Instant Refund

In 1991, I saw one of the last rock shows ever as a resident of Austin.

I'd hung around town a good year an a half after graduating from UT, working three days a week as a newspaper reporter and slacking the remaining four days of the week. And I couldn't have picked a better band if I tried as my final Austin show. It was Too Much Joy at the Back Room.

Too Much Joy were irreverent and silly. They once got arrested in Cincinnati on obscenity charges because they played a cover of 2 Live Crew's "The Fuck Shop." But their own work product was funny, genius and stupid --- in other words, right up the alley for the 1991 version of john_clarke. Their 1991 album was called "Cereal Killers" and I to this day I can still sing all of the words to "Reno on Thanksgiving Day" which was my favorite tune on that LP.

The show lived up to all expectations and more --- mainly because it contains my favorite memory of interaction between myself and a band member.

After the show, lead singer Tim Quirk made his way to the bar to get a beer. I decided to talk to Quirk. I asked him: "Hey. My copy of Cereal Killers is stuck in the cassette deck of my Mustang. Can I get a refund?"

Without hesitation, Quirk pulled out his wallet and gave me three bucks.