DiNizio is the real deal
Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 12:51AM Here I am, lying in bed at 2:00am Saturday morning, laptop on my belly, totally exhausted from several days of little sleep and way more to do than time in which to do it. I'm just home from a long, exhausting and wonderfully weird day and night with Pat DiNizio playing at the Stump. Pat arrived at around 1:00pm today, in a car smaller than I expected and with so little gear that I couldn't help but be impressed at the economy of it.
Pat was great from the word hello, greeting Kim and I with hugs and a smile, some silly jokes, and a sense of purpose and pride in what he is doing with this surreal Living Room Concerts Tour that he is in the middle of.
His performance this evening was stellar, filled with humorous stories and anecdotes between songs, and musically a real ball buster as he delivered each tune with what seemed like every ounce of energy he could muster. This was no laid back, loosey-goosey affair. No hesitation or uncertainty. He knew exactly what he was doing, and played every song with a certainty and confidence that you would expect from someone who owns a gunny sack full of hit songs and more "war stories" from life on the road than you can shake a stick at. The guy is a pro, plain and simple, but one who's also able to mix it up with folks and display a genuine gratitude for those who appreciate his work. And there were plenty of people at the coffee shop tonight who did indeed appreciate what Pat has accomplished in his career and what he was putting out on the stage tonight.
I'll write more about the show itself tomorrow (today); right now I want to say a couple of things about Pat's Living Room Concert Tour before I pass out. I just finished reading his post from the road titled PAT DINIZIO: Notes From the Road #1 "NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD" off his website patdinizio.com. This is a thoughtful, somewhat melocholy, and well written essay about growing older and trying to find meaning in what one does. This tour he's on makes me wonder. It's got to be weird, running into all sorts of people and situations, up close and personal, in the homes of fans and people you're meeting for the first time, performing in front of them without the "protection" of distance or bandmates. I'd think you would need a good sense of humor, a little bit of "hard-assness" and a fair amount of both humilty and healthy ego.
Frankly, I find it to be an astounding undertaking. I'm bone tired myself right now...I can't imagine how Pat feels at the end of a week of driving hundreds of miles and performing several shows with the intensity that he showed tonight. I find myself feeling concerned for him on this tour, hoping that the people who see him perform appreciate what this guy has done and what he's doing with this adventure. It seems both magical and ridiculous, ridiculous in the sense that he's even doing this, putting this kind of thing on all by himself, and magical in the sense that we're experiencing this amazing and wonderful music, that many of us dug so much when we were younger, live with Pat himself at a local coffee shop or in a friend's living room. Wild stuff.
I chatted with people at the shop tonight during the performance. It was so gratifying to hear all of the wonderful compliments that were being made about Pat, his music and his being there tonight. He was a hit. Again, more on the show later today. I gotta get some sleep.
Pat Dinizio 
Reader Comments (11)
Thanks for the marvelous time last night. Can't put it all into words right now - an incredible experience. Got home last night and put the Pat DiNizio - Buddy Holly cd in the wake-up device and had a wonderful wake-up this morning listing to Pat's rendition of some of my favorite Buddy Holly tunes.
When's he coming back?
the show was great--Pat's energy is amazing. and what a great way to spend a Friday night--in a concert custom made for a small audience:) i also loved the specialty coffee drinks (irish cream whiskey latte=yummm). i posted a short blurb about the concert on my blog too:) thanks, pat, for coming to TR and sharing your music with us, and thanks, david and kim, for bringing cool culture to TR!
Thx, Jess. and the dharmagirl's blog is: http://blissdeliciouslife.blogspot.com/
I loved being there last night. The music was great and I loved Pat's stories. The ambiance is so comfortable and I love the mix of people. Thanks again, David for a fun time.
Sounds like the realization of a dream was everything you could hope for. Good for you. I can't begin to imagine how special that was for you, but I'm sure you will treasure the memory for a very long time.
Savor the moment because times like those are so fleeting in life.
Brian
Great music spans the generations -- it was so cool to share the experience with my daughter and son-in-law! Thanks Pat for sharing a part of your life experience, through song and story, with humble midwestern folk. Your lyrics are incredible! For a moment - on a cold Friday night in TRivers - we connected as family in a special place known as Stumpjacks.
Keep up the great work - David and family!
B and B Jensen
Lori and I had a great time. Some of us drank to much wine and are spending quality time on the couch catching up on movies today. Thanks for all your hard work setting everything up.
I uploaded a few pictures from the evening to my flickr site.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/planetneon/sets/72157615733188450/
I had a lot of fun, always glad to see new stuff down at the Stump!
pics http://www.flickr.com/photos/24741518@N06/sets/72157615704944308/
Pat DiNizio at Stumpjack - a set on Flickr
Thanks for letting me in!
Pat could have just mailed it in but he really put everything he had into the show. The stories were great and his sense of humor really added to the fantastic music. That was a fun night!
DooDah
Thanks again David for letting a total stranger, but diehard Smithereen fan from Milwaukee come up for the show.
Pat is a smart, talented, thoughtful, unpretentious, and interesting guy. His songs are relatable and he poured his guts out Friday night. Now I will have a story to tell.
Jake
emailed to me from Brian Moss. Thx Brian!
Deb and I had a GREAT time last Friday evening. It was a genuine pleasure to meet Pat and hear him in such an intimate setting. I still remember working up “Behind The Wall Of Sleep” with my little 5 piece band several years ago. He’s such a genuine, down-to-earth dude, maybe not what you’d expect from someone with his talent and record of success in the music industry. His guitar work and vocals are as fresh and full of passion as I remember them 20 years ago. Good show, David. Huzzah!
Brian Moss