'It's beyond anything we could fathom'; Smithereens coming home to open new Carteret PAC
The Smithereens are no strangers to Carteret.
Members Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken and Mike Mesaros grew up there. Now, the Smithereens will headline the grand opening of the URSB Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center on Saturday, Dec. 4.
“It's surreal,” Babjak said. “Growing up in that town there was nothing like (the Carteret PAC), so to see it happen is just surreal and that we’re playing there. In the '70s I had these dreams of playing at the Carteret football field, stuff like that, and I guess I always knew I was going to be in band I suppose, but this is real. This is happening.”
Babjak, Diken and Mesaros graduated Carteret High School in 1975. The group formed in 1980 when vocalist Pat DiNizio of Scotch Plains joined in. The band's hits include “Blood and Roses,” “Drown in My Own Tears,” “Only a Memory,” “A Girl Like You” and “House We Used to Live In.”
The new USRB Carteret PAC, which has been staging shows since April, is located on the site of the former Ritz Theatre and it includes a 1,600-seat main theater and 500-seat black box theater. Partial funding for the venue came from a $6 million grant from the Middlesex County Cultural Arts Trust Fund.
United Roosevelt Savings Bank, USRB, was awarded naming rights for the next 10 years after a $1 million allotment. Comcast Spectra is the manager of the venue.
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The Smithereens had rock 'n' roll dreams when they were kids on the Washington Avenue block where the venue now stands.
“Little Klein’s, that's where we used to go for all the comic books, monster magazines and candy,” Diken said. “We'd look at the bands in the magazines. To think a venue in that very footprint would be where we’d headline a show, it was beyond anything we could fathom.”
The band is in the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
“New Jersey Hall of Famers the Smithereens hail from right here in Carteret and were the only act considered for the grand opening of our gorgeous new state-of-the-art URSB Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center,” said Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman in a statement. “With the band celebrating over 40 years together, we are thrilled to host their homecoming on Dec. 4.”
Frontman DiNizio passed away in 2017 at the age of 62. The band has played on with a rotating lineup of lead singers, including Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms and Marshall Crenshaw. Both Wilson and Crenshaw will be on stage with the guys for the homecoming.
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There will be more than a few familiar faces, fans and friends, in the audience.
“We could never had done this without the support of that audience. It is an honor,” Diken said. “The reason we’ve succeeded at any level is because what we're doing really touches people in their heats, their souls and their minds. That's that the best thing you can hope for.”
The Smithereens, 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, URSB Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center, 46 Washington St., Carteret. $35 to $55. carteretpac.com.
Mary's Place benefit
Meet them at Mary's Place.
Or the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, as the case will be on Friday, Dec. 3. It's the 10th annual Quincy Mumford Holiday Show benefit for Mary's Place by the Sea in Ocean Grove.
The spot provides a respite for women who have cancer. Some of the services offered include oncology massage, nutrition education, guided meditation, yoga, expressive writing, counseling and more.
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The Mumford Holiday Show is always a fun time, and you never know who's going to hop up on stage.
“Wow, 10 years! I love doing this show every year as it brings together music, friends and holiday cheer all for an amazing cause,” said Mumford in a statement. “This year is extra-special because it will be my first real show on a real stage with my band in almost two years since the start of the pandemic. I can’t wait to see all of the smiling faces dancing in the crowd!”
Quincy Mumford’s 10th annual Holiday Show, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, Stone Pony, 913 N. Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park. $25. stoneponyonline.com.
A very Asbury holiday show
How “Asbury” will the “A Very Asbury Holiday Show” on Thursday, Dec. 9, be at the city's Stone Pony?
We're guessing it'll be very Asbury. It stars Pat Roddy with Layonne Holmes, Brian Kirk, Patti Maloney and Eddie Testa joining in — and more to be announced. The show previously took place at the nearby Paramount Theatre, and the stage got pretty full with Asbury-ness.
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It's a fundraiser for the Asbury Park Music Foundation, which provides youth music programs, scholarships and live music initiatives for the area.
“It’s my privilege to support the Asbury Park Music Foundation, which uses music as the foundation for the future success of under-resourced youth,” said Roddy in a statement. “It’s an honor to be a part of this tradition.”
A Very Asbury Holiday Show with Pat Roddy Band and Friends, 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, Stone Pony, Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park. $27 in advance/$32 at the door. www.stoneponyonline.com.
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Smithereens coming home to headline Carteret PAC opening Dec. 4
