Time and Time Again: A Celebration of Pat DiNizio Count Basie Theatre 1/13/2018

 Originally billed as the first public concert at the Count Basie Theatre in its club format, The Smithereens and Patty Smyth & Scandal were scheduled to perform on Saturday January 13th. A few days after the show was announced, Pat DiNizio the lead singer of The Smithereens passed away. The show then became a tribute to Pat entitled Time and Time Again: A Celebration of Pat DiNizio.
  Little Steven Van Zandt was originally scheduled to host the event as this was part of his Underground Garage series. He remained as host and also performed a couple songs with The Smithereens.
  Along with Little Steven, deejays Jim Monaghan and Ken Dashow acted as MC's for most of the show, with Ken Dashow leaving early since he had a program to get ready for the following morning.
  The show started with the 3 of them addressing the crowd and talking a little bit about Pat. Steven then introduced Patty Smyth and Scandal who performed a great set of songs that was split between Scandal songs and some of her solo songs. They also performed a version the Rolling Stones Paint it Black as a tribute to Pat. Patty Smyth's voice is still strong and her band included original guitarist Keith Mack.
   After a quick clearing of the stage, a video tribute was played with artists such as Willie Nile, Graham Parker, Pete Yorn, Southside Johnny and many others talking about Pat. Another short video tribute followed and then the remaining members of The Smithereens(Guitarist Jim Babjak, Drummer Dennis Diken, and both original bass player Mike Mesaros and current bass player Severo Jornacion) backed many friends and fans of the band singing lead vocals including Little Steven, Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms, Dave Davies of The Kinks, The Grip Weeds, Tony Shanahan and Lenny Kaye of Patti Smith's band who were also members of The Slaves of New Brunswick along with Jim Babjak, and many more.  Mike Mesaros handled the bulk of the bass duties, with Severo adding backing vocals a few times and taking over bass duties for a couple songs.
   Producer Ed Stasium played keyboard most of the night and said a few words prior to Robin Wilson's performance of Behind the Wall of Sleep.
   Jim Monaghan and Ken Dashow also read tributes from Suzanne Vega and Garland Jeffreys before The Smithereens first song.
    Towards the end of the show, White Castle donated a couple hundred cheeseburgers which were given to the crowd prior to a performance of White Castle Blues. Babjak also mentioned that White Castle donated $10,000 to The Pat Dinizio Scholarship which will go towards music education for children.
   A great night of music by one of the most underrated rock bands, all for an incredibly sad reason.
   God bless Pat DiNizio.

  Here are the setlists:





           Patty Smyth and Scandal

              Trust in Me
              Hands Tied
              No Mistakes
              Shine
              Never Enough
              Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough
              Downtown Train
              Paint It Black(Rolling Stones cover)
              The Warrior

       
           The Smithereens

               Sorry-Little Steven
               Only a Memory-Richard Barone
               Blues Before and After-Robin Wilson
               Green Thoughts-Robin Wilson
               Strangers(Dave Davies song)-Dave Davies with Dennis Diken
               Baby Be Good-ZouZou Monsour
               Now and Then-The Grip Weeds & Kenny Margoles
               Drown in My Tears-Kenny Howes
               Behind the Wall of Sleep-Robin Wilson
               All Things Must Pass(George Harrison cover)-John Jorgenson, The Grip Weeds, Richard Barone
               Even If I Never Get Back Home-Marshall Crenshaw
               Well Alright(Buddy Holly cover)-Marshall Crenshaw
               Strangers When We Met-Marshall Crenshaw
               Cut Flowers-Richard Barone
               Blue Period-Jim Monaghan and Kenny Howes
               Life Is So Beautiful-Jim Babjak
               Cigarette-Freedy Johnston
               In a Lonely Place-Freedy Johnston
               Especially For You-Ted Leo
               Miles From Nowhere-Ted Leo
               I Don't Want To Lose You-Dennis Diken
               Top of The Pops-Bebe Buell
               War For My Mind-Mike Mesaros
                Please Please Me(Beatles cover)-Graham Maby
                She's Got a Way-Tony Shanahan and Lenny Kaye
                One Look At You-The Grip Weeds
                Nobody Loves Forever-Freedy Johnston
                House That We Used To Live In/Sparks(Who cover)-Severo Jornacion
                Time And Time Again-Peter Zaremba and Keith Streng of The Fleshtones
                Blood and Roses-Robin Wilson
             
                White Castle Blues-Jim Babjak
                Girl Like You-Little Steven and ZouZou Monsour

Ken Dashow, Jim Monaghan & Little Steven

Patty Smyth & Scandal

Smithereens & Little Steven

Richard Barone

Robin Wilson

Dave Davies

ZouZou Monsour

The Grip Weeds

Kenny Howes

John Jorgenson, The Grip Weeds & Richard Barone

Marshall Crenshaw

Jim Monaghan & Kenny Howes

Severo Jornacion & Jim Babjak

Freedy Johnston

Bebe Buell

Mike Mesaros

Graham Maby

Lenny Kaye & Tony Shanahan

Keith Streng & Peter Zaremba

             
             

                             

Merry Christmas

In Memoriam - Pat Dinizio

Rest in Peace

Old Dominion - Starland Ballroom 11/3/2017

  Old Dominion's show at Starland Ballroom was the fastest selling country show ever at The Starland Ballroom in Sayerville New Jersey. Not bad for a band which has played 3 times in the area over the past year and a half.

  This time around they have a new album to promote, so the setlist was changed quite a bit from last year when the played at the Stone Pony.

  The played all but one song from their first album, a bulk of their new album, Family Values, and a couple songs which they have co-written for other artists.

   Opening for Old Dominion is Australian singer Morgan Evans, who performed a solo set where he interspersed several cover songs into his own songs. His set included his own songs Kiss Somebody, Day Drunk and Everything Changes, while touching on such songs as the Blacked Eyed Peas I've Got a Feeling, Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud, Andy Grammar's Shut Up and Dance With Me and Sam Hunt's Body Like a Back Road. He also did a sampling of 3 songs he grew up on, Tom Petty's I Won't Back Down, Keith Urban's I Want To Love Somebody and Bruce Springsteen's Dancing in the Dark.

    Old Dominion made it clear that they were having a great time and that the Starland crowd was one of the best they had. They broke from the written setlist to see if the crowd would want to hear a specific song, They said they hear requests for Half Empty and Shoe Shopping and polled the crowd as to which they would play. They decided to play both.

   Here's hoping the come back before they open for Kenny Chesney next August at Metlife Stadium.

   Here is the setlist.

                       Snapback

                       Crazy Beautiful Sexy
                       Said Nobody
                       Written in the Sand
                       Beer Can in a Truck Bed
                       No Such Thing As a Broken Heart
                       Not Everything's About You
                       Half Empty
                       Shoe Shopping
                       Be With Me
                       Break Up With Him
                       Hotel Key
                       Make You Miss Me(Sam Hunt song)
                       New York At Night
                       Can't Get You
                       Save It For a Rainy Day(Kenny Chesney song)
                       My Hometown(Bruce Springsteen cover) / Nowhere Fast
                       Wrong Turns

                       So You Go
                       Song For Another Time

                    

Happy Halloween

The Psychedelic Furs - Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ 10/11/2017

  For the first time, I was able to see The Psychedelic Furs, as they brought their Singles tour to Red Bank the other night.

 In the early years of MTV, I always remember seeing their video for Love My Way pretty much daily. A song I liked but never loved, but have grown fond of over the years. I'm sure partly due to nostalgia, but also because it is a pretty catchy song.

  Fortunately, they have many good songs which I was familiar with, and many more I was not familiar with.

  Brothers Richard and Tim Butler are the only remaining original members, but the current line up was more than able to hold their own. They were bot just back up players, but a band. Ex Waitresses saxophonist Mars Williams was outstanding as he played, what seemed like, non stop from the moment the Furs came out.

   Tommy Stinson of the Replacements opened the show with his band Bash & Pop. His set consisted of originals and a cover of the Who's The Kid's Are Alright.
    Here are the setlists, Unfortunately I was not familiar with Bash & Pop so any title which I am not sure of I follow with a question mark(?).



                          Bash & Pop

                             Not This Time

                             Fast & Hard

                             On the Rocks

                             Bad News?

                             Brave Enough?

                             Just One?

                             Too Late

                             Make it Easier?

                             The Kids Are Alright(Who cover)

                             ???????????

                             Not a Moment Too Soon

                             Unf#@k You

                             Anything Could Happen

                          Psychedelic Furs

                              Dumb Waiter

                              We Love You

                              Mr. Jones

                              Pretty in Pink

                              Danger

                              Love My Way

                              Run and Run

                              Until She Comes

                              The Ghost in You

                              Heartbeat

                              Angels Don't Cry

                              All That Money Wants

                              Heartbreak Beat

                              Don't Be a Girl

                              House

                              Heaven

                             Sister Europe

                             India

                             President Gas

                             

 

Bash & Pop

 

 

Psychedelic Furs