The Smithereens stay together even after lead singer’s death

DiNizio was famous for his unique and soulful voice on catchy, power pop songs like “A Girl Like You” and “Blood And Roses” but died following a series of falls that resulted in nerve damage. 

Despite the death of DiNizio, the rest of the band has carried on The Smithereens legacy with a rotation of vocalists consisting of Robin Wilson, Marshall Crenshaw and John Cowsill, who will be performing at the Guild.

“It’s great to have people that love the band like that; that are professional singers that can jump in, know the lyrics, and give it 100%,” Babjak said.

The show in Menlo Park will continue the band’s strong ties to the Bay Area, with numerous friends and family in the region, and a history that goes back to when they performed at the Embarcadero Square outdoor show in 1988.

While the band was officially formed in 1980, Dennis Diken and Jim Babjak, on drums and guitar respectively, have been playing together since 1971 when they met on their first day of high school.

“Jimmy had pictures of The Who in his loose leaf and I was a big fan of The Who,” Diken said. “I was looking to start a band with other people who had similar taste to mine and I thought if I could find a guitarist that could play ‘I Can’t Explain’ by The Who then that would be a great starting place.”

They would eventually connected with grade-school friend Mike Mesaros, and answered a newspaper ad placed by Pat DiNizio. With Mike on bass and Pat as the lead singer/songwriter, The Smithereens went on to play more than 2,500 live shows.

With musical interests that range from Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Motown and Elvis Costello to The Kinks, The Ramones and Black Sabbath, The Smithereens have been unapologetic about their influences. Despite that, they’ve been able to consistently deliver a unique blend of genuine, from-the-gut rock. As Babjak said, “When you have all those different influences and they’re not just one, we didn’t try to be any one band. I think when you combine all that stuff, it’s like a soup or a stew; you mix it all up and somehow it becomes your own.”

Part of the band’s recipe for their sound and longevity has been their unwavering devotion to one another and loyalty to their roots. “The thing with The Smithereens, we always stuck to our guns,” said Babjak; even when those guns infamously cost them a performance on the legendary Late Night Show with David Letterman when they refused to split the band and play as a mixed group with other musicians.

The band played one of the first performances on MTV Unplugged and, while the members have mixed opinions on grunge, their own stew has cemented them in the long lineage of historical bands.

“It’s documented that Kurt Cobain in particular was a huge fan of The Smithereens and listened to our records even when they were in the studio working on Nevermind,” Diken said.

With such a strong band culture, they have been able to touch the lives of many fans. Babjak recently had a veteran talk to him after a show, telling him, “Your music got me through some really tough times,” while fighting back tears. Diken tells a story of a fan that had The Smithereens’ lyrics used as an epitaph on their tombstone. 

It’s this connection to their audience that keeps the band going.

“It makes me happy when the audience is happy. … It’s better than any drug. It’s in my gut, it’s in my heart, it’s in my soul, I can’t stop it,” Babjak said.

Despite their long history and many accolades, the band has never lost sight of their past.

“We have a duty to our fans to do the best possible shows that we can do. And fortunately, when Jimmy and I hit the stage, we both feel like we’re teenagers again,” Diken said, “Sometimes we pinch ourselves just thinking how lucky we are to be able to do what we love for so long and that people like it so much and they keep coming to see us. It’s just a dream come true, it really is.”

Go to tixr.com/groups/guildtheatre/events/the-smithereens-143900 to learn more or to buy tickets.