The Vegas show was pretty standard stuff - no new material. I would say it lasted about 60 to 90 minutes.
You might be interested to know that, since the whole shindig was put on by Camel cigarettes, there were two LIVE CAMELS roaming the hall. Also, there were three bands this particular evening. I don't know who the first band was, but the Reens were up second, followed by Big Head Todd.
Since the concert was only attended by contest winners, I would estimate a crowd of 500 to 1000 people, but Camel had so many activities going on that there were only 300 or 400 actually watching the show. The rest were drinking free beer, eating free food, or gambling with Camel's funny money to try to buy prizes.
Anyway, as Smithereens shows go, I've seen better and I've seen worse. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE every one of their shows, but I guess I judge them by whether the audience was into it or not. On this particular evening, there were too many distractions for the crowd to really get into it.
Pat's performance was fantastic, and he strummed and sang four of his songs for the first show:
"Everything I Have Is Blue"
"Something New"
"A World Apart"
"Blood and Roses"
Pat also was going to perform "Evening Dress," by special request, but despite some effort, he did not have time to re-learn the song backstage!
All the songs he played for the second show are not known at this time, but Pat told me he played "Kiss Your Tears Away," and "Behind The Wall Of Sleep."
What Steve and I were most curious about would be the band's "tightness" after not playing together (side projects notwithstanding) since over the summer. We weren't disappointed. They sounded great...although Pat's guitar was giving him trouble all night. Special mention to Mike, who's playing was on fire, absolutely in "the Zone"! Dennis was the consumate professional, always consistent. What I really noticed was how psyched they seemed to be about playing again. At some recent shows it was sometimes evident that they were a little frustrated about the lack of a record deal. So I don't know if it was because of the label potential of this show, the crowd or what, but they seemed so genuinely happy to be there. Any rustiness was covered up by the high energy.
Unfortunately, no new material (there had been rumors), but each album is represented. I can't remember the last time I heard "Cut Flowers", and "the Seeker" was definitely a highlight! We had been there early enough to hear part of soundcheck from outside, and several of those songs didn't make the cut ("Ruler of my Heart", "Love is Gone" come to mind).
(Set list courtesy of Chopper).
Green Thoughts
Only A Memory
Drown In My Own Tears
Something New
Yesterday Girl
Cut Flowers
Room Without A View
Rumble
Strangers When We Meet
Cigarette
Behind The Wall Of Sleep
Everything I Have is Blue
Miles From Nowhere
Top Of The Pops
Time and Time Again
House We Used To Live In
Blood And Roses
--------------------------
The Seeker
A Girl Like You
As if that didn't rate high enough for your entertainment value, check the set list, courtesy of Pat. I think it's safe to say that concert-goers can expect surprises throughout this mini-tour!
Cigarette
Kiss Your Tears Away
Drown In My Own Tears
Behind The Wall of Sleep
Listen To Me Girl ( with Dennis Diken on harmony)
Everything I Have Is Blue
Something New
A World Apart
Only A Memory
Top of the Pops
Elaine
Deep Black
House We Used To Live In
Maria Elena
Blood and Roses
One Night With You ( sung by Dennis Diken)
A Girl Like You
ENCORES
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
So Sad (to Watch Good Love Go Bad) Pat & Dennis
MEDLEY:
Taxi ( Harry Chapin)
Alice's Restaurant
I'll Be Back (Beatles)
Indigo Blues
Only A Memory
Something New
Cigarette
Behind The Wall Of Sleep
Everything I Have Is Blue
At this point, Pat said, "This guitar sucks. Get a drink, take a break." After doing just that, he continued his show.
Groovy Tuesday
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Yesterday Girl
Deep Black
Blood And Roses
House We Used To Live In
A World Apart
Top Of The Pops
In A Room Without A View
King Of The Road
Kiss Your Tears Away
A Girl Like You
After the show I got the chance to speak to Pat for the first time. One can tell his fans mean a lot to him. He takes the time to talk to each fan individually, learning the fan's name and then talking to them on a friend to friend basis. When one fan commented on how Pat placed his daughter's picture on his stratocaster during the "Date" tour, Pat asked him if he had any pictures of his kids. Pat got out his daughter's picture, and here they were talking about their kids as if they were two friends who haven't seen each other since college. He signed my first issue of "Reen Thoughts" for me and was delighted to see I was in the fan club.
I finally got the chance to personally thank him for all of those great songs he has written over the years. Someone once said that if you truly like someone's art you will like the person behind it. That person was right. I have always liked the Smithereens' music and I left the Rainforest Preserve that night liking the person behind the music.
The set:
Afternoon Tea
Can't Go Home Anymore
I'm Eighteen
Cigarette
Everything I Have Is Blue
Yesterday Girl
Alone At Midnight
Especially For You
Here, Pat changed over his guitar in favor of his new Gretsch acoustic.
Maria Elena
House We Used To Live In
Kiss Your Tears Away
Something New
Blue Period
Paranoid
Long Way Back Again
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Downbound Train
Everyday World
Only A Memory
Top Of The Pops
Over And Over Again
I Wanna Be Sedated
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
Talk About The Passion
Too Much Passion
Behind The Wall Of Sleep
Encore: (back on the Rickenbacker)
Girl In Room 12
Alison
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
Who'll Stop The Rain?
The set:
Over And Over Again
Blue Period
If The Sun Doesn't Shine
Too Much Passion
Only A Memory
Afternoon Tea
Everything I Have Is Blue
Especially For You
Alone At Midnight
House We Used To Live In
Maria Elena
I Don't Want To Lose You
Top Of The Pops
A World Apart
In A Lonely Place
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
Alison
Blood And Roses
Kiss Your Tears Away
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Long Way Back Again
Behind The Wall Of Sleep
Encore:
Strangers When We Meet
The name of the club - Scandal's - was appropriate for what transpired on Saturday night, for a great injustice was done to our hero when he played in Ocean City last Saturday. The original Scandal's was a grungy old place that used to rock well with the likes of the Smithereens, the Ramones, and the Godfathers, to name a few. However, the club has a new location and a new style, that being a high-tech disco dance club. While waiting more than two hours for Pat's show (there was no opener as we'd been told), we were subjected to deafening dance music, several run-throughs of the Macarena, and special effects such as smoke blasting across the dance floor every minute (sigh). I wanted to go back outside to check the marquee -- was I in the right place?
At long last, Pat stepped out with his acoustic guitar to face a crowd consisting of 1) interrupted club hoppers and 2) a few true Smithereens fans, minds numb from the thump thump thump of the dance tunes. Starting with Only a Memory, it became obvious that most onlookers were waiting for the disco ball to come back down. (If only the dance floor would give way.........) Nonetheless, Pat forged ahead with wonderful acoustic versions of Afternoon Tea, Cigarette, House We Used to Live In, Behind the Wall of Sleep, Everything I Have is Blue, Drown in My Own Tears, and Blue Period (a beautiful version of a song I especially wanted to hear). Switching over to his electric, Pat played on with Top of the Pops, Room Without a View, Over and Over Again, Blood and Roses, and Yesterday Girl. The lone cover of the evening was the Beatles' You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (though I don't think even a Beatles reunion would have inspired this crowd). Ending with A Girl Like You, Pat hardly had time to say "thank you" before the projection screen was lowered and the dancers bolted back to the dance floor. So much for an encore! Oh well, I guess this is what happens when a valuable musician decides to play a gig in an Eastern shore beach resort in the middle of February.
Our thanks go out to Pat for a brave and professional effort -- I think a disco version of Blood and Roses would have been most appropriate in this venue. On to better things -- Pat, we promise you a real live Smithereens audience at the 8x10 in Baltimore.
NOTES:
Sparsely attended show...less than 20 people, including our group of four. It wouldn't have been a bad crowd if we'd been in a coffeehouse, but for a mid-size club, it looked pretty empty.
"A Girl Like You" was marred by a drunken patron who kept getting in Pat's face, as well as accosting other patrons. Management for some reason, chose not to intervene.
As usual, Pat played his two orange Gretsch Ranchers through most of the show. He broke a string on one in the middle of the set. Switched to the Rickenbacker for three songs.
Pat kept dropping picks, and I kept handing him replacements out of my wallet (all those souvenirs I've collected over the years.)!
The show was beset by technical problems, ie, feedback, crackling patch cords, dead batteries, etc.
Pat made out a set list before the show, and proceeded to ignore it completely! Probably just wanted it as a reference.
ENCORES:
I Wanna Be Sedated (Ramones)
Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
NOTES:
ENCORES:
Strangers When We Meet
Kiss Your Tears Away
NOTES:
Anyway, the show was great, with the 'Reens fans down in front singing along and the later arrivals behind us, just digging it. The best part for me came after the show, though. There was a velvet rope blocking the way to the backstage area, but there was no bouncer or anything so I just ducked under it. I was lucky enough to get a handshake and even a manly hug, not to mention a nice autograph on my ticket stub. Pat said he was heading back to Jersey right after the show, but that he likes Boston.
So, on the whole it was very very worth the price of admission (only 8 bucks,) even if the show was cut a bit short. I was also a little disappointed that he didn't play my request (I thought "Anywhere You Are" would go over well in the acoustic format, but I guess other guys in the crowd were shouting louder.) I also thought it curious that after playing "Behind the Wall of Sleep," Pat didn't mention that it was inspired by a girl from Boston. Oh well. In any case, Pat sent hello's from the boys in the band, and said a tour and album are in the works. Sounds good to me.