It was 2017, when the frontman of The Smithereens, Pat DiNizio passed away. After a hiatus from the road, the band reformed and has settled on a rotating pair of lead singers. The band recently hit the stage at Hartford, Connecticut’s Infinity Theater with The Gin Blossom’s Robin Wilson taking the lead vocal duties. The other lead singer they’ve been using is Marshall Crenshaw.
The Smithereens had a lot of competition in their homeland of New Jersey. With the likes of Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi, it would be easy to try to change styles to try to compete. To their credit, The Smithereens have never wavered from their hard rocking garage band persona. While influenced by the greats, they never tried to imitate. Even after DiNizio’s passing, they’ve remained true to form. Choosing just the right vocalists must have been a difficult task but they succeeded in their quest to fill some very big shoes. Robin Wilson has proven himself over the years with the Gin Blossoms and has come into his own with The Smithereens. Having listened to them while working in a record store as a youth, you can tell he has a deep enthusiasm for fronting The Smithereens.
Perhaps fronting The Smithereens is not a proper term. The Smithereens are four members who act as one. The original three members are as tight as ever. Jim Babjak plays a powerful lead guitar. Whether he’s windmilling on his Fender or strumming on his Rickenbacker, he’s a force to be reckoned with. Mike Mesaros on bass and Dennis Diken on drums hold down the rhythm section with a mechanical precision. The evening’s set started on the tentative side but rapidly built into a fierce delivery of classics, rarities, and covers.
Unfortunately, a full set list isn’t available. All the classics such as “Behind The Wall of Sleep” and “Strangers When We Meet” were part of the show. Also touched on were deeper cuts such as “Cut Flowers” and “If The Sun Doesn’t Shine”. The real powerhouse of the show was the cover of The Who’s “Sparks”. Babjak windmilled maniacally ala Pete Townshend. He was augmented by Mesaros’ hard driving bass line. Diken played a strong set of drums but no one can match the wild abandon style of Keith Moon but it was a spirited version none the less. Wilson patrolled the stage brandishing his tambourine in the way Roger Daltrey did over 40 years ago. The crowd responded to this rendition of a classic with great enthusiasm!
An interesting tidbit was dropped on the crowd that night by Jim Babjak. It appears as though The Smithereens will be releasing a new album in the future. We’re not sure if it will be a collection of unreleased songs, out takes of well known songs, or brand new gems. Whatever it may be, we can be guaranteed a true music gem. Stay tuned to The Smithereens official website for release news and upcoming tour dates!
