of somebody not getting what we're saying, I mean in such a big way, but then again, it's appropriate, because that is what we're about — these sunny-sweet tunes which contain these dark and troubling ideas."

So the J-boys are riding this for all it's worth.

"If we can reach Newt, we can reach anybody. We're right on track for world domination."

Inside the band's latest album, Finally, the songs are still hardcore quirk-pop. The lyric jolts are getting a little smoother and the performance is getting tighter, more radio-ready — which is a little dangerous for such a freewheeling, irreverent group. Most of the time it works, though, and there are a couple vintage Joy songs — like "You Will," a musical send-up of AT?'s futuristic ad campaign. With such a peppy thrashing of the fascist power of technology, Too Much Joy may be setting themselves up for another big misunderstanding. "Have you worshipped at our feet?/You Will/And you will not be scared" might sound like a good anthem to someone low on irony.

Who knows? Maybe Newt will be there on Wednesday. If you see him, tell him I'd prefer sugar. It just seems more appropriate.

Too Much Joy with Emory Swank on Wednesday, May 22, at the Khyber Pass, 56 S. 2nd St., 440-9683.

— Vance Lehmkuhl