Smithereens' Pat DiNizio announces retirement from live performing

Rather a surprise announcement on Pat DiNizio's web site tonight. Is he serious? You got me...

http://www.patdinizio.com/soundOff.asp

Hi everybody.

How are you?

I hope that you and your families are all doing well, and are happy and healthy.

Thanks for visiting my website, for all of your support, and for your belief and help in helping me get so many new, interesting, and hopefully important new concepts and projects off the ground.

You are truly a wonderful group of people.

Nothing is ever accomplished without your confidence in me, and your tremendously valued help.

That's the truth. I simply can't thank you enough.

I am deeply appreciative for the love you have shown towards me, my music, and, of course, The Smithereens, throughout the past twenty-five years.

As of January 1, 2005, I am going to retire from live performances, and am going to pursue other interests, mainly and notably the music school that I have been dreaming of starting for many years now, which I will run out of my home in Scotch Plains, NJ, teaching songwriting, voice, and guitar to serious music students of all ages.

I am going to devote myself to teaching full-time.

If you would, please help me spread the word about my soon-to-be-launched music school, "THE SCOTCH PLAINS CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC", thanks.

The Music Conservatory will also include my free music therapy program for special kids, something I have felt passionately about for some time now.

I am pleased that this will finally become a reality.

I am also going to incorporate online "real-time" internet video distance learning, enabling me to teach students anywhere in the United States, or for that matter, the world.

By this years' end I will fullfill and complete all of my PATRONS & ARTISTS TOGETHER projects, concerts, recordings and obligations.

I thank all of you who were visionary and brave enough to step up to the plate and help me make this dream a reality.

What a great bunch you are!

We will finish our work together successfully and soon, and we will make our point and intent known.

There is a 60-Song Smithereens Box Set Anthology coming out on Capitol Records on July 13th which we are very much looking forward to.

It's long overdue.

And I am very excited to announce that the guys and I have agreed to write and record a brand-new Smithereens studio album with our old friend and producer Don Dixon, which will only be available online through a special interactive website as a secure digital download for an extremely, extremely reasonable price.

You simply download the album, the sleeve booklet and cover artwork and burn the CD.

You'll actually be able to go to the website at certain posted times and watch us working in the studio via live streaming video on the internet, and there will also be a lot of other very cool interactive stuuf there as well, that I am sure you will enjoy a lot.

There will also be a very, very special Smithereens Concert Event at the Park Central Hotel in New York City on Saturday, October 30th (Halloween Weekend) which will blow your mind.

I'll keep you posted about all these upcoming events via my website.

I will continue to record, write songs, and pursue various musical interests, and will, hopefully, in the future, make these recordings and projects available via my website and the internet.

I will continue to tour with the band and do solo shows and Living Room Concerts until the end of the year.

So if you are interested in booking a Living Room Concert or event, I would encourage you to do so now, 'cause after 1/01/05, that's it.

Thanks again for everything, and I look foward to seeing and speaking with all of you very soon sometime in the near future.

Love,

Pat

 

I think it's great that Pat wants to teach and try new things. Maybe he wants to stop performing live while he can still do justice to his many fine songs. If that's the case, I applaud him for that. It's especially brave since I'd guess that he makes a lot of his money through touring. Compare that with some of the multi-millionaire dinosaur acts who go on well past their prime, and charge you a fortune for seats. If you never saw the Smithereens live, I'd say catch 'em while you can. They are a great Rock N' Roll band. I hope people rediscover them the Anthology comes out. I look forward to the new album as well.

 

Wow. Seems like only yesterday that Pat smacked me across the back of the head; presumably for watching Babjak take a wireless guitar solo behind my table at The Rams Head instead of watching the stage where the other three Smithereens were rocking out.
He did it with a smile of course.

Folks: run out and see these guys before it's too late. They rule the stage. They are a monster live act. You'll see me and Reechie there

Peace-
Norm

 

Smithereens at Toad's Place = Mecca.

 

Well, Pat's been known to change his mind, I kind of hope that'll happen this time as well. However, I wish him all the luck in the world.

What I really think Pat needs is a break. With his living room tours and so forth, he's almost constantly on the road, and perhaps he's a bit burned out.

At any rate, The Smithereens are lining up dates for their usual summer schedule, watch for them...it could be your last chance to see them, at least for a while.

 

Geez, this could really be the end of the Smithereens. Not good. At least we'll have a new studio album, though I don't like the download-only aspect.

I hope they play near me this summer so I can see them one last time.

Evan

 

That box set sounds promising.

 

It'd be nice if a whole bunch of folks bought The Smithereens Anthology in July...might give Pat a reason to reconsider.

Makes a swell gift, folks!