The Smithereens: 2011

"Dennis Diken is the drummer and a founding member of New Jersey's rock'n'roll band The Smithereens. I met him through my musical hero, Don Dixon. Diken is one of the first drummers I ever played with. He is a mensch, a fountain of knowledge, a supreme musician, and a great story teller. The Smithereens are currently celebrating their 31st anniversary with the release of 2011, their first all-original studio album since 1999 and critics and fans are abuzz. ... RG: Tell me about your hometown. DD: Carteret, NJ, about 25 minutes southwest of New York City. Very blue-collar, with a strong sense of community. I was blessed with great friends, a wonderful group of bright, creative kids (which included Jimmy Babjak and Mike Mesaros of The Smithereens). We fed off each others' talents, passions and immense sense of 'play.' And we were extremely fortunate to have some very special teachers ..." (Ruth Gerson, "Dennis Diken: The Roots of Jersey Rock," Huffington Post, 8/5/11).
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