Celebrity Travel: Go away with Jim Babjak of The Smithereens
More than 40 years into their career, The Smithereens are revving up for the Sept. 23 release of “The Lost Album” – a collection of songs they recorded in 1993 when they were in between record labels, but never shared with their fans. “(They were) truly forgotten, but were recently discovered because we are archiving all of our past recordings,” said guitarist Jim Babjak, 64, who resides in New Jersey. “It is important (to release them now) because it shows a snapshot of our progression as a band. There may be more tapes to be released in the future.” For tour dates, check out the band's website at https://www.officialsmithereens.com/shows.
Q: Do you remember where The Smithereens played your first concert?
A: It was in 1980 at a bar in New Jersey called Englanders, which is long gone. I remember not being nervous and feeling really good about performing in spite of the fact that I am usually shy in public. I had confidence.
Q: You are also the creator of the Babjax coffee line. How did that come about?
A: I’ve had great coffee in Spain, Italy, Sweden and in the Caribbean. But the best is in my kitchen every morning. I’ve come across mediocre and sometimes bad coffee while traveling. That’s why I decided to have my own line of coffee. It’s the same with music. I wasn’t happy with the songs on the radio during my teenage years, so I started a band and played music that I liked.
Q: What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A: Spending time with my grandfather when I was 12 years old in Hungary would be my favorite. Three weeks is all I ever got to see him in my lifetime. As far as the worst, I can count several times I’ve had to sleep on the floor at an airport because a flight was canceled late at night with no hotel available and a rescheduled flight wasn’t until 6:00 a.m. Even though the airport is closed, you still hear automated messages every 10 minutes about leaving your bag unattended or some other nonsense. It’s impossible to sleep!
Q: Traveling with friends can be intense at times. What is it like touring with The Smithereens?
A: Our drummer, Dennis Diken, and I have been best friends since we were 14 years old. When we were on tour, we would often go on walks during our time off. I remember going to the Berlin Wall when it was coming down and I still have a piece of it on my bookshelf. We would seek out local restaurants and go sightseeing at every opportunity. We’re still best friends. The trick is to balance our time and give each other space when we need to be alone. Everyone needs to reboot occasionally.
Q: Have you been to places for work where you returned to for a vacation?
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