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Smithereens mini doc: Tour of their first stages at NJ schools

On the eve of their being inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, two of the three surviving members of The Smithereens provide a tour of their early days in Carteret.

Bob Makin, @ReporterBMakin

They came from Carteret.

Now, the members of the Smithereens are coming home. The band will play a homecoming concert Saturday, Dec. 4, at the new Carteret Performing Arts Center.

The new venue, located on the site of the former Ritz Theatre, includes a 1,600-seat main theater and 500-seat black box theater.

It’s been staging shows since May.

“Come join us on this very special evening as the Smithereens return to their hometown, celebrate this beautiful, new, state of the art concert venue, kick off the holidays, and celebrate their 41st anniversary as a band!” said the band on its social media.

The band’s 40th anniversary celebrations in 2020 were postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Band members Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken and Mike Mesaros graduated Carteret High School in 1975. The group formed in 1980 when vocalist Pat DiNizio of Scotch Plains joined.

They’re members of the New Jersey Hall of Fame.  

“A lot of people came from nothing and made something out of themselves here,” said Diken, in Carteret, previously to the USA Today Network New Jersey. “It’s a lot of factory workers who have a strong work ethic, and in school you tried to do your best. We always worked very hard rehearsing, playing and trying to get a foothold in the biz.”

The band’s hits include “Blood and Roses,” “Drown in My Own Tears,” “Only a Memory,” “A Girl Like You,” and “House We Used to Live In.” Frontman DiNizio passed away in 2017 at the age of 62. The band has moved forward with a rotating lineup of lead singers, including Marshall Crenshaw, Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms, and Susan Cowsill of the Cowsills.

Rocking on: Smithereens announce a return to live shows, including two in NJ

Remembering Pat: Pat DiNizio at 65: Fans, bandmates, Basie Center remember late Smithereens frontman

Rock Hall? The 14 New Jersey music stars who belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame right now

The Smithereens are back on the road after a COVID downtown, and they play with Crenshaw on vocals Sept. 17 at the Concerts on the Green series at the Suneagles Golf Club in Eatontown ($39 to $49); and a free show Sept. 18 at the Festival in the Borough in Washington, Warren County. 

Tickets for the Carteret show, $35 to $55, are on sale now via carteretpac.com. Upcoming shows at the Carteret Performing Arts Center include Max Weinberg’s Jukebox on Oct. 23; a musical tribute to the ’60s with Endless Summer on Nov. 6; Blue Oyster Cult on Nov. 13; Sinatra Meets the New Jersey Househusbands on Nov. 20; and Mike Marino on Nov. 27.

Subscribe to app.com for the latest on the Jersey music scene.        

Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected].

Source: Asbury Park

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