My Heart To Joy - “All Of Life Is Coming Home” (Live at Madison Arts Barn - 5/17/11)
A year ago today, the Connecticut punk group My Heart To Joy played their final show ever, a benefit performance for Mitch Dubey, who was murdered in March of last year. A year ago today, they finished their set with this song. The energy was incredible. To this day, I don’t think I’ve ever had an experience quite like I did at the Madison Arts Barn that night, listening to my favorite band in Connecticut play one of my favorite songs. Before the final cathartic burst at the very end, the band signalled the entire crowd to come up onto the stage. For a moment, it felt like time froze as we all sat up there waiting for the band to resume playing. Listening to the recording back, it really wasn’t very long, but to me it felt like a lifetime.
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This year, Topshelf Records released an LP featuring songs from all of the bands who performed that night, including Snowing, Hostage Calm, and Algernon Cadwallader. Buy it or listen to it for free online HERE.
Fun fact. The break was there because every member of the band handed their instruments to other people so we could all stage dive. It was sick
I threw this interview together in about ten minutes. Hopefully we’ll have another interview with Greg soon after the big LP is released. Here’s little tidbits about his personal life to last you until then. (Did you know: Greg Horbal started the Twinkle Daddies term?)
The origins of this saying are remarkably hazy, but its starting point has never been of much relevance anyway. If I’m not mistaken, “fuck off all nerds” began as an incredibly vague reference to the Revenge of the Nerds movies, though even that’s probably somewhat of a stretch. Like most inside jokes or ensuing phenomenons that exist within this community, it all started with a single inadvertently-stated remark, which evolved uncontrollably to a point where its initial meaning was no longer identifiable or even of concern. At some point, though, Mitch Dubey picked up on this and adopted the words as a mantra of sorts, putting it at the forefront of his innumerable catch phrases. Considering that Mitch was practically teeming with enthusiasm and energy at any given time, it only makes sense that he would choose to endorse such an outlandish saying. Why “nerds”? Well, because actually using that word in the degradative sense is downright silly. But really, it’s just because somebody at some point watched Revenge of the Nerds and said something absurd. Truthfully, it really doesn’t matter why the saying is there, nor does it even seem worth trying to unravel. The phrase isn’t intended to be understood because there’s honestly nothing to comprehend. People say it because it feels good to open your mouth and be ridiculous, and because it’s just one of many seemingly mundane habits that, for whatever reason, merits holding onto - now, more-so than ever. It’s difficult to say how or why this became the thing that people say, but I have a feeling it had a lot to do with Mitch always being there to remind people of it. He didn’t invent the phrase, but he certainly owned it, and whatever it means, he meant it more than anyone.
-Alan Huck
Copies of Fuck Off All Nerds: A Benefit Compilation in Memory of Mitch Dubey are still available. ALL profits go to the Dubey family.
Live tracks recorded during My Heart To Joy’s final gig on may 14, 2011 from The Book Slave, Slingshot Dakota, Into It. Over It., Algernon Cadwallader, Snowing, Hostage Calm, Jettison and My Heart To Joy’s final set.
Album art by Ben Sears. Limited edition prints by Juan Gabe, Derrick Shanholtzer, Ryan Nelson, Adam Vass, Kevin Duquette & Ben Sears. Exact track listing TBA. Lastly, if you have a discount code for our store, please, please, PLEASE don’t use it. ALL of this money goes to the Dubey’s.
I know we said pre-orders would go up last week for the Mitch Benefit comp, but we didn’t want to put stuff up prematurely. This is something we want to make sure to handle correctly. That said: above is a preview of the cover art. The compilation is titled Fuck Off All Nerds: A Benefit Compilation for Mitchell Dubey.
Ben Sears is working on the art and we’re working on some really special package options. Adam Vass, Ben Sears, Juan Gabe, Derrick Shanholtzer, Ryan Nelson and myself are all creating illustrations for hand screened postcards that will be included with the packaging. Chris Teti sent me all the mixed audio from each band’s respective set and it sounds great! This will actually be a great sounding live record for a great cause. (In case you’re unaware of the details surrounding this, please see here). It’s amazing to have so many talented people come together to create this.
I also want to take the opportunity to quote my friend — and Mitch’s best friend — Andy; from something he wrote shortly after Mitch’s death:
In the past few weeks there has been a lot of love and positive energy directed towards those of us who were most directly affected, and it is truly inspiring and overwhelming. Sometimes everyone’s kindness alone brings me to the verge of tears. Everyone seems to be a little nicer to each other, a little kinder and a little more positive. Unfortunately, I know from past experience that this isn’t going to last. Soon enough life will go back to normal for most people, so I would urge everyone to act on whatever impulse they have right now to start a project or reach out to loved ones. Life is too short to be wasted on bullshit; it is unfortunate that it takes an incident like this to make us truly grasp that fact, but let’s not waste it. Tell your friends and family that you love them. Don’t be scared. It’s going to get easier.
Thanks guys! You can still make a donation to the Dubey family via paypal to Lauren.Dubey@gmail.com
