Best Jersey band is The Smithereens.
Agreed. They were a unique and compelling band in their heyday, yet didn't achieve the recognition they deserved. Especially For You is one of the very best albums of the eighties. Of course, they are no longer really the Smithereens without Pat.
Saw them several times then met my wife and found out her roommate was Pat’s cousin. He didn’t show up to her wedding though.
I wasn’t in NJ at the time but New Haven. Our most successful local band was Miracle Legion. Drank with Mark Mulcahy at The Anchor in New Haven when they opened for Echo and the Bunnymen next door.