The Smithereens ft. special guest vocalist Robin Wilson of The Gin Blossoms
Founded in New Jersey in 1980, The Smithereens have been creating electrifying, original rock’n’roll for 44 years. Jim Babjak (guitar,) Dennis Diken (drums,) and Mike Mesaros (bass) grew up together in Carteret and lead singer, the late Pat DiNizio, hailed from Scotch Plains. The band paid its dues in clubs all over the NYC tri-state area from Kenny’s Castaways in Greenwich Village to the Court Tavern and Stone Pony in NJ. They’ve since performed on stages coast to coast from the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles to the Meadowlands Arena in NJ to Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, and internationally from Europe to Australia. Tour mates have included Tom Petty, Squeeze, The Pretenders, Lou Reed, and the Ramones, among others.
The Smithereens’ take no prisoners sound, reflecting their Garden State roots, has resonated with fans worldwide over the course of 17 albums and 2500 plus live shows. Studio albums include Especially for You, Green Thoughts, 11, A Date with The Smithereens, and 2011. Among their biggest hits are the rock radio staples “Blood and Roses,” “Only a Memory,” “Behind the Wall of Sleep,” and “A Girl Like You.” The band’s albums for Capitol, RCA, Sony, Koch, and eOne Records have sold over 5 million copies worldwide.
In August of 2022, entrepreneur Babjak launched Babjax Coffee, featuring his own blends of premium roasted coffee. And in September of 2022, The Smithereens released The Lost Album, featuring previously unreleased songs featuring Babjak, Dennis Diken, Mike Mesaros, and the late Pat DiNizio. And in time for the 2022 holiday season, Jim released a new red vinyl Christmas 45, “It’s Love on Christmas Day” b/w “Christmas Eve, Without Your Love.” In January of 2024, The Lost Album was released on gold vinyl.
Moving forward and against all odds,The Smithereens reach a major milestone in 2024 as they celebrate their 44th continuous year as a band with non-stop touring and an album of all new material in the works. The adventure continues!
