A real Tiki Oasis

The whole gang met up, with instruments and baggage, at the Diner at noon. It's a fine art, packing the van, there's a lot of stuff for a very small space. Its like one of those interlocking cube puzzles, only one way to fit it together. It was hot in the noon day sun and cloudless sky, so after packing up we went inside for lunch.

Aqua blue booths, imported from the US at Surfer Joe Diner

At 2:30 we hit the road, Lorenzo driving the van and Steve driving the rented Peugot wagon. Immediately outside Livorno, we had the first AutoGrille sighting, though we just stopped for gas. Autogrilles will be our food, fuel and leg stretch stops for the rest of trip. Lorenzo is obsessed with them, at one time trying to figure out how to book an AutoGrille tour. One highlight for everyone was an aqueduct sighting. It seemed like it was in good shape, not ancient, but still, an aqueduct.

Northeast toward Bologna, the countryside is like an endless Napa Valley, the round hills squared at the ends where they have been quarried for centuries. Fields of corn, and a world's supply of sunflowers, their faces all tilting west in the afternoon sun. We passed many nurseries, with hundreds of lollipop looking trees. After long tunnels and many hills, the landscape flattened and we were in the North.


As we crossed farm country, it didn't seem like we were headed toward any kind of civic center or any town that could support a club. We turned off the two lane roadway and onto a single lane passage that was on top of a levee next to the River Po. We could see the clock tower of Berganino and had to make a sharp turn down off the levee. Berganino was deserted, the kind of town where you might expect a donkey to pull a hay wagon through the town center, or Clint Eastwood might saunter in, telling the carpenter to prepare three coffins. And then the clock tower bell rings the hour.

The best way to describe the Ungawa Tiki Bar is as an oasis. You walk in and see that every detail of the former English pub has been massaged into a kitschy tropical paradise. Bamboo and rattan, low brow art, 50's movie posters, hand carved tikis made from telephone poles and the owners', Lukino, special handicraft, mosaic tile everywhere. Instead of hung beads in a doorway, there are hairy dreadlocks. There's a stage inside, but we will be playing on the patio outside, under a thatched roof, in the cooler air.

Meshugga Beach Party is sound check

After load in, set up, and a brief sound check for all three bands, Lukino brought out dinner. Starting with prosciutto and delicious juicy melon, grilled panini, and risotto with julienned vegetables. The came French fries with spicy avocado dip, and pizza– basil, mushroom and cheese. He had a great selection of beers, especially Belgian ales but I saved myself for a Mai-tai, though is was a sweet Trader Vic style rather than my preferred island style. The clubs in Italy truly treat bands so much better than clubs in the US.

This was the first real show of the tour with all three bands on stage on one night. One thing I was interested to see was what the crowd's reaction would be when they realized there was shared membership in the bands. They didn't seem to mind, we did change costumes, although tonight, far from the ocean breeze, everybody opted for shorts. This made the the TMen vests look pretty silly, but how much sillier could we look anyway? Another issue, which is mostly a concern to Danny, is how he will do having to play 3 sets a night.

Often when the club is empty, the owner will tell the bands to wait a few minutes until the crowd shows up. Generally, and perhaps especially with surf music, the crowd never shows, but by the time Frankie went on, the patio had completely filled up. Apparently it's OK to bring your kids into a bar, because there was a handful of youngsters. This made me a little sad because I miss my kids, even though they're grown up. But, anyway, Frankie & The Pool Boys had a good set, fresh from our "rehearsal" show at Surfer Joe. We hit a lot more of the tight cues, and it's satisfying to know that in a few nights we will be Swiss watch tight. Likewise, the TomorrowMen ripped through our set. I couldn't tell if the crowd was into the more progressive nature of the band, but they responded enthusiastically. After another costume change, Meshugga Beach Party came on, and with their high energy songs and stage moves, easily thrilled the crowd.

It's definitely weird to pull into a town as small and this and play in front of a packed house on a Tuesday night. Maybe they dont get much live entertainment, or maybe they know what an incredible place Ungawa is. Lukino is obviously a huge risk taker to open such a non-traditional bar here, and it's obviously a success. The night ends when Lukino brings out the Campari for a toast. He says if you drink six of them, you will see dragons. One sniff scares me away, but the hospitality is greatly appreciated.