That employee was Robin Wilson, already a member of a little band called the Gin Blossoms, and he was a big fan of the New Jersey-based Smithereens, playing their first record, Especially for You, at the Tower Records where he was formerly employed.
Fast forward 32 years, and Wilson will perform with The Smithereens on Friday, October 21, at Marquee Theatre in Tempe.
The Smithereens — singer Pat DiNizio, guitarist Jim Babjak, bassist Mike Mesaros, and drummer Dennis Diken — composed catchy songs often played on college and alternative radio from 1988 until about ’94. Their unique brand of '60s-influenced power pop, with chiming Rickenbackers and Marshall-driven power chords, was a bit like The Byrds on steroids. DiNizio most often sang about heartache, desire, and various other vulnerabilities, but always with a trademark vibrato.
The word “unapologetic" has been used to describe the band’s defiance of convention.
“We were playing a show with another band, and I won’t mention any names, but as they were getting hair and makeup done, we walked in and one of the guys was overheard saying, ‘Look at those guys and how they’re dressed. They look like they just walked in off the street,’” Babjak says.
The Smithereens were on the leading edge of what came to be called “alternative” — basically anything outside of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bon Jovi, and other mainstream artists charting at the time.
“We stuck out like a sore thumb," Babjak says. “I was actually surprised when I heard 'Blood and Roses' on the radio. You never know what resonates with people. It’s a mystery. Maybe it was our honesty and passion.”
It might be because the band has so many influences that they sounded different — somehow classic yet modern.
“We all listened to almost everything," Babjak says. "Obviously The Beatles, but also Buddy Holly, The Kinks, The Who, and The Clash, to name a few. As far as myself as a guitar player, I didn’t want to sound like anybody in particular, such as Clapton or Hendrix. And I didn’t pre-compose my solos. I’d create them in the studio so they’re fresh. I’m more about choosing notes by ear rather than scales.”
Brad Singer (top row, third from left) and Robin Wilson (bottom row, left) welcome The Smithereens to Zia Records in 1988.
Phoenix New Times Archives
Almost a decade after The Smithereens visited Zia Records, DiNizio came back to Tempe for a different reason.
“In ’97, I got a call that DiNizio was looking for a recording studio to record a solo album," Wilson says. "He chose my studio, Uranus Recording of Tempe. He saw a Smithereens setlist on the studio wall and he laughed and said, ‘I can’t believe how few songs we had back then.’ It was the setlist I had grabbed off of the Chuy’s stage when they played in 1988 after the Zia in-store appearance."
When DiNizio died in 2017, friends and family organized a tribute show in New Jersey. By that time, Wilson was living in New York, and he was asked to perform at the event. Wilson’s participation would be the beginning of a connection that has evolved into him playing occasionally with the band.
“They’re the real deal, a true rock band," Wilson says of the band. “I’ve been covering their great songs since I was 21. And they have so many.”
If you haven't heard The Smithereens, check out tracks like "Only A Memory,” “Behind The Wall of Sleep,” or “A Girl Like You." The latter song, one of their biggest hits, was actually originally written for the film Say Anything but didn’t make it into the movie; Cameron Crowe felt that “A Girl Like You” contained too much of the film’s plot, and DiNizio refused to make any lyrical changes to accommodate the director.
Babjak’s songwriting skills are currently getting a workout while he and Wilson are working on a new Smithereens album.
“I get along with Robin very well, and he’s easy to write with," Babjak says. "We’ve already got six songs that I’m working on, and the band and I are also writing some with Marshall Crenshaw. I’m excited to see what we come up with.” (Singer-songwriter Crenshaw is another one of The Smithereens' rotating guest artists.)
It's already been a big month for Wilson — on October 14, a portion of Eighth Street in Tempe was unofficially named Allison Road Avenue as a tribute to the Gin Blossoms — and performing with The Smithereens in the town where they met is significant for him.
"The Smithereens had a huge impact on [the Tempe music] scene and were a huge influence on my writing and singing," he says. "My bandmates respect them, and there’s no animosity whatsoever about me singing with both bands. Still, I wish I could play with them more rather than just now and then.”
The Smithereens with Robin Wilson. With Fat Gray Cat, Carol Pacey & the Honey Shakers, Koza, and The Sintrics. 6 p.m. doors, 6:30 p.m. show, Friday, October 21, at Marquee Theatre, 730 North Mill Avenue, Tempe. Tickets are $25.
