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I don’t usually write a full review for these “Free at Noon” shows since the sets are shortened and what not, but The Smithereens‘ set there yesterday was so good that I felt like they deserved it. Though I’m by no means a big fan as I only own Especially for You, their 1986 Enigma debut (after two releases for a smaller label that go back to 1980), I’ve always liked them and thus recognized a good half to two-thirds of their set as guitarist Pat DiNizio, bassist Severo Jornacion and drummer Dennis Diken deftly mixed old favorites like “Behind the Wall of Sleep,” “Blood and Roses” and “Only a Memory” with songs from the newly released Smithereens 2011 and other odds and ends. The thing is that during every three minute power pop blast, there was no time but more importantly no desire for bathroom or beer breaks or the like during the new songs. In other words, they fit in so perfectly with the old stuff that The Smithereens should be commended. Of recent vintage, only last September’s great Superchunk show at the Trocadero comes to mind as far as veteran bands being able to mix new and old so well and it flowing so seemlessly.
And like that Superchunk show, it was my first time seeing The Smithereens and I found myself wondering why I’d never bothered to go see them earlier. Jornacion is a total ham on stage, too, encouraging audience participation at every turn and even playing a strapless bass for part of the set before it was fixed by one of the technicians. This contrasted nicely with DiNizio’s sturdy intensity and Diken’s relentless pounding. What was amazing about this set was that they were without long time original guitarist Jim Babjak. I can only imagine how good they would’ve been with him, but as it stands, this set was just about perfect. I was also surprised that they didn’t play “A Girl Like You”, their only U.S. Top 40 hit, but the set was so good that it hardly mattered.
