Founded in New Jersey in 1980, The Smithereens have been creating electrifying, original rock'n'roll for 44 years. Jim Babjak (guitar,) Dennis Diken (drums,) and Mike Mesaros (bass) grew up together in Carteret and lead singer, the late Pat DiNizio, hailed from Scotch Plains. The band paid its dues in clubs all over the NYC tri-state area from Kenny's Castaways in Greenwich Village to the Court Tavern and Stone Pony in NJ. They've since performed on stages coast to coast from the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles to the Meadowlands Arena in NJ to Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, and internationally from Europe to Australia. Tour mates have included Tom Petty, Squeeze, The Pretenders, Lou Reed, and the Ramones, among others. The Smithereens' take no prisoners sound, reflecting their Garden State roots, has resonated with fans worldwide over the course of 17 albums and 2500 plus live shows. Studio albums include Especially For You, Green Thoughts, 11, A Date with The Smithereens, and 2011. Among their biggest hits are the rock radio staples "Blood and Roses," "Only a Memory," "Behind the Wall of Sleep," and "A Girl Like You." The band's albums for Capitol, RCA, Sony, Koch, and eOne Records have sold over 5 million copies worldwide. The Smithereens have also been called the architects of the Alternative Scene and their music has inspired and influenced generations of musicians, including the late Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, who cited The Smithereens as a major influence in his diaries. As The Smithereens' fame escalated, they were in heavy rotation on MTV and appeared on The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live. Other television credits include Late Night with Conan O'Brien, MTV's Unplugged, CBS This Morning, The Dennis Miller Show, The Uncle Floyd Show, The Joe Franklin Show, and The Arsenio Hall Show. The Smithereens' music can also be heard in the films Bull Durham, Backdraft, Encino Man, Time Cop, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, Boys Don't Cry, The Burglar, Cruel Intentions 2, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. The band even made a cameo appearance in the film Class of Nuke'em High and other accomplishments include television and radio commercials for Dairy Queen and Nissan Maxima. .Sadly, The Smithereens lost Pat DiNizio who passed away unexpectedly in 2017. The 3 surviving bandmates, Babjak, Diken, and Mesaros, who have been together since high school, decided to persevere and carry on in Pat's memory and support their shared musical legacy. And the fans approved! Using rotating guest vocalists, including longtime friend Marshall Crenshaw and Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms among others, something no other band has done, they continue to entertain and rock fans all over the U.S. and the world.