Pat DiNizio At The Saint

PAT DINIZIO AT THE SAINT by Dave Persails

February 15, 1997
This show took place in Smithereens country, and so one had to know, even before a single chord was struck, that this Pat DiNizio concert was special. Put on essentially for old friends, the atmosphere was at once very loose, and felt like a comfortable, familiar visit. Pat made his way to the stage from the back of the club, chatting with his mates along the way. For both audience and performer, this was home.

Special occasions call for something special, so Pat started off this "solo acoustic tour" performance with what else but an electric black and white Rickenbacker! As he took his place on a stool at the front of the stage, he said "Come on up, come on up, everybody!" That was all the prodding the audience needed to kick off the concert in earnest. Leading off with the tender Afternoon Tea is unusual to say the least, but the electric accompaniment of the Rickenbacker charged the song in a way that acoustic guitars cannot.

Pat asked me what I wanted to hear. I had in my mind a number of acoustic titles I was going to request. Since he was holding an electric guitar, there was no way I could ignore what I really wanted to hear, a personal favorite called Can't Go Home Anymore. Without blinking, Pat launched into this seldom played bluesy-number. The tone was set. Everyone knew this was not going to be like any show we'd seen before.

The proof was in the pudding. Pat followed up with a cover of Alice Cooper's I'm Eighteen , for "the boys in the back." He didn't sing the words, he growled them. And it was clear he'd done this before. The crowd joined in with an approving chorus.

Finally relenting to requests for old standards, the Smithereens frontman gave this die-hard audience an electric performance of a song normally reserved for the band's acoustic sets, Cigarette. Another request came in, and Pat played Everything I Have Is Blue, really wailing on his guitar. Said Pat, "now we're getting warmed up. "I'll make a deal with you, you guys keep singing, I'll keep playing!"

They did, and he did. Someone yelled out for Yesterday Girl, and Pat obliged. This time, just like in the song's video, he was holding the Rickenbacker. The difference here was that he was actually playing it, and not just pretending! Next up was Alone At Midnight, which Pat chose to do on his own. Not that anyone minded hearing another song that is rarely played. The same can be said for the night's next number, Especially For You.

After treating the audience to the electric set, Pat switched to a nice Gretsch acoustic guitar. The contrast in sounds was wonderful, as the singer blended a strong vocal with the sweet ringing of the Gretsch on the Buddy Holly inspired Maria Elena. Without hesitating, he broke into a crowd favorite, House We Used To Live In. Audience participation is mandatory for this song, and Pat even called upon singing members to sound out the guitar solo!

The requests kept rolling in, and Pat played on, tirelessly. Sometimes he just exclaimed his new pet phrase "right on." And then he moved right on. Other times he sought suitable requests. Kiss Your Tears Away, Something New and Blue Period were obvious acoustic choices. Then the singer-songwriter switched modes again and to everyone's surprise, he belted out an acoustic Black Sabbath song with the title of Paranoid!

Other surprises on this night included a run-through of Springsteen's Downbound Train, notable because Pat and the rest of the Smithereens had just recorded the song for a tribute album. Pat was more than happy to play a request for a new song, too, and he gave his nod of approval by performing Everyday World. (This song might well be recorded for the DiNizio solo album in April.) More surprises came in the form of brief but entertaining covers of the Ramones' I Wanna Be Sedated, and the Beatles' Happiness Is A Warm Gun. I had requested earlier that Pat perform Too Much Passion , and he looked up at me with raised eyebrows, entertaining the idea in his own mind. He held off though, first performing a nearly perfect cover of R.E.M.'s Talk About The Passion, before settling on his own composition. It was a nice segue between songs, certainly, and a hint of Pat's state of mind as he sets himself to enter R.E.M.'s old haunt Reflection Sound Studios to record his solo album with Don Dixon.

Yet another spectator called out for the unusual, this time requesting Pat to perform something by Elvis Costello. He did novel versions, even including most of the correct lyrics of Alison and (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? Finally, Pat ended the long performance with his version of Creedence Clearwater Revival's Who'll Stop The Rain?

Now, I ask you, how many bands that simply play cover songs for a living can even hope to play the variety that Mr. DiNizio performed for his group of old friends? Pat not only performed these songs, and his own hits, but he played and sang all of them convincingly. That's what I call entertainment.