5/19/09: RightWingTrashMan: Pat DiNizio
“I believe in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s dollar,” Pat DiNizio once told me. Bruce Springsteen would probably say the same thing on his way to the private riding academy to check out the new Lipizzaner Stallion he bought for his daughter. We’ll stick with the Smithereens frontman (and former garbage man) as our idea of a working man’s New Jersey rocker.

It’s probably no big secret that DiNizio is also a proud conservative. We once attended an actual Young Republicans meeting to see him address an audience. It was a typical Young Republicans meeting in New York, in that we were (sadly) one of the younger Republicans there. We were still impressed when DiNizio announced—and this was some time ago—that the Republican Party wasn’t nearly right-wing enough for him. Most conservative rockers are more interested in distancing themselves from their politics.

There hasn’t been any real political content to The Smithereens’ music. For those who don’t remember the band’s ’80s heyday, they were one of the few memorable power-pop bands to get radio play. They’ve maintained a fine career since then, although their recent series of tribute albums have been underappreciated for some smart ideas. Same for DiNizio’s recent solo collection of Buddy Holly tunes—which reminds us that his first solo album (1997’s Songs and Sounds) had him fronting a bizarre jazz/punk supergroup that made for one of the best concerts we’ve ever seen.

Still, this entry is probably most useful as a pitch for PatDiNizio.com. Nobody’s noticed how DiNizio has turned his website into a Drudge Report for politically-minded pop-culture fans. It would’ve been a fine fanzine back in the ’80s. We should’ve always had a permanent link to it from this site. It’s no surprise that nobody else has one, either.

The site is also the best way to follow DiNizio’s occasional special offers—like the amazing 22-CD box set of Smithereens demos and live tracks that he sold as a limited edition of 500 for only $100 each. That’s what got him talking about an honest day’s work for an honest day’s dollar. Sign up to his mailing list, too. DiNizio currently has a very good deal on personally autographed merchandise left over from his last solo tour. We asked him to autograph our CD with an attack on Socialism. He probably will.

Make it your own: Again, there isn’t much conservative content from The Smithereens or in DiNizio’s solo work. At least you don’t have to worry about coming across a simile about how love has vanished like habeas corpus. We should add that guitarist Jim Babjak once put together a great collection of songs as Buzzed Meg—working with Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken, who’s also a great pop historian. And here are some videos, if you need to get reacquainted with the band.

 

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