The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 61

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1988 gTtf Atlanta ionrttal AND CONSTITUTION They Might Be Giants Just Might Get Serious BILL Id MURRAY GETS oisaooGi Sardonic Rockers Retire Their Fezzes To Focus on Musk Vs. t. i A VT 1 -V-p: I Mum' iLli "A FEEL-GOOD MOVIE THAT EMERGES AS THE 'MOONSTRUCK' OF THE CURRENT SEASON." Joy Boyum, GLAMOUR "The year's most beguiling movie romance. Sends you home walking on air." Peter Trovers, PEOPLE MAGAZINE They Might Be Giants will perform at the Cotton Club on Saturday night. Amy Irving Crossing Delancey A funny moot about pmnf Know.

Mr. Linnell says, "I think somebody said it best last night backstage: 'The thing about you guys is that you're really smart and you're really They Might Be Giants. Saturday at the Cotton Club. Go Van Go and Uncle Green open. Doors open at 8 p.m.; music starts at 10.

Tickets, $8, are available at Wax 'N' Facts, Wuxtry, Atlanta Compact Disc and Fantasyland Records and at the door. Information: 874-2523. free when you call from work." Mr. Linnell is aware that the nudge-nudge, wink-wink attitude inherent in some of their work might have the potential to leave some fans out in the intellectual cold. "We do stuff that we like," he says.

"And we do stand a chance to confuse people. The balancing force is that we want everyone to be on the inside." Another balancing force for They Might Be Giants is that they don't take themselves too seriously. inexcusable." Perhaps an overstatement, but some of their musical experiments are, well, unusual. What other band would invite 30 guitarists onstage at New York's Village Gate to jam on Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Their most enduring (and endearing) musical gesture is their Dial-A-Song service.

Fans can call 718-387-6962 day or night to hear They Might Be Giants' latest work-in-progress. And as noted on the back on one of their records, "It's I1U1M I NOW SHOWING! CHECK TIMES DAILY DOLBY rcnfcttllrlfc awiHU AI ill 3:105:20 7:309:40 L5TToTO61inoli5 SUM? llM'Jilih WCii ffl its di 1 iT3 II nlgsJB ITT) By Forresl Rogers Siecial to The Journal-Constitution 'A monstrous hand, towering fezzes, and the Stick. The punch line to a Johnny Carson Carnak joke? No, just a few of the props They Might Be Giants brought on stage during this summer's "Bring Me the Head of Kenny Rogers" tour. But the Brooklyn-based duo has put all that behind them now. Speaking from a tour stop in Fort Wayne, accordionist-saxophonist John Linnell, who, with guitarist John Flansburgh, is They Might Be -Giants, explained the changes in the tour that brings the band to Atlanta's Cotton Club on Saturday night "We did all the props last year.

I don't know if people thought we were stupid, but I thought we looked good," says Mr. Linnell. 'This time we're trying to focus on the music. The accordion is my No. "1 prop now." Playing everything from pop to polka, They Might Be Giants walk a fine line between humor and social commentary on songs such as "Don't Let's Start" and "Purple 'Toupee." Mr.

Linnell points out that he and Mr. Flansburgh have not made a conscious attempt to straddle the humorous-serious fence. "We don't really calculate too hard about whether it's too funny or not funny enough," he notes. "We been too careful about being serious enough to hang on to those U2 fans who might otherwise be disappointed." Though they still haven't found what they're looking for, They Might Be Giants have found success on college radio playlists. In 1986, they released their eponymous first LP the independent BarNone label.

The record featured count 'em songs, including such sardonic as "Youth Culture Killed My and "Nothing's Gonna Change Clothes." And the video for the deconstructionist "Don't Let's Start" found its way into MTVs rotation in early 1988. Along with limited success came pressure to expand their two-man lineup. But Mr. Linnell and Mr. Flansburgh obviously are comfort-jible working within the constraints a twosome.

"When we started out jt was an important issue, because we couldn't afford a rehearsal 'pace or a drummer, says Mr. Lin-' nell. "We have friends who still scratch their heads over why we. don't do the band sound." concert, They Might Be Hiants depend on pre-recorded 3apes to provide the percussion and lacking tracks from their records, heir second LP, "Lincoln" (released last month on BarNone), includes 18 songs, among them "Pencil Rain" and "Kiss Me, Son of 3God," which were heard during the Rand's summer appearance at the Club. Mr.

Linnell is pleased yiti the sound of "Lincoln," noting, We were going for some of the founds we got playing live. Our Hfirst LP is more of a tinkerer's alburn. The singing on the second is ignore like we've done live." Though not signed to a major la-5el, They Might Be Giants are iware of the pressures and expectations that come with greater sue-less. "I dont know what people expect us to do, exactly," he explains. There are a million possible futures we can think of for ourselves.

i just want to have the freedom to decide." i Often expressing their thoughts equal doses of innocence and sarcasm, they have stayed true to self-defined musical dream. "I we owe ourselves the freedom make mistakes," Mr. Linnell says. 'We've had time to do stuff that was 96 i if, p. Ho's a wild, iviscuy frem Crccklyn.

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