Finds A Saint On His Birthday

(Staff writer Frank McGuire attended Pat DiNizio's SONGS AND SOUNDS release party, and here's what he observed...)

Pat DiNizio officially kicked off the release of his first solo work, SONGS & SOUNDS (Velvel) on Saturday night, October 11, with a record-release (and surprise birthday) celebration at The Saint in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Pat cut through the near-capacity crowd at about 11:45 pm EDT, hopping onstage and grabbing a silver-specked Epiphone electric guitar. (Funny, never saw him use one of them before .... and why are two mics and amps set up if Pat's playing "solo acoustic?") Hmmm ....

Pat fired up the guitar and opened with Running Jumping Standing Still. Kudos to Pat for neatly turning the cumbersome-looking phrase into a catchy and melodic lyric. Aside from Lennon-McCartney or Marshall Crenshaw, Pat's the only other songwriter I know who could turn such a Houdini-esque trick.

Pat then grabbed his Gretsch acoustic (same as pictured in the Velvel promo concert posters) and requested the audience to "bear with" him while he did a few new tunes, and this would be the first live performance for some. But he promised to take requests later. (The audience was too content with the set to ask for requests, except for White Castle Blues later in the night. That request was turned down by Pat's "special guest").

Photo by F.McGuire Playing up to his standards.

Pat then ran through Elaine, Something New, [from GREEN THOUGHTS] Kiss Your Tears Away [from 11], Girl in Room 12, Evening Dress [from BLOW UP], and Life is so Beautiful [from DATE]. Nice to hear these chestnuts in solo-acoustic versions, where the songs' solid structures really stand up.

Pat's vocals were especially cutting and passionate in Evening Dress and it was probably the best live performance of the tune I've ever heard.

Pat then performed Somewhere Down The Line off SONGS AND SOUNDS, introducing it as something off the new release, but he never actually identified SONGS & SOUNDS by name. (Say it loud, strong and often, Pat. It's definitely something to be proud of!) Pat encouraged the crowd to sing the chorus, and they picked up on it quickly.

Afternoon Tea, [from DATE] A Room Without A View, [from 11] and another new song, No Love Lost, closed out the "first half" of the show. No Love Lost, as I've said in a previous review of SONGS is one of Pat's finest tunes - lyrically and musically. Again, Pat's vocals seemed just a but more impassioned on this tune, and he improvised the sax solo from the studio version.

Pat then asked "Jimmy of the Smithereens!" to join him for the rest of the set.

Jim also cut his way from the back of the room to the stage, shaking hands and accepting pats on the back from the reinvigorated crowd. The excitement level definitely climbed a few notches (perhaps up to 11) as Jim grabbed his silver Epiphone. Jim proclaimed it was time to embarrass Pat since "it's his birthday tomorrow." But since it was already after midnight, "it's my birthday TODAY!" Pat countered. A cake with candles instantly appeared from the side of the stage and the crowd bust into a rousing "Happy Birthday!" to Pat, who blew out the candles and proudly exclaimed "I still got it!"

Photo by F.McGuire Pat takes the cake.

With Pat couting off, Jimmy then kicked into the intro from Miles From Nowhere, [from DATE] which was almost drowned out from a resounding cheer. Pat cast the spotlight on Jim's Smithereens Songbook with Love Is Gone [from DATE], Cut Flowers [11], Now and Then [BLOW UP], and Point of No Return [DATE]. Jim and Pat were clearly having fun doing all of Jim's tunes, although in an informal and improvised fashion. However, Jim admitted that they hadn't had time to completely work out the two-man arrangements of his tunes. So every once in a while, there was a forgotten lead or bungled lyric. "He's doing my tunes, Jim pointed to Pat, and I don't know them!"

When in doubt, Jim good-naturedly made up a guitar riff, or just stopped if he wasn't sure. "We didn't have time to rehearse. Does it show?" Jim asked the crowd. "Does it matter?" asked Pat. "Did it ever matter?" Jim quipped back. More than once he doubled over in laughter at Pat's expressions. During Behind the Wall Of Sleep [from ESPECIALLY], Pat challenged him to play the lead perfectly without any other help, as Mike and Dennis weren't there.

Photo by F.McGuire Playing it by ear.

After Jim did, he pointed out that it would be the perfect time "for another beer." A cold one made its way from the bar to the stage, and crowd broke into a "chug!chug!chug!" chant. "Oh, ya want the beer trick, eh?" Jim chuckled, and then downed the brew in one hefty swig.

"Thank you for 18 years of beer tricks!" Pat said.

Only a Memory and House We Used To Live In [from GREEN THOUGHTS] followed before Pat said they'd end the set with Blood & Roses [ESPECIALLY].

"He, Jimmy, pull out a bass guitar, will you?" Pat asked. Jim played a makeshift bass line to open the song, and it was comical to see the two trade licks during the song, looking momentarily stumped in the spots where Dennis and Mike would normally come in.

Pat then thanked the crowd for coming, and Jimmy grabbed his arm, hoisting it as if Pat had just won a prize fight by a knockout. Pat grabbed Jimmy around the neck, pecked him affectionately on the forehead and gave him a hug. Much like the Everly Brothers, you can see the common admiration and affection these two have for each other. No, not brothers through bloodlines, but there is a definite bond between them.

Pat hopped back on stage and said he'd close the show with A Girl Like You [11], but only if Jimmy would return for the guitar solo. With nearly the entire crowd singing along, one of the Smithereens' best-known tunes capped the set.

Pat once again thanks Jimmy, and asked everyone not only to buy his new release, but to go out and get the Smithereens' new release next year.

Ironically, the band's home state has been sorely deprived of recent musical sightings of multiple Smithereens. But within a month Pat and Jim have peformed as a duo twice (the other time being the UNSCENE music festival).

However, since it was a SONGS release party, it was a bit disappointing to only hear three tunes from it. Granted, most of the audience probably was unfamiliar with the new tunes, and maybe Pat didn't want to give all of them the "unplugged" treatment, but SONGS is too strong of a record to go unnoticed, or to serve as filler in between Smithereens tunes. I'm sure the Pat DiNizio Foursome will work up fiery band versions of everything on SONGS, but it would have been nice to hear a few more before the start of the official SONGS tour.