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Losing the frontman of a legendary band can leave a big hole to fill, potentially leading to the rest of the band crumbling and vanishing.
When Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens died in 2017, the remaining three members were left pondering how to move forward and whether they could find another singer.
The Smithereens emerged as a band in the early 1980s and received play over the radio airwaves for songs like "Blood and Roses," "Only a Memory," "A Girl Like You," and "Top of the Pops."
They were known for their post-punk sound at a time when hair bands dominated the radio, and grunge music was getting ready to redefine rock ‘n roll. The Smithereens helped bridge that gap.
Marshall Crenshaw, of Berkley, Michigan, was another popular artist at the time who had a hit in 1982 with “Someday, Someway.” He was friends with members of the Smithereens, and played with the band on its freshman album, “Especially For You,” on the songs, “White Castle Blues,” and “Strangers When We Meet.”
The two groups had careers that paralleled one another.
“When Pat passed away, we wanted to continue, obviously, because the essence—the sound of the band—is still intact,” Dennis Diken, the drummer for the Smithereens said this week. “We were hoping to find a vocalist that would, not sound like Pat ... but were hoping to find somebody who understood the music, got the music and would be able to interpret it.
“Marshall was a perfect fit,” he added.
With Mr. Crenshaw taking the helm on lead vocals, the Smithereens are taking their show on the road, and will be making at stop at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (WHBPAC) on June 29.
Mr. Crenshaw said he was approached by Mr. Diken shortly after a tribute show to the late singer in January 2018, and said many fans wanted the band to carry on and continue playing.”
“I was into it because they’re a great rock 'n' roll band, and to play with a good rock 'n' roll band is good medicine for my spirit that I never get tired of,” he said.
Even though the Smithereens formed in the '80s, the nucleus of the band was formed nearly a decade earlier.
Growing up in Carteret, New Jersey, Mr. Diken and Mike Mesaros, the band’s bass player, were friends since grammar school. When Mr. Diken entered high school, he said, he wanted to find musicians that he could form a band with. His goal was to find a guitarist who could play, “I Can’t Explain,” by The Who.
On the first day of Earth Science class, Jim Babjak walked in and opened up his loose leaf binder, only to expose full colored photos of The Who from Hit Parader magazine.
“I thought, ‘Hmm, maybe I should talk to this kid,’” he said. “I introduced myself after the class and I think we started playing later that week.”
Mr. Mesaros started playing bass after high school, and the three of them started a band, loosely named “What Else.” The only thing missing was a singer who was into early rock 'n' roll and British Invasion music from the '50s and '60s.
Mr. Diken found an ad in the Aquarian—a New Jersey-based music paper that still exists today, which brought together a lot of musicians through the ad section—from Scotch Plains resident, Mr. DiNizio. He was seeking a drummer for a cover band that played songs from Elvis Costello, The Beatles, the Jam and Buddy Holly.
Mr. Diken joined the band, and after playing one gig, they broke up.
Mr. Dinizio called Mr. Diken a little while later and asked him to play drums on a few songs he was working on.
“I said, ‘I know some guys who would be really good for this material,’ and I brought in Mike and Jim,” Mr. Diken said. “That’s how it all came together.”
Mr. Diken kept a pocket notebook with him at all times that he used to write down titles or potential band names. The book must have had several hundred names, he said, including The Smithereens.
The term was something he heard in cartoons, mostly, when one character would say, “I’ll blow you varmints to smithereens.” They settled on the name.
Their first gig was in Hillside, New Jersey, at a pub called Englander’s. They eventually started playing at Kenny’s Castaways on Bleecker Street in New York City, which became their home base for many years.
Kenny’s Castaways was a popular place for musicians looking to get a record deal and make a career in music.
Mr. Crenshaw was also actively playing in New York at the time, and said last week that he first saw the Smithereens on the Uncle Floyd show, a local sketch comedy program on television that also had live music.
“Right around that time, I got to know Pat,” Mr. Crenshaw said. “He kind of sought me out and wanted to be my friend.”
His first impression of Mr. DiNizio was that he was interesting, yet baffling at the same time. The two men always had good times together, and they would play shows that Mr. DiNizio organized.
Mr. Crenshaw said they were pals, and hung out with the same group of peers.
“He was kind of an enigma to me—he was baffling to me—but I also have to say I really liked him,” he said. “But I just can’t say, ‘Oh he was a great guy, he was brilliant, he was a genius,’ and not say anything about the fact that he was a weird motherf****r.”
In 2014, Mr. Crenshaw said he ran into Mr. DiNizio, after not seeing him for a long time. He was shocked with how unhealthy he looked.
“I knew that he was a marked person and he wasn’t going to be alive for very long,” he said.
On December 12, 2017, Mr. DiNizio died. He was 62-years-old.
The June 29 show that The Smithereens and Mr. Crenshaw plan to put on at WHBPAC include songs from just about every one of the group's 11 albums, as well as a few covers from bands that have influenced them
“We’re having a great time, and the shows have been going great,” he said. “Our long-time fans have really been supportive, and they made it very clear to us that they want the music to be kept alive. We feel that the songs are a celebration of the band, which has been around for 39 years, and a celebration of Pat, too.”
Mr. Crenshaw said the whole experience of hanging around with The Smithereens has been great, because there is a family atmosphere among them all.
“We’re all there to deliver the goods,” he said. “We’re there to honor the music and have fun, ourselves.”
Along with playing a few shows this summer, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently announced that The Smithereens would be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on October 27.
The Smithereens with guest vocalist Marshall Crenshaw perform on Saturday, June 29, at 8 p.m. at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, 76 Main Street, Westhampton Beach. Ttickets are $51 to $61 at whbpac.org or 631-288-1500.
Staff Writer on Jun 21, 2019