"Songwriter Joe Iconis' deft ability to fuse an ear-catching melody with a driving beat and his decidedly offbeat worldview gets a fantastic showcase in this two-disc set. Whether he's spinning a quirky pickup song ("Nerd Girl" - complete with
Scooby Doo references), a pungent musical soliloquy ("Mamma, Cut Me Deeper"), or a ballad laced with irony to disguise emotion ("Albuquerque Anyway"), Iconis' talents are unmistakable."
- Theatremania.com
“Humorous, vital music that kicks 1960’s-style pop tunefulness with hard post-punk beats. Joe Iconis recalls the excitement that surrounded Marc Shaiman,
Jonathan Larson and Jason Robert Brown. I would call ‘Things To Ruin’ the
beginning of something, except that it is already well underway.” - The New York Times
"The two-disc set of some of Joe Iconis's songs, presented in a theatrical setting, is an eclectic, entertaining, quirky bundle of dynamite. Of the scores I heard this year that have a pop-rock sound, this is the one I gravitate to for return visits after the initial rush of adrenalin and wake-up throttling that driving guitars and drums can give. There's more to this than youthful angst with lost souls soulfully wailing, although there is plenty of all that for sure. There is also the presence of wit, subversiveness, satire and surprising heart in portraits of lovers and losers and those who love those presumed to be losers. The restlessness, urgency and mix of hopefulness and hopelessness of 20-somethings is well captured in "I Was Born This Morning" ("The Cicada Song"), a group number that begins and ends the show. It's one of the songs that liberally uses profanity, normally a turn-off for me, but it seems so organic and natural to the tone and mindset, and is used casually and not hurled with ugliness. Leading the band as pianist, the songwriter also joins in the fun occasionally, notably with a purposely skewed-viewed commentary, "The Guide to Success."" - Read more on Talkin' Broadway
”Iconis seems hell-bent on finding all the commonly shared emotional moments
that nobody else has yet set to music. It’s so much fun that it’s a
little overwhelming – ‘transporting’ is probably the best word!” - Variety
“This bold and prolific musical theater writer, Joe Iconis isn’t just hot; he’s boiling.
Things to Ruin is a revue of his bawdy and profane – and sometimes very poignant – songs.” - TheaterMania
“This stuff is feel-good, come-out-on-top-or-laugh-about-it-if-you-fail music” - The L Magazine
“Why the hell isn’t this man on Broadway already?” - Buzzline
