Pat DiNizio (Smithereens) Has Left the Building

Westerly Wood

Venerated Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2007
Messages
13,326
Reaction score
6,499
Guild Total
2
yeah i saw that too. cool voice and their songs were rockin. we played that green album a lot when i was in college. Only a Memory is a great tune.

https://youtu.be/dafxom5L_So

Guild Double PG alert!
 
Last edited:

walrus

Reverential Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
23,956
Reaction score
8,019
Location
Massachusetts
That sucks - pretty young, too - I liked that band! RIP.

walrus
 

crank

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2009
Messages
1,227
Reaction score
859
We saw them 2 summers ago and they were great! RIP Pat.
 

Zelja

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
3,907
Reaction score
350
Location
Sydney, Australia
I loved those first few Simithereens albums - really wonderful powerpop/rock. Pat was a great songwriter. Gone far too young. Sad news indeed.
 

The Guilds of Grot

Enlightened Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2006
Messages
9,547
Reaction score
4,716
Location
New Jersey Shore
Guild Total
117
Our local College radio station used to do a "Singer/Songwriters in the Park" during the Summer. Most of the performers would play electrified acoustics. Pat showed up with a Strat! I didn't see how that was going to work as usually an electric solidbody is not the best instrument on which to accompany ones self.

Well he made that thing sing! He was very entertaining telling how the songs were written and what they were about before each was played. He talked about how long it took the Smithereens to get signed but the best line of the night is when he said: "I made a living off a Em chord!"
 

Quantum Strummer

Senior Member
Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
2,382
Reaction score
118
Location
Michigan
I got into Rickenbackers as a player 'cuz of the Smithereens. (Already thought they looked cool via The Beatles and Pete Townshend.) They played a variety of stuff later on but the one time I got to see 'em play live Jim Babjak was rockin' a white Rickie. It sounded and looked so cool! I have a white Rickie bass but never found a white guitar that spoke to me. :)

-Dave-
 

Westerly Wood

Venerated Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2007
Messages
13,326
Reaction score
6,499
Guild Total
2
listening to that youtube link i posted above, just pat and jim, Pat's voice was just really good! very unique.
 

Westerly Wood

Venerated Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2007
Messages
13,326
Reaction score
6,499
Guild Total
2
Walrus, that is a great version of that tune. great video, thanks for posting! i too am shocked at how long it took them to get signed, but was not New Jersey all hair band crazy back then?

:)
 

crank

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2009
Messages
1,227
Reaction score
859
They were also great at covers. First time I saw them they did 2 or 3 Beatles songs and the last time I saw them they did a killer Who medley.
 

walrus

Reverential Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
23,956
Reaction score
8,019
Location
Massachusetts
Top