Founded in New Jersey in 1980, The Smithereens have been creating electrifying, original rock’n’roll for 45 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 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. Among their most beloved songs are the rock radio staples “Blood and Roses,” “Only a Memory,” “Behind  the Wall of Sleep,” and “A Girl Like You” while studio albums include Especially for You, Green Thoughts, 11, A Date with The Smithereens, and 2011. The band’s records for Capitol, RCA, Sony, Koch, and eOne have sold over 5 million copies worldwide. The Smithereens have also been called the architects of the Alternative Scene and their music has inspired a generation of musicians, including the late Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, who cited The Smithereens as a major influence in his diaries. 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. 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. Their songs 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. Throughout their entire career, the band members have also contributed their talents and helped raise funds and awareness to a wide range of charities, including families of 9/11, homeless shelters, community food banks, HIV/AIDS, pediatric cancer, the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, Parkinsons and Light of Day, and the Pat DiNizio Music Performance Scholarship at the Count Basie Center for the Performing Arts. Sadly, The Smithereens lost Pat DiNizio who passed away unexpectedly in 2017. The three surviving bandmates, Babjak, Diken, and Mesaros, who have been together since high school, and with the encouragement of their fans, decided to persevere and carry on their shared musical legacy. In 2019, The Smithereens – Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken, Mike Mesaros, and the late Pat DiNizio - were honored by their home state and inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, Class of 2018, in the “Performing Arts” category. Previously, Babjak and Diken were inducted into the White Castle Hall of Fame for The Smithereens’ rendition of the Jim Babjak/Bob Banta composition “White Castle Blues.” They are also honorary members of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. Recent Smithereens’ releases include the COVERS album on CD and red vinyl, which features 22 of the band’s favorite songs first recorded by other artists. A limited edition vinyl 45 rpm of “Love Me Do” b/w “P.S. I Love You” featuring The Beatles session drummer, the late Andy White, released on the band’s own Tollie Records label. And the green vinyl holiday 45, “Christmas Morning” b/w “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.” In December of 2021, The Smithereens were the inaugural act at the grand opening of the state-of-the-art Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center in their New Jersey hometown. Over the next three years, the band was featured in the Grammy Museum in the “New Jersey Legends” exhibit.   In August of 2022, entrepreneur Babjak launched Babjax Coffee, featuring his own blends of premium roasted coffee. And in September of 2022, the band released The Lost Album, featuring previously unreleased Smithereens’ songs featuring Babjak, Dennis Diken, Mike Mesaros, and the late Pat DiNizio. And in time for the 2022 holiday season, Jim released a new red vinyl Christmas 45, “It’s Love on Christmas Day” b/w “Christmas Eve, Without Your Love.” In January of 2024, The Lost Album was released on gold vinyl. An album of all new material is in the works for later in 2025.   Using alternating special guest vocalists, including longtime friends Marshall Crenshaw, Robin Wilson (Gin Blossoms,) and John Cowsill (The Cowsills/The Beach Boys,)  they continue to tour and rock fans all over the U.S. And in 2025, The Smithereens reach a major milestone as they celebrate their 45th continuous year as a band. The adventure continues!

Mojave Ghost creates their own distinct sticky Americana gumbo, fusing elements of twangy country guitars, gritty rock’n’roll, and infectious pop melodies. Based in Southern California, the five-piece collective consists of Matthew Samia (Vocals, Guitar), Matt Bailey (Guitar, Baritone Guitar, BU Vocals), Ron Larson (Bass), Jeff Cassens (Drums, Percussion) and Neal Hubbard (Hammond B3). Influenced by the music of Lucinda Williams, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, David Rawlings, Father John Misty, and The War on Drugs (to name a few), Mojave Ghost bring their own edge to a timeless genre of music. Mojave Ghost have shared Southern California stages with many of the greats of American music, including Dr. John, Robben Ford, Kim Wilson, The Smithereens, Mike Campbell (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), The Blasters, David Lindley, Marc Ford, and Berlin. The band released their newest LP, “Photo Albums Full of Bad Ideas”, in March of 2020, followed by a live album in mid-2021.  They are currently finishing up their next LP, to be released in late 2021.