The Smithereens To Headline First Day of J&R’s MusicFest

City Hall Park will rock Thursday, August 27th when Smithereens headline the first of three days of free outdoor music performances. Thursday’s bill starts at 5 pm with singer-songwriter, Diane Birch and post-punk rocker Jemina Pearl at 6 pm, The Smithereens take the stage at 7 pm.

The Smithereens, from Carteret, New Jersey, were formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio (vocals & guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar & vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar & vocals), and Dennis Diken (drums & percussion) . This lineup continued until 2006, when Mesaros left the band and Severo “The Thrilla” Jornacion took over on bass guitar.

The Smithereens are known for writing and playing catchy 1960s-influenced power pop. The group gained some publicity when a single from its first album, “Blood and Roses”, was included on the soundtrack for, and as the theme song of the 1986 Albert Pyun movie, Dangerously Close, and the video was in rotation on MTV.

Along with a basic Eastern-coast roots-rock sound that owed much to the inspirations of DiNizio, including Buddy Holly, The Who, The Clash, Elvis Costello, and Nick Lowe, the Smithereens deployed a uniquely retro obsession with Mod, the late British Invasion pop and other artifacts of fifties and sixties culture that lent its music substance.

The Smithereens album, 11, charted on the Billboard in 1990, the hit single from it, “A Girl Like You” was originally written to be the title track for the 1989 Cameron Crowe film. “Say Anything…”. “Blood And Roses” is often credited as the bands most well known song to date.

The Smithereens have collaborated with numerous musicians, both in the studio (Suzanne Vega and Belinda Carlisle) and live (Graham Parker and The Kinks).

The name Smithereens comes from the famous cartoon character, Yosemite Sam quote, “Varmint, I’m a-gonna blow you to smithereens!”

The group actively tours. Their next studio album is expected to be released in fall 2009.

See the complete Music Fest 2009 Schedule.

The Smithereens- A Girl Like You:

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