The Smithereens Go To Church
The venerable Nashville institution of the Grand Ole Opry started in 1925 as a radio show. In 1943, the Ryman Auditorium, built in 1892 as a church, started hosting the program until 1974 when Opryland was built. Now, the Ryman hosts artists of all genres. On January 24, Hoboken’s Smithereens took the stage. Original members Jim Babjack (guitar) and Dennis Diken (drums) were joined by bassist Severo Jornacion and singer Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms. The sound was pristine. “Blood And Roses,” “Only A Memory” and “A Girl Like You” never sounded better.
Throughout the night, the band was very respectful and paid tribute to original singer-songwriter Pat Dinizio who passed away in 2017 at age 62. Wilson confided to the crowd as to what a huge influence The Smithereens had on the Gin Blossoms. His passionate performances on every song proved that. Other notable singers including Marshall Crenshaw and Susan Cowsill have fronted the band since Dinizio’s untimely passing. (Crenshaw will be back upfront in Rancho Mirage California March 2 at the Agua Calente Casino.)
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Mr. Big, on its farewell tour, which goes all the way to August, headlined the show. Singer Eric Martin is in fine form. On his solo tours, he uses Steve Brown and PJ Farley of Trixter. Brown, who is also in Def Leppard, can be seen in the upcoming documentary, The Jersey Sound. Farley also performs in pro wrestler Chris Jericho’s Fozzy. Jericho is also in the doc, as is Mark Mulch, a Toms River singer-songwriter now based in Nashville, who helped write this report.