The "concert" opened with "Only A Memory" into "House That We Used To Live In"..... Pat covered material from every Smithereens album, "Behind The Wall Of Sleep", "Blood and Roses", "Yesterday Girl", "Top Of The Pops", "Cigarette", etc.....one or two songs from Pat's solo record (I think "Everyday World", but I may be wrong), as well as "She Got A Way" from "God Save The Smithereens".
Pat was in a great mood, and kept the show loose and request friendly -- no set list, and his new PA system sounded amazing in the living room...
I would guess the first set lasted 90-100 minutes.... then a quick break..... then another 25 - 30 minutes.... a few more Smithereens tunes as well as a few non-Smithereens songs.... The Beatles "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away".. Springsteen's "Downbound Train", even REM's "Talk About The Passion"......and the show ended up with "A Girl Like You".
This musical “blast from Pat's past and present” consisted of a band he produced, a person who produced DiNizio's band, as well as colleagues who have been a part of Pat's posse in one way or another over the years. Onstage, Pat described Near as “a wonderful group who I had a slight hand in producing their record”. This five-member band, which includes two women vocalists/songwriters, a bassist, a drummer and a violinist, played a lively set that evening and even debuted some new material. I only got to see "Near's" and “Enemies of the Oyster's” set in addition to Pat's. Also on the bill was Don Fleming who produced the new Smithereens album, “God Save the Smithereens” and who Pat heralded as “the best. He can out-drink anyone in the world”. Other, perhaps more employable talents of Fleming's, include producing such bands as Sonic Youth, Hole, Screaming Trees and Alice Cooper besides formerly belonging to the bands “Velvet Monkey” and “Gumball” before going the solo route. “Thrill Cycle” has its DiNizio connection via bandmember John Rokosny, who was the one-time fill-in for Jim Babjak back in 1986 and who also played electric tremolo rhythm guitar on “Listen To Me Girl”. The bands “Crab” and “Enemies of the Oyster”, their moody monikers being an apparent misnomer, obviously represented Pat's “friendly” crustaceous relations.
As the ringmaster of this rock'n roll circus, Pat DiNizio appropriately performed his act on a net (the internet) with a little clowning thrown in for good measure. Reportedly, the show was cybercast at Collegemusic.com and will be archived there in the future. Pat began his all-acoustic set with “She's Got a Way” from the Smithereens' new album, “God Save the Smithereens”. This was one of the highlights of the show for me. The other stand-out was “No Love Lost” (a solo DiNizio number from “Songs and Sounds”). These acoustic versions really seemed to strip the songs down to their basics - allowing a true and raw emotion to emerge in their spare renditions. As performed that evening, “She's Got a Way” brought to the forefront a sincere and unconditional love for his daughter, Liza, while the achingly wrenching “No Love Lost” seemed to mournfully chronicle a deep love once found but then lost. Both were touching in their own different ways.
This proved to be an introspective set for several reasons. “Somewhere Down the Line”, which was also included in the show (from Pat's solo album), contains lyrics that appear to dwell on one of the low points in the Smithereens' career. As sung by Pat acoustically, it seemingly mined a particular time of uncertainty in his life and a difficult time with the band. Its reflective nature was well-suited to this unplugged format where the songwriter, who once lived it, stood alone there on stage and convincingly evoked empathy in this period piece. Ironically, this song of supposed dissolution has been performed frequently by the Smithereens themselves in concert lately as if serving as a testimonial to the band's perseverance.
Other songs played included “Blood and Roses”, “Room Without a View”, “Yesterday Girl” and “Behind the Wall of Sleep”. Midway through “Behind the Wall of Sleep”, Pat parodied the obligatory rock guitar solo by announcing “guitar!” While playing the solo, someone in the crowd screamed “Jimmy” in tribute to the Smithereen who usually assumes that duty. Pat then did the opposite of what one might expect by repeatedly strumming a single note over and over again in a jokingly exaggerated minimalist manner. Perhaps you could say it was more playfully punk than funk.
Overall, it was a pleasurable celebration of mostly Smithereens classics given the stamp of ownership by the man who originally wrote (or co-wrote) and still sings them. As a preview to Pat's Strangers on a Refrain/Living Room Tour now underway, the show was a nice indication of things to come for those who will be lucky enough to see him perform an even longer set in that rare “up close and personal” concert environment.
Pardon me now while I digress and relate a personal anecdote that pokes fun at my own expense. Recently, as you may have noticed, word has gotten out to the media that Pat DiNizio is, indeed, running for the New Jersey State Senate this year. Petitions have already circulated to put him on the ballot and people have enthusiastically supported his run by signing them. One of the exciting developments of this senate run is that a good friend of mine, Rob, has been filming a documentary of this campaign with Pat's cooperation. As Rob's friend, I have been lucky enough to watch from the sidelines as this project unfolds.
Now, as it turns out, Pat had asked Rob to film this particular CBGB's Gallery concert, but my filmmaker buddy had a major emergency at the very last minute and I ended-up being asked to fill-in for him by default. I really know basically nothing about video cameras, but felt I would at least try my best to get the footage for him. To make matters worse, Rob's camera had unexpectedly “died” and I also had to scramble in order to get a new one to use in time for the show. It was already late in the afternoon, I was at work, and the show would be going on in only a few hours. Like our future senate nominee, I also live in New Jersey and still had to make the hour or so commute into the city to make it in time for the show. To try and simplify a long story, I finally tracked down a camera, got the battery as fully charged as I could in the allotted time remaining, got directions, and basically made it into the club with barely five minutes to spare before Pat actually walked on stage.
By this time, I'm already somewhat (okay, make that “totally”) stressed-out from all of the running around and the unsettling concept of having to use an unfamiliar camera. Pat strides onto the stage and I immediately begin operating the camera while his performance unfolds. So there I am – so intent on simultaneously learning how to operate the camera, trying to ever so “artfully” frame and zoom in and out on Pat as well as follow his movements on stage, that I totally “zone out” on the music and concentrate solely on the shots. Suddenly, four songs into the set, I see Pat through my camera lens turning towards me and asking: “Todd, do you have any requests?” I hear my name being called and slowly snap out of my “camera zone”. This is one of those rare opportunities that a Smithereens fan lives for. What obscure song should I request – perhaps something dating back to my very first Smithereens album, “Especially For You” that I bought upon its initial release – or maybe some rarity or B-side? Naturally, in the end, I “choked”. I then put my best foot forward and put the other foot in my mouth. I lamely call out the first song that comes into my head after emerging from my fog. “Only a Memory? “ I half-ask and blurt out. There is this deathly silence. Pat then gives me this pained expression and says: “I already played that”. Sure enough, upon reviewing the footage after the fact, there it is. Like some horrible moment reminiscent of a Zapruder assassination film (where, instead, I end-up dying a “thousand deaths” in embarrassment), Pat had indeed already performed “Only a Memory” as the second song in his set. I probably would have crawled under a rock if there had been one handy at the time.
Anyway, I basically lucked-out and the not so fully “juiced” camera battery lasted a mere five extra minutes after Pat's forty minute set was over. The shoot turned out alright, I guess, although it probably leaned a bit more towards “shakey cam” than steadicam footage in the end. As it turns out, I didn't actually get to fully enjoy the concert until I got to watch the video later on. Upon further inspection, at the end of “Behind the Wall of Sleep”, Pat jokingly stuck his tongue out at the camera and me. So much for that theory about the camera being some sort of “third wall” which renders it invisible between the photographer and the subject.
By the way, on a related note, you can check out Pat's senate campaign website on the internet. You can probably be forgiven if you originally thought that this was some publicity ploy for the new Smithereens album, but I assure you that Pat is totally serious about his campaign. This is not one of those “Joe Walsh for President” situations. DiNizio has the backing of the Reform Party and he is absolutely sincere about becoming a senator. He has explained that he wants to make the world a better place to grow up in for his daughter. It has also been said that this may be Pat's way of giving something back for all that he has been fortunate enough to receive in his life. If you're an interested registered voter from New Jersey, petitions to put him on the ballot have been circulating at the Living Room tour shows for you to sign. More information, including how to become a volunteer, may be obtained from the DiNizio2000 website. More info will be added to the site later. Between the unique living room tours and Pat's upcoming senate race, these are exciting times, indeed, for Smithereens and Pat DiNizio fans.
Second Set:
No Love Lost
Everything I Have Is Blue
Blue Period
Kiss Your Tears Away
Elaine
Run For Your Life (The Beatles)
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (The Beatles)
All Revved Up
Miles from Nowhere
War For My Mind
A Girl Like You
Pat DiNizio's Living Room Tour hit Nutley, NJ (and none of the Sopranos - thanks Pat! - were there) last friday night and those who attended were privy to a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The 50-plus people got to mingle with a real life rock star for a few minutes before Pat sat down with acoustic guitar in hand and dished out close to two hours of incredible music. Being the gentleman he is, Pat was more than happy to use a set list written up by the host himself (yours truly) and played just about anything and everything you could want.
Kicking off a little after 9:00 with "Only A Memory," the show continued as if the VH1 Storytellers series was being filmed in my living room! "She's Got A Way" (Pat explained it was not about a lover but about his daughter Liza) was followed by "House That We Used To Live In," "Somewhere Down The Line," "Behind The Wall Of Sleep" (an early standout) and "Yesterday Girl."
During the set, Pat played as many requests as he could, including Buddy Holly's "Well All Right" and the Beatles' "Run For Your Life" and "You've Got To Hide Away." Of course "Blood And Roses" was incredible as were several songs I've never seen the band play ("Kiss Your Tears Away," "No Love Lost").
When Pat ended with "A Girl Like You," the two hours seemed like two minutes. Everyone had a fantastic time. If Pat's appearing in a living room near you, don't you dare miss it!
I decided to go to a Living Room show because I was hosting my own in the spring and wanted to get a feel for how another show was being presented. I also wanted to say hello to Pat and, of course, listen to some great music. Tom was generous enough to answer my inquiry and invite me into his beautiful home.
The atmosphere was terrific. As soon as Pat broke out his guitar and started playing "Only A Memory", most of the crowd sat on the floor and listened intently; the Smithereens fans silently mouthed the song to themselves, not wanting to interfere with their enjoyment of Pat's vocals. Pat was extremely at ease, bantering with the crowd between songs and interrupting songs to cheerfully greet people who came in after the show started. From beginning to end, the audience was low-key, relaxed, and receptive to any song Pat played, including requests that were yelled to the artist of honor by some of the more astute fans.
After playing a string of the Smithereens' greatest hits (as well as "Somewhere Down The Line" from his solo album), one of those astute fans [who I believe was a very handsome fella, as well! :)] requested Buddy Holly's classic "Well Alright". As many Smithereens fans already know, Pat is a huge fan of Buddy Holly's music, and he took some time to explain to the crowd Buddy's influence on his songwriting. He then proceeded to give a passionate rendition of the song; his voice was the strongest it had been all evening, and it sounded like he was thoroughly enjoying playing a song he usually doesn't play live. When he was done, he got a big hand from the audience. It was the highlight of the evening.
That was near the end of the first set. Pat's second set consisted of some lesser-known Smithereens songs (Including "Elaine", the first song Pat ever wrote) and a couple of Beatles covers that were requested from the crowd. When he was sketchy on a song, he was able to joke around a little while he felt his way to the right groove to get the song going. Other songs in the set were very difficult to pull off acoustically ("All Revved Up", "Miles From Nowhere"), but Pat played them expertly, finishing the set with another one of those type of songs, the monster hit "A Girl Like You".
After finishing nearly two hours of great music, Pat mingled with the crowd before he packed up to go home, giving fans an opportunity to hang out with one of their favorite songwriters. It was a genuinely exciting experience for everyone who showed up on a cold January evening.
You can find the best pictures I took of this performance here.
P.S. As I said earlier, I'm putting on a Living Room show of my own in Hackensack, NJ, on May 20. It should be great. It will be outdoors, so a barbecue and other outdoor activities will be included. If you are interested in attending, please send me an e-mail.
Pat did indeed open the show AND close the show with "Only A Memory" (note to Todd Sinclair---apparently Pat WILL play this song twice if asked nicely, but only if you acknowledge the fact that you are aware he already played it.). The songs that stood out the most in my mind in between those two points weren't other Smithereens standards, but the goofy sing-along cover songs and obscure requests that Pat granted us without too much arm-twisting. From the first obligatory concert shout out of "FREEBIRD!!", Pat was ready to play along with the mood of the crowd, and went into "Sweet Home Alabama" without missing a beat...what followed that was a virtual onslaught of bits and pieces of classic rock standbys that had half the room bowled over laughing, and the other half singing along at full volume with glasses held high---"18" by Alice Cooper, "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath---i could have sworn he started playing "Stairway to Heaven" before he laughed and thought better of it....never let it be said that Pat doesn't know how to work a crowd! He also did some more serious covers--"Well, Alright" by Buddy Holly, and a Beatles song or two, but my favorite by far was his version of "Talk About the Passion" by R.E.M. (combien du temps, Pat, combien du temps!!!).
In between sets, I put in a plea for some of my favorite Smithereens songs that I've never heard him play live before, and he graciously obliged. The stripped down acoustic versions of "Get A Hold of My Heart" and "Evening Dress" were so incredibly beautiful that I'm still kicking myself to this day for not bringing a tape recorder to document the moment. He also played a stirring rendition of my favorite non-released track, "Love Runs Wild" ---actually, I think it's available for download from Pat's basement tapes collection on LiquidAudio.com, so if you haven't heard it, I highly recommend surfing over there and giving it a listen---in my opinion, it's one of the sweetest songs he's ever written, and it deserves at least a bit more recognition if not a slot on a CD one day.
All in all, I think a memorable, albeit fuzzy night was had by all. If you get a chance to attend one of these unique living room shows, by all means, GO!!! Thanks for putting up with us, Pat, we had a blast....and I promise to remain completely in focus and together for the next one :) ....viva chalupas!
Soundcheck:
Room Without A View
Blues Before And After
Nobody But Me
Show Starts - 8:15: Set One
Only A Memory
Cigarette
Somewhere Down The Line
Behind Blue Eyes (Who)
Yesterday Girl
Alone At Midnight
Crazy Mixed Up Girl
Groovy Tuesday
Everything Changes
I'll Be Back Again (Beatles)
The Long Loneliness
She's Got A Way
House We Used To Live In
Behind The Wall Of Sleep
Over And Over
Nobody But Me
Blues Before And After (Blues Arrangement)
Intermission
Set Two:
Well Alright (Buddy Holly)
124 MPH
All Revved Up
Tired Of Waiting For You (Kinks)
Blood And Roses
Sick Of Seattle (Snippet)
Room Without A View
Blue Period
Top Of The Pops
Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne)
A Girl Like You
Pat was in excellent voice and mesmerized the audience with his intensity and prodigious guitar playing and attack. True to area's heritage, the crowd was a bit conservative but were totally immersed in the performance. They relished his stories and humor. During intermission and after the show, he met and talked with everyone and signed autographs. I couldn't imagine him playing any better or with more passion and enthusiasm. Yet, Pat stated to me afterwards it's only going to get better. Wow! The audience was dazzled by his immediate response to requests for "Behind Blue Eyes" and "Crazy Train." Not surprisingly, "Blood And Roses" fired up the crowd, as did "I'll Be Back Again." But, the best came last. His torrid, all-consuming read of "A Girl Like You" was phenomenal. On March 8th in Nashville, I can only hope Wild Oats Records is able to capture something close to what we heard in Portsmouth. I've only seen the Smithereens once - in Augusta, Georgia at a club called The Post Office. Pat was suffering from a throat ailment and wasn't sure he could sing that night. 75 minutes later, and if you hadn't heard his announcement about the condition before the first number, you would have never known he was having any problem with his voice. That same ethic and commitment to his host and audience was in fully display here in New Hampshire. He is the consummate professional, a gentleman and just a terrific human being. I consider it a great honor and privilege to have hosted the "Living Room Tour" in New Hampshire, and to have established a friendship with this incredible and legendary artist. A feature article appeared in the Portsmouth Herald. A freelance writer fed his stories to 4 other dailies and a bimonthly. The Eagle-Tribune in Andover, MA also ran an article. My press releases insured entertainment calendar entries in every local newspaper. I did wait a bit too late to work effectively with radio station giveaways and would recommend that if other hosts budget for this, get your slots booked well ahead of time. I also had a professional photographer take a pictures of Pat performing. His web site, postcard entry will describe our activities after the club closed. Check it out for some humor and Portsmouth history. This was an incredibly rewarding venture. I assure all future hosts, you're in for a remarkable evening. Enjoy.
It almost didn't happen. The city of Portland tried to shut us down for lack of a permit because we got too much publicity for the "living room." In the end, we moved Pat into a nearby rock club with a massive PA, and he held the roughly 80 people spellbound for 90 minutes. He opened with "Only A Memory" and then took requests. Highlights included "Cigarette," a sing-along version of "Yesterday Girl" and a slow, bluesy rendition of "Blues Before and After."
The highlight, in my opinion, was when Pat generously allowed my band, WOW, to back him up on three songs: Blood and Roses, Behind the Wall of Sleep and A Girl Like You. The house rocked, the crowd roared, and everyone left fully satisfied.
In short, it was a freakin' blast.
Lori and Jamie played an opening set with their band, "Next Steppe". Jamie confessed to me afterwards that he was a little nervous playing with Pat DiNizio in the audience, because this was the same man whose records he had been listening to as a fan for over fifteen years.
It also probably didn't help lower their stress levels when an armed burglary occurred only a few hours earlier at an adjacent apartment where they ended-up being eyewitnesses to the gunman in action.
After this opening act, Pat took to the hall's stage where a large American flag was draped on the wall directly behind him. With this prominent backdrop, he almost looked less like Pat and more like Patton. As if rallying the troops, DiNizio launched an attack on "Only a Memory". Leave it to Pat to have a sound system that cranks so loud, that even an acoustic concert can shake, rattle and rock 'n roll the joint. One of the speakers would eventually shake its way off of the stage due to the heavy vibrations and take a kamikaze-like nosedive onto the floor.
After his performance of "She's Got A Way" from the new album, Pat took a little break to tune his guitar. He made a joke about how his new brand of guitar strings called "Stay in Tune Strings" didn't seem to be living up to their name. He then performed a really nice, almost bluesier version, of "Nobody But Me" which threatened to go punk at any time.
Rock performances don't get much more personal than this as Pat took some requests and spoke directly to individuals in the audience. As befitting this intimate setting, Pat was able to have a dialog with an audience member who really needed to go to the bathroom, but hated to miss even a single second of the show. DiNizio camped it up and said it would be no problem whatsoever and he'd just wait for him to return. He then proceeded to whistle and look at his watch with feigned impatience while the gentleman departed. After a little more time transpired, Pat smiled and said: "I lied" and then ferociously strummed the familiar opening chords of "Behind the Wall of Sleep". During the chorus, DiNizio tried to lead an audience sing-along, but they seemed too shy to help out much. Trying to be helpful, Jamie, the musician, remarked jokingly from the audience that he could "play it". Pat gave him a comical look, as if saying "big deal", and replied with a playful tone of voice: "So can I".
DiNizio peformed "A World Apart" from his solo album and commented that it was really a "country and western song". Before doing "Everything I Have Is Blue", Pat explained that this was from an album that seemed to lyrically and unconsciously foreshadow his impending divorce. A wonderfully bluesy version of (appropriately) "Blues Before and After" had its origins traced back to certain Black Sabbath chords. Pat demonstrated this by plucking a few borrowed and vaguely similar sounding notes from their music catalog. Earlier, Pat paid a tribute to this same band by playing their song "Paranoid" and making it his own. In his acoustic version, the song was frenetic and rousing. It never would have crossed my mind that this would be a suitable DiNizio cover, but after hearing it, it seemed like an inspired choice. He applied his own unique interpretation to the tune. Here's hoping that this song and the revamped version of "Blues Before and After" make it onto the upcoming Living Room Tour performance CD.
Although perhaps not technically a "living room" stop on the tour in the strictest sense of the term, it was certainly an "alive room". Always the affable host, Pat mingled after the show, signed several Smithereens and solo album covers as well as taking plenty of photo ops with excited fans. The show was a real treat and a rare opportunity to see Pat DiNizio in what seems to be his natural environment - playing music that matters to an appreciative audience that cares.
Pat followed and played with the backdrop of a huge American flag with a set list of:
Only a Memory
Somewhere Down the Line
Especially For You
She's Got a Way
Nobody But Me
Behind the Wall of Sleep
I'll Be Back (The Beatles
A World Apart
Blood and Roses
Everything Changes
Everything I Have Is Blue
Elaine (request)
Time and Time Again (request)
Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
Lynyrd Skynyrd song snippet
Blues Before and After
A Girl Like You
Though the hall wasn't packed, he played as if he was at Wembley Stadium. The stars and stripes draped behind made it feel more like July than Janurary, and the best part was talking music with Pat about everyone from the Kinks to the Band. It was also great to share green thoughts with other Smithereens fans.
Pat and I met in Ann Arbor (Univ. of Michigan, an hour west of Detroit) about 1:30pm - he was chillin' in the big chair at the barber shop...he had come from a wild show the nite before in Cleveland, and though tired, was still on an emotional high...big props to the Cleveland promoters - Pat loved your gig !!
Then I had the pleasure of joining Pat in an Ann Arbor studio loft for the taping of "Acoustic Cafe", a radio show which is syndicated to about 50 stations around the country, heard generally on Sunday nites. Pat played "She's Got a Way", "I Believe" and "A World Apart" (my request), in between questions about the LRT and The Smithereens. As usual, Pat spoke his mind on several topics, including the state of pop music. This is a MUST LISTEN (hint: except for Grateful Dead and Phish fans). When Pat or I receive the broadcast date, I'll send it out !!
We were running behind schedule, so instead of doing a brief (but 60-min roundtrip in Friday rush hour traffic) scheduled in-store performance at Rock-a -Billy's CD's, Pat suggested to invite everybody waiting at Rock-a-Billy's to the gig at TeleVideo!! Needless to say, that went over big with the fans waiting at the store...this was a FREE show, withTeleVideo Studios supplying booze, food, and a stage decorated like a cozy living room. We then got AHEAD of schedule, which allowed Pat to do a sound check, visit with TeleVideo employees, and take an hour nap in his dressing room...he came on at 9 pm to a whooping, half-in-the-bag Friday nite-and-damn-ready-for-the-weekend-and-DiNizio crowd of about 100 of my closest friends...
In addition to Smithereen/Songs and Sounds favorites, Pat included the following covers:
"Eighteen" - Alice Cooper
"Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
"Hide Your Love Away" - The Beatles
"Sweet Home Alabama" (well, part of it) - Skynyrd
"The Seeker" - The Who
The nite was a blur- Pat was on for a long first set - 75 minutes and (15 or 16 songs). He took a break and mingled, signed stuff and chatted for about a half hour, and then came back for about 35 minutes (7 or 8 songs). As usual, Pat also told stories, joked, and busted his butt. He played his heart out and the crowd knew it and appreciated it. Pat hung out to pose for pictures with anybody who wanted them.
We carried his gear out of the the studio about midnite, and with a couple of friends in tow, hit a Taco Bell drive -thru, threw some logs on the fire, Miles Davis low on the stereo, and discussed music and politics till 4 am, sitting on my living room floor. As the flames flickered, Pat put out his last cigarette and said, "I better get some sleep - I've got a show in Chicago later tonite...what is it, Joe, about a five-hour drive ?"
He opened the night with "Only a Memory" and took requests the rest of the show. Where else can you see a rock star perform and take requests all night? Nowhere that I know. Here is the actual set list:
Only a Memory
She's got a way
Afternoon Tea (requested by my brother Marky)
Blood and Roses
Somewhere down the line
Yesterday Girl
Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
Blues Before and After (Claypton-"New" Layla style)
Behind the wall of sleep
Hide your love away (Beatles)
Elaine
Pat's Cigarette Break:
Blue Period
Kiss tears away
Cigarette
House we used to Live in (with me, Keith the host)
Especially for you
Alone at Midnight
Drown in my own tears
Too much passion
18 (Alice Cooper) wow!
Behind Blue eyes (Who)
Green Acres tv theme
Do it in the road (Beatles)
Venus (Shocking Blue)
Girl like you
Incredible show, great fun, and well worth everything invested. Pat is performing at his best. I highly recommend to anyone considering a living room tour to contact Pat.
I needn't have worried, though. Pat is a seasoned and professional showman through and through, and when he arrived back at the bar an hour before the show he was ready to go. He graciously granted an interview to a local cable access show and then circulated amongst the audience members to introduce himself. The concert resembled a press conference, with the cable crew, the webcast crew, and several fans who set up camcorders all rolling as the morning show host from our sponsoring radio station introduced Pat to a crowd of over 50 people. Pat immediately launched into the opening riffs of "Only A Memory" to begin the show.
Pat kept a lively and interactive pace going the entire evening, as he invited audience members to request their favorites. After the second or third song, the audience caught on to this and at one point, shouted so many different song titles that Pat paused and reflected for a moment before remarking, "I'm gratified to know that I've written that many songs!" He also shared the story of how The Smithereens toured for 15 months in support of "Especially For You" back in '86 and '87, and after all that time, he had only three weeks to pull together the tunes for their follow up record, "Green Thoughts." Since I know that "Green Thoughts" is widely known as a favorite amongst we hardcore Smithereens fans, we know that Pat performs well under pressure!
I don't think anyone in the audience would have known that Pat was not feeling well, except for the growing mound of used Kleenex accumulating on the stage. (Oh, okay, it was toilet paper. How many bars do you know that stock boxes of Kleenex?) His enthusiasm never wavered throughout the evening. Looking out into the faces in the audience, it was very apparent that everyone was enjoying the show immensely. An audience favorite was his rendition of "Behind the Wall of Sleep," which closed out the first set, during which he would occasionally surprise the audience by not singing a verse and letting all of us belt it out instead. We all obliged, some of the audience members in harmony, no doubt!
Pat refueled himself during the break with a bowl of tomato basil soup during the break, and headed back to the stage. He shared several stories with us about the circumstances that inspired him to write songs such as "Cigarette", "Blood and Roses" and "Maria Elena." Here's the entire set list:
Set One:
Only A Memory
She's Got a Way
Life is So Beautiful
Groovy Tuesday
Elaine
Hide Your Love Away (The Beatles)
The Seeker (The Who)
Yesterday Girl
Somewhere Down the Line
Everything I Have is Blue
Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
Blues Before and After
Behind the Wall of Sleep
Set Two:
Especially For You
Cigarette
Something New
Maria Elena
Well Alright (Buddy Holly)
Another Beatles song.... (sorry, it was getting late....)
House We Used to Live In
I Believe
Blood and Roses
Alone at Midnight
Behind Blue Eyes
Blue Period
Pat wrapped up the show by inviting the hostess of the show onstage and allowing her to fulfill a longtime fantasy by singing "Blue Period" with her! (I can die happy now.... it was truly an incredible experience to sing with my favorite musician!) It was obvious that Pat was bushed after the show, but he still signed countless autographs and posed for pictures. A podiatrist in the audience had the pleasure of whisking Pat off to his office to treat him for a problem that he's having with his foot.... and taking pictures during the office visit because he claimed no one would ever believe him unless he had proof.
Having only lived in Peoria for three years, organizing this show provided an opportunity to meet several others who also have great tastes in music. So many people came up to me after the show and thanked me for hosting it... and it was my pleasure, since listening to Pat's and The Smithereens music over the years is one of my favorite pastimes. For those of you who still have shows to come, get ready! What an incredible evening!
Don't take my word for it.... if you would like to see our show here in Peoria, watch the webcast! It will be available at the following address: http://dbn.davesworld.net/dinizio/
The show itself began at about 8:30pm. Jerry Raney and Joey Harris of the BeatFarmers opened and played for about 45 minutes. Some of the songs Jerry and Joey played included Hollywood Hills, Riverside and The Girl I Almost Married. As usual they were terrific! After they finished Pat took the stage and opened his set with "Only A Memory". It was awesome. He then followed up with a killer version of "House That We Used To Live In". The show lasted about two hours. I especially appreciated the stories Pat shared prior to playing Cigarette, and Blood and Roses. The show and the entire experience exceeded my expectations. Pat sounded incredible and everyone in the place was amazed at his ability to put on such a passionate show for all of us. The entire crowd had a blast and I would do it again in a minute. For those of you who are anxiously awaiting your shows, the wait will be well worth it as the man simply ROCKS!
Here is the list of songs he played: (not necessarily in order)
Only A Memory
House That We Use To Live In
Somewhere Down The Line
The Seeker
She's Got A Way
Behind The Wall Of Sleep
War From My Mind
Elaine
Well Alright
Maria Elena
Deep Black Lies
Blues Before And After
Cigarette
DownBound Train
Hide Your Love Away
Paranoid
Blue Period
Blood and Roses
Drown in My Own Tears
A Girl Like You (Great audience participation)
*Pat had a momentary lapse of memory during Drown in My Own Tears, so for some crazy reason I jumped up on stage and proceeded to butcher the song for him.
The set list:
Only a Memory
The Seeker
Yesterday Girl
She's Got a Way
Especially for You
Cigarette
Something New
A World Apart
Behind the Wall of Sleep
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Somewhere Down the Line
Room Without a View
Behind Blue Eyes
Over the Hills and Far Away
Over and Over Again
Set 2
Elaine
Everything Changes
Blue Period
Alone at Midnight
House We Used to Live In
Blood and Roses
Top of the Pops
Paranoid
Blues Before and After
Sick of Seattle
I Want to Know
Nobody But Me
Maria Elena
Well Alright
The evening started with the group for which I drum and sing , the Flatliners, playing a rousing 45 minute set to an enthusiastic crowd, no doubt fueled by Mike's 6% alc./vol. brew. Pat began the evening with "Only a Memory", his deep soulful voice and very complementary guitar work mesmerizing the crowd for two hours. For me the one song that put a tear in my eye and a shiver up my spine was "Especially for You", the mood he created in that one song was worth the price of admission alone. I was totally consumed for three plus minutes as Pat worked his magic. During "Somewhere Down the Line" his guitar became unplugged from the PA system. Without missing a beat he stepped into the middle of the crowd and continued as Ray Scott the Flatliners' bass player/soundman sprung into action to diagnose the problem and save the day.
Once plugged back in Pat made his way back to the microphone finishing the song to thunderous applause. The evening ended with him asking the group up for a couple of Smithereens tunes. As I passed by Pat to climb up on the drum riser he looked at me and said "if you guys don't know these songs I'll kill ya." I nervously laughed and said, "no problem we got you covered". Ray hit the opening bass line to "Blood and Roses" and the crowd went nuts filling the dance floor with gyrating bodies.
I thought it couldn't get any better when Pat and Dan Bauman (our guitar player in the Flatliners) hit the opening guitar riff to "A Girl Like You", I thought the roof was gonna come off the place, we had the crowd in a fever pitch by now. As we finished the song Pat turned to me, winked, and said "great job". At that very moment I felt the pressure of two and a half months of work making this the best show I could make it finally lift from my shoulders, in short I felt like I had finally arrived and it felt great. To be able to grace the same stage with a true gentleman and fine musician/songwriter, to say I felt honored is an understatement, I'm not sure I can put into words how I was feeling, but I wish I could bottle it and sell it, I'd be a very rich man.<> Pat graciously stayed after the show and signed autographs and took pictures for all who wanted. Mike Campbell (the brewmeister) fixed Pat up with a half gallon of ale and a to-go container of green chile stew. We hugged and I gave him some brief directions on how to get to El Paso, TX his next stop. As he climbed into his SUV he told me to stay in contact and not to be a stranger. Before I could realize it he was off into the night, as I walked back into the brew pub I gave myself a high five and said, "man you have arrived". Pat if you read this thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet and work with you on this historic tour, you are working your butt off and I commend you for it.
Pat arrived in town early that afternoon after driving from Cincinnati that morning. The man is amazing! I admire him for doing this tour. This is a real undertaking here, driving all over the country a few times over and playing night after night and he's doing it! He was in guitar shopping mode that day, but wasn't able to find the one he wanted. After soundchecking, Pat took off for a meal and a nap.
We had a full house for the show, and I'll take this part to thank all the people who helped Steve Haggard and I with this, and we had great support from our friends and Smithereen fans. It was truly an awesome night! Pat arrived right before I went on- I have to admit I was a little nervous, because he'd never seen me play live before! He is so down to earth, he was going around the club, meeting and talking to people. He is very accessible to his fans-which I find refreshing in this business. Too many artists get on star trips. Pat DiNizio is one of the nicest people I've ever known in this business. My friend and guitarist Steve McComb and I performed a set of our originals and then it was Pat's turn to take the stage. There was definitely an enthusiastic, vocal crowd to greet him! Pat did an INCREDIBLE show, well over 2 hours of Smithereens songs plus selections from "Songs and Sounds" (which is my favorite DiNizio music!), took requests from the audience over the course of the evening, and also pulled a few interesting covers out of his hat (pardon my pun). It truly takes a lot of talent to perform all by yourself with no band behind you, and let me tell you, Pat kept us going the whole night. From the first chords of "Only a Memory" it was time to rock! Pat had us all singing along with him on a lot of songs (in particular "Behind the Wall of Sleep", "House We Used to Live In", "Groovy Tuesday", to name a few). He really gets the audience involved in the show. I think you can really appreciate the songs more hearing them stripped down to the guitar and voice. Songs like "A World Apart", "Especially for You", "Deep Black Lies", and "Room Without a View" sound even better (to me) just like that! Pat has rearranged "Blues Before and After" to a slowed down blues and it is VERY cool! We weren't ready to let Pat leave after "Blood and Roses"- he came back and did a 4 song encore and invited me up to sing with him on "A Girl Like You", which was a thrill for me, to say the least! Afterwards, Pat did an interview for a webcast and graciously signed autographs for everyone. Then he was off for an early departure for New York. We had the best time and if you are hosting one of these shows, you are in for a treat! And if you haven't been to one of these shows, GO! GO! GO! This is truly a one of a kind event you don't want to miss. We look forward to Pat coming back here soon! Pat, I hope I did OK on this review for you!!!
Here are the songs:
First Set:
1) Only A Memory
2) Somewhere Down the Line
3) She's Got a Way
4) Behind the Wall of Sleep
5) Cigarette
6) Paranoid
7) Blues Before and After
8) Yesterday Girl
9) A World Apart
10) Something New
11) Everything Changes
12) Especially for You
Pat took a break here, then there was set 2:
Second Set:
1) Over and Over Again
2) Deep Black Lies
3) House We Used to Live In
4) Groovy Tuesday
5) The Seeker
6) Top of the Pops
7) Room Without a View
8) Maria Elena
9) Well All Right
10) Behind Blue Eyes
11) Blood and Roses
Encore:
1) Nobody But Me
2) Blue Period
3) Kiss Your Tears Away
4) A Girl Like You
The place was really hard to find, but when I got there I sat down and Pat walked past, we both said hello. Now, I don't want to sound like a crazed fan here,.. but I really am. It was like I was in heaven. Later when I went out to the patio where the show was being held, Pat walked right up to me immediately, shook my hand, and we introduced. I had never had the opportunity to meet the man, and it was an honor. For a while I couldn't get over the fact I was there, meeting the man himself.
Later, when the show was about to start, Pat got some help from a few of us die-hard fans in the front in the writing of his setlist for the night. He picked out his favorite stuff from all his albums, and I suggested "Everything Changes" and my personal favorite song of theirs and of ALL TIME, "Alone at Midnight". Pat thanked us for our input, and he proceeded to go onstage.
This particular event was being broadcast on the web via IQ Radio, I discovered. Pat blasted out some classics, starting with ones like "Cigarette", "Elaine", and "Behind the Wall of Sleep".. I was in tears for the first few songs, they were so beautiful and amazing in this intimate format. We were sitting right close up front, as per Pat's request.
I was surprised at how few people there knew who he was, as there were only a very scant few fans there who knew how incredible this event was. One of the best songwriters ever, and he draws such a small crowd. But the night was great, he was loose and joking with some relatively loud, annoying men to his right. He dedicated "Alone at Midnight" to me, it was great. Pat told some stories about the songs, in-between. He played an acoustic rendition of "Paranoid" and explained how "Blues Before and After" is pretty much the same thing, so he played an altered version of that. The night was good, many of us up front were singing along to all the Smithereens classics. At the end of his first set, he joked and commented how Nirvana's "About a Girl" is the same as "Blood and Roses" and so is an Oasis song.
Pat later continued to play more of his greats, mixed in with covers of his favorites and inspirations the Beatles, Buddy Holly, the Who, and a little Led Zeppelin for a kick and a sing-along. At the end of his sets, he would ask me how he did.. and I told him it was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen. I got the setlist for posterity and for slight help remembering the set, and he signed it for me. He was a real standup guy the whole night, his voice never sounded so rich. I told him what a great fan I was, and he promised to keep going as long as he was getting better with age. :)
The last song was the classic "A Girl Like You" and Pat played it with Maria Vidal, the woman who had sang it on his album. One of the best things I have ever seen. I asked Pat about the perils of the Living Room Tour, the problems he had.. he said that sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. He had been warned against this, as people said no one had ever done it before, and it was probably under-promoted, I thought. I was glad to meet Pat, and I can't wait 'til they come to town again!
Here is the set in the basic order it was played.. things kinda got emotional and sometimes I lost track..
1st set:
Cigarette
Elaine
Behind the Wall of Sleep
Especially for You
She's Got A Way
Everything Changes
Only A Memory
Alone at Midnight
House We Used To Live In
Somewhere Down the Line
Yesterday Girl
Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
Blues Before and After (alternate version)
The Ocean (Led Zeppelin)
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (The Beatles)
Drown In My Own Tears
Well, Alright (Buddy Holly)
Blood and Roses
2nd set:
Afternoon Tea
Green Thoughts
Room Without A View
The Seeker (The Who)
Blue Period
A Girl Like You (with the girl who sang it on the album with him)
.. and there's probably a few more I missed, (especially from the 2nd set.. because I thought it was longer) ... but that is pretty damn close! Keep rockin, Reens. First tourdate in April!
The show was fantastic. A total of 75 people came to see him at "The Vanishing Lounge," a portion of my house which was completely remade into a performance space. Yes, it's already vanished. Good songlist? Check. Pat at his peak performance? Check. Pat chatting the crowd up? Check. Fox Channel news crew? Check! Yes, there was a camera crew and reporter there from the Fox cable channel covering the Living Room Tour and Pat's NJ Senate campaign. The reporter's name is Anne Woolsey, and I'll call her in a few days to see if they have a taped segment for sale. Will report back.
My personal favorite number? His cover of the Beatle's "Hide your love away." And I wasn't even up in the lounge when he played it! I was working downstairs singing my little heart out. We also forced him to play "Gloria" by the Shadows of Night. That's one of those songs like "Louie Louie" where all the words except for the refrain are indecipherable. Good shouting song though! The big Smithereens fans in the crowd were in rapture over the rendition of "Behind the Wall of Sleep." Pat began set one at about 9, and with a break in between finished set 2 at around Midnight. I think the events of the previous day were still heavy on his mind, but I must say that that rich deep voice of his was incredible. He's a very, very talented musician and performer. He honored my encore request with a soulful version of "Deep Black Lies," Pat's suitcase sound system is killer.
The other thing that I thought was really funny was we bought 12 cases of beer for this gig. And then we said well, better get an "Insurance Case" just to hedge against running out. The insurance case was old-man cans of Shaeffer. We figured that everyone would drink the good beer first. But I guess the day comes when your hand reaches into a cooler, and your dad's hand comes out. Everyone had more than one, it was the one beer to have. Note: only 1-1/2 cases remained.
And, to top it all off, it was my husband Paul-man's birthday. Very multi-task party.
I cannot stress to those of you who have shows coming up the importance of having people prepay for their tickets. Due to illness and babysitting snafus, I had a total of 8 guests not make it. At $40 a head, that would have been a $320 loss for me! People understand that the party was bought and paid for and no refunds are due.
Other interesting odds and ends... I printed up 10 shirts on my own for door prizes. Cost? $65 for shirts, and $15 to get a good scan of LRT poster.
My freebie for guests was a little slider box (a matchbox without matches or flints) imprinted "Pat DiNizio's Living Room Tour April 15, 2000". Inside were two upscale hard candies from Lindt. Total cost for 100 was $80 ($50 for boxes, and $30 for candy) or 80-cents each.
My stop was actually about the 70th show of the tour.
And I feel like I have to come clean here. Up until last July when I read about psycholaborations, I thought the Smithereens were a British band. you know, like Stiff Little Fingers and The Jam and Clash and Tones on Tail and everyone else I was listening to in my hey-hey-heyday. We owned "Green Thoughts," a CD that has been consistently in heavy rotation in the CD changer, but I'm not a Rolling Stone subscriber, you know, I don't know anything about bands. So, I feel blessed to have met El Diablito, DiNizio. And he only lives like 3 miles from my house. Guess I'll have to help stuff campaign envelopes or something. Cripes.
Anyway, I hope you're not disappointed that I have no news when it comes to Pat's performance. Obviously from the previous reports he has given consistenly stellar performances, and my show was no exception.
Anyway, best $2,000 I ever spent. (Except maybe for my Datsun when I was 18.) Plus, my 3 cubs spent the night at the grandfolks. Bonus!!!
And as a sidenote, I drove over to the Sons of Liberty Farm this morning and handed $150 to Irwin Richardt. We had a 50/50 raffle and door prizes to raise money for him at the show. This 80-something year old man, who lives in the little clapboard house he was born in, and pumps his own water and sells maple syrup from his farm, demonstrates his love for God and country with every breath he takes. I can't tell you how glad I was to do something to support him. I'll try to figure out a way to post a picture for you to see what he looks like. I'm not kidding he looks like one of our founding fathers, and he talks about Thomas Jefferson and his excellency The General George Washington as if he just saw them last week. He's not crazy. He's brilliant. And he's got an iron handshake. Always a good sign. He was very grateful for the donation. He buys copies of the juror's constitutional handbook, a little paperback that they give to trial jurists, and gives them away to school kids. He is a true hero to me. I love American history. I adore Mr. Richardt.
Questions? I've got answers. My very best to all of you, my fellow promoters. Enjoy the show!!
Anne Weisgerber
The Vanishing Lounge