Live Review: The Smithereens w/ Marshall Crenshaw @ The Birchmere — 3/19/22

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Mark Caicedo in Live Review and tagged Marshall Crenshaw, New Jersey, power pop, The Birchmere, The Smithereens.

The Smithereens with Marshall Crenshaw perform at The Birchmere on March 19, 2022. (Photo by Mark Caicedo)

That the last two years have been unkind to live music might be the understatement of the season. Bands who thrived on live performance were forced to hunker down, ride out the unavoidable pandemic pause, and wait until the proverbial “numbers” came down before performing in front of actual people again.

The Smithereens were scheduled to perform in Northern Virginia in October 2020 which, not knowing how long the pandemic pause would last, was then rescheduled to May 2021. Which, of course, was rescheduled again. Last week, the long-awaited return of the New Jersey-based band finally happened. And what a show it was! The Smithereens stormed back into a sold-out Birchmere and proceeded to melt the paint off the walls.

Best of the Year: Top 10 Musical Moments of 2020 by Mark C.

Posted on December 15, 2020 by Mark Caicedo in Live Review, Local Spotlight and tagged 9:30 Club, Best of 2020, best of the year, Bobby Thompson, Cat Janice, Comet Ping Pong, David John Goodrich, Elizabeth II, Graham Nash, Gray Ghost Vineyards, Jammin' Java, Karen Jonas, Near Northeast, Oh He Dead, Pearl Street Warehouse, Sarah Borges, Spafford, State Theatre, The Birchmere, The Smithereens.

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Graham Nash

The year started out typically enough. But the way it began and how it’s ending are startlingly different. By the end of March, so many plans and hopes were dashed that now, as we race toward 2020’s conclusion, many of us feel they may never be realized.

Like so many others in this Year of Covid, I’ve had a chance to reflect, reassess, and reset for the coming year, sorting out what is, and isn’t, important. I enjoy photographing people, whether it be portraiture, cultural documentation, or musical performance. As a photographer, I strive to become invisible and capture moments as they are, not as I or the subject, would like them to be. Although photographing live music has been challenging as of late, I’ve been afforded the luxury of time to go through my archives and, as a result, have made a belated but important discovery: the final image must also render the photographer invisible.

Live Review: The Smithereens @ State Theatre — 1/17/20

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Mark Caicedo in Live Review and tagged hard rock, New Jersey, power pop, State Theatre, The Smithereens.

The Smithereens perform at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia, on Jan. 17, 2020. (Photo by Mark Caicedo)

“In sickness and in health.”

Those words are normally reserved for particularly solemn occasions, but those same moments can be joyous, life-affirming and festive… much like a Smithereens concert, come to think of it. Friday night was just one of those instances with the New Jersey-based Smithereens making their 20th appearance at the State Theatre in Falls Church. For many of us battling colds, flu, and various other ailments, The Smithereens energetic, exuberant, and healing music was just the right medicine.

Preview: The Smithereens @ State Theatre, 1/17/20

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged Gin Blossoms, hard rock, New Jersey, power pop, Robin Wilson, The Smithereens.

The Smithereens with Robin Wilson (Photo courtesy Lappen Enterprises)

The Smithereens return to the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia, on Friday, Jan. 17, with Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms on lead vocalist!

Ticket Giveaway: The Smithereens @ The Birchmere, 6/21/19

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged free tickets, Marshall Crenshaw, meet and greet, New Jersey, power pop, The Birchmere, The Smithereens, ticket giveaway.

The Smithereens (Photo courtesy the band)

The Smithereens will perform at The Birchmere on Friday, June 21! You can win a meet and greet, along with tickets to see the band, with Parklife DC.

Live Review: The Smithereens @ State Theatre — 1/18/19

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Mark Caicedo in Live Review and tagged hard rock, New Jersey, power pop, Robin Wilson, State Theatre, The Smithereens.

The Smithereens perform at State Theatre on Jan. 18, 2019. (Photo by Mark Caicedo)

Much has been written about the redemptive power of rock and roll; its ability to transport us to another place and time or to a cherished memory — as well as its power of community and the way a widely disparate audience can revel in a shared moment of unparalleled spontaneous joy. Those moments repeated themselves over and over at the State Theatre recently when The Smithereens featuring Robin Wilson dropped into town for their 19th performance at the historic Falls Church music venue.

Interview: Jim Babjak of The Smithereens (@ State Theater, 1/18/19 )

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Mark Caicedo in Interview and tagged hard rock, Jim Babjak, New Jersey, power pop, State Theatre, The Smithereens.

The Smithereens for the State Theatre show, left to right: Jim Babjak (guitar), Robin Wilson (lead vocals), Dennis Diken (drums), and Mark Mesaros (bass) (Photo courtesy Lappen Enterprises)

Power pop aficionados think of the ’70s and ’80s as the genre’s heyday — an era that included performers like Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds, years that saw the emergence of bands like Big Star and Cheap Trick, and a time that culminated with the Gin Blossoms and Matthew Sweet.

For many music lovers (myself included), The Smithereens captured all the salient characteristics of a classic power pop band: the jangly ringing Byrds-like guitars, the Beach Boys’ high harmonies, the Beatles melodic lyricism… and perhaps the crunching heaviness of Black Sabbath? But The Smithereens added an East-Coast, Jersey Shore roots-rock sensibility.

Mark Caicedo of Parklife DC recently chatted with Jim Babjak, guitarist of The Smithereens, in anticipation of the band’s show at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia, on Jan. 18.