so. we had to wake up too early to drive back up to milano. so i bailed. took the train again like an old man who knows better. the funky band van would need 6 hours to get up there. no elbow room. and i have some severely sharp elbows.
so me and enrico, the italian agent, took a rickety old tram train to the central station. bought a ticket and walked off to nab the best pizza this side of napoli. then the 3 hour trip back up the tracks. and then a small packed old train to monza, home of berlisconi. and then a bus for 45 minutes. maybe the van was better. then we get off and walk the last clump of stumbles.
the venue is the bloom. a little joint way north outside of milan that i remember playing at in 1989, the first time we met up with steev left, when just john covertino and i were giant sand. and i still remember a woman singing all the lyrics to one of our songs here way back then. it seemed impossible.
but now it seemed bizarre to return to a place we played at 25 years ago. that stuff doesn’t sit too well. like we’ve only been traveling in one big circle. but maybe that is really the path here. in this life.
surprisingly a beautiful woman approaches me for a national television interview. she is severely pleasant and very subtly sad. she doesn’t know i know she is sad. but she is lovely to look at and i am astonished that she knows so much about the band. more surprised she cared enough to want to do this interview thing. then they filmed some of the show and was gone.
we played very well this night. i don’t know why. must be happy. the amp is now under control and very effective. the band is a joy.