Monday, July 2, 2012

Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo (not in that order)




Sunday morning started out very much like every other day, we awoke around 10. Last night we were allowed to leave our equipment in the club, which is nice, as loading the van at 3am is a drag, and then you have to worry about the van's security over night. We met Daniele at the Circus at 11:00 and did the dirty work, then moved to the town square to eat our mozzarella de bufalo balls for breakfast. They were so perfect, the juice dripping everywhere. Others went for a cappuccino, but at noon it was well into the upper 90s, so I went for coffee gelato. The men, old and young, lounged outside the little store throwing back beers. I'm not sure if they were cooling off to after church or getting ready to go.

Once we had descended hilltop Pisticci, the ride was an uneventful 2 hour trip. We briefly saw the Ionian Sea, but then headed slightly more inland as we moved to the ball of Italy's boot. Upon arrival in Cosenza, we were met by Vilma, the co-organizer of the tonight's festival. She took us for a snack and coffee, but I prefer Coca-Cola here for the afternoons. It's the real thing, made with sugar, not the crappy American chemistry experiment stuff.

 

Meshugga "warming up" on the big stage

We arrive at the festival location which is a great expanse of concrete outside a UNICEF funded children's day care center. The stage isn't "quite" ready so we find tons of children's games to amuse ourselves. We had hoped to go over to our bed and breakfast as Vilma had assured us it's quite nice, and we are tired (some more than others) and smelly (everyone is guilty.) The hours drag, the stage isn't ready, then we set up to sound check, but the mics aren't plugged in yet. Meshugga has been standing on the state for more than an hour, as the crew works to the technical problems, and finally plugging in the monitors. The other bands take their turn, and we get off the stage around 7:30pm. At this point, Vilma is supposed to take us to dinner and show us the B&B, but she is occupied with managing the festival, and despite her continued assurances that she can go in 5 minutes, she finally just gives us the addresses and Lorenzo loads them into "Jane" and we finally leave the site at 8.

Another spectacular meal, and everybody is ready for it. We order half the menu– full salads, pizza, calzone, and Karen and Anne split a steak, which is so tender and well prepared that it melts in your mouth. Sitting outside, the temperature is cooling a bit, perhaps to the mid 80s, and we all feel it. For the first time since Livorno's sea breeze, I feel like I'm not wearing a wet blanket.

While coffee is being served, and all are feeling revived, it's time for me to pass along some bad news. The promoter of the Monday night show in Crotone has been cancelled. The club he was working with shut him down, and at this late date, there is no chance to move the show. The only silver lining is that Lorenzo demanded and receive the full payment. This sets up a few possibilities for the next few days. No one is too upset, it's nice to have a day off. Still, I'm sorry to lose a show, and miss visiting another town.

On the TV, the Italy/Spain European cup final is about to start. Before we leave, Spain is already up 1-0, probably it's better if Italy wins so people will be in a festive mood tonight. We get back in the van and see fireworks in the hills, the fact that they are red tells me that Spain has scored another goal.

The navi unit leads us into the hills above Cosenza, way up, on windy roads that were once horse paths, and still not much wider. We are about 20 minutes away from the festival, but the drive makes us feel like we are lost and are wondering what is going on. Because of the big game, we are absolutely the only car on the road. Finally we find the B&B, Palazzo Conforti , and enter an old castilla through fortified front doors. What we find inside is a completely updated mansion. Beautiful artwork hangs throughout, and the rooms are large with private baths. Every bedroom is painted in a bold color, and with Karen's good luck, she gets the purple room. We have time for a quick dip in the pool, and a hot showerand it's refreshing beyond words.

The drive back seems to take far less time, although even the navi unit has trouble with some one way streets. The streets have more cars on them, but the horns aren't blaring, so Italy must have lost. It's about 11pm, and on stage are The Brutals, the local surf band, meekly running through surf's greatest hits. After a somnambulic version of "Sleepwalk", Danny calls the next song as though he has the typical set list memorized, "Rumble", the Link Wray chestnut that can only mean that a surf band's set has come to a close. The Brutals were supposed to play at 7pm, so now all the bands will play later than expected.

Frankie and the Pool Boys take the stage. For the first time since the Surfer Joe Festival, I'm wearing long white pants. We've been wearing shorts on stage every night, it would be impossible to perform without passing out in the heat. The shorts look works for Frankie and Meshugga, but not for the TMen, with our matching space vests. I suffered through one set in my plastic pants while we were in Pisticci, and fashion be damned, I won't do it again.

The Frankie set goes really well and we're sounding tight. The only issue is the awful pre-programmed light show, which every minute or so works through an epilepsy inducing strobe light program, it gives me a nasty headache. Towards the last few songs, my mind wanders a bit and I'm thinking about the beautiful location, the nearly full moon, the Keanu Reeve's movie "Point Break," showing on the big screen, and the upcoming TMen set. At the end of the last song, I'm very happy, but the Lorenzo says to me, just as I'm giving him a big high-five for a well played show, "It appears Frankie will be the only band tonight, there has been a complaint and the cops are shutting down the show." What???

Vilma and her crew had drawn all the necessary permits, but the speculation is that perhaps someone with "family" connections is upset that they didn't get a cut. Or it may be that the nearby Holiday Inn is upset that people aren't going to their regular Sunday night disco. To me it seems strange to organize a festival the goes all night long on a Sunday. Whatever, the fact is that the lights are turned off and the stage is struck.

At least we have our beautiful mountain retreat to relax in, and we all hope that we can stay two nights here.


 

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