Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune
September 13, 2022
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.
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?
A: I have done that often. There is so much to see and experience in this world. I love Europe and the Caribbean. I’ve been to 49 of our United States. I am only missing Alaska and will make plans to visit in the near future. I would like to go back to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. I’d also like to go back to Australia. The people are very friendly and I just like the vibe.
Q: What untapped destination should people know about?
A: I used to joke that I won’t tell anyone about my favorite island, which is Anguilla, because I didn’t want it to get too crowded! It’s a place where I can truly relax and get away from it all. If I had the money, I would buy a house on the beach and live there most of the year.
Q: What was the first trip you took as a child?
A: Hungary with a five-hour layover in Amsterdam during the summer of 1965 to visit my relatives. I loved it! I wanted to be a pilot when I was seven years old. It’s the first time I saw clouds from above. The flight attendant on KLM gave me my first set of metal wings and let me wear the captain’s hat. I started a collection after that every time I flew. When I toured with the band, I would always ask the flight attendants for wings.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A: Traveling gives you a better sense of the world and how other people live. It makes you appreciate everything in your life. There is a lot to see and learn from all your experiences. If you never leave your home, you’ll never see the beauty and sometimes the poverty of the world through your own eyes. It’s one thing to see a photo of the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore or the Eiffel Tower, for instance, but to see it in person is awesome.
Q: Where have you traveled to see a group you really wanted to hear live?
A: I went to Las Vegas once to see Sam Butera and Keely Smith at the Flamingo Hotel. I wanted to experience the old Vegas nightclub scene. They were part of the Louis Prima band, but I never got to see him. This was the next best thing.
Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A: I would love to visit Monaco, Luxembourg and Andorra someday. I’ve always been intrigued by small countries.
Q: What would be your dream trip?
A: I’ve always wanted to stay in one of those huts in Tahiti.
Q: What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A: I’ve had pizza in 49 states and every country I’ve ever visited. The pizza in Iceland had all kinds of seafood on it and it was just crazy good.
Q: What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A: Picking the right hotel and location is what I focus on. The rest usually falls in place. I will look up local attractions, historic landmarks and great restaurants. I avoid chain restaurants.
© 2022 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
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