Make reservations.
Andrew Zimmern and David Kuller recommended the restaurant Roscioli. Andrew wrote "you'd be hard-pressed to find a better griciathan than at Roscioli." Honestly, I had to look up "griciathan." Turns out it's pasta with three ingredients: Guanciale (pork cheek), pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese, and that appealed to me. So we went downstairs to the concierge and announced we wanted a reservation.
And they pooh-poohed the restaurant. This makes me crazy, like when the guy at the shop said there are better skis than Peaks. Well, Peak is direct to consumer only and you can't sell them... But I stood my ground and said we wanted to go anyway.
No problem, we could get a reservation on June 19th.
Well, that took us aback. But the concierge said he knew an even better place around the corner and...
The fact that the place was empty should have been a heads-up. But it was after one and...
The salad was substandard. And the pasta... Was oversalted.
This put me in an extremely bad mood. I know my food, it was one of my father's priorities, if I'm paying I want the best. Yes, I'm that person, I need the best. I want the iPhone 15 Pro, not the one with last year's chip. Sometimes the best is the same price as the also-ran, usually it's just a little bit more. And you do your research and...
Most people just ask their friends. Our world runs on misinformation. Everybody thinks they know the most and have got the best spot and it drives me crazy.
And I was beyond frustrated over our meal. I mean with just a bit less salt the pasta would have been agreeable, but I'm wasting all these carbs and eating something substandard? Put me in a really bad mood.
And then Carrot said there was going to be thunder, lightning and rain. (You can't trust Apple Weather, it's worthless, somehow Cupertino bought the best weather app, Dark Sky, and positively ruined it. The worst thing is it never says it's going to precipitate...and then it does.)
So we got our rain gear and entered the Borghese Gardens and it starts to sprinkle and then the thunder claps and Felice gets reluctant. The day is going from bad to worse, she doesn't want to be out in the rain, but I'm in ROME, I don't want to waste any of my precious time.
So I say let's go into the Gallery. But Felice is anxious that I'm going to spend too much time there...
Yes, I'm that guy. As in a quick walk through is not enough. I just don't want to say I saw it... No, I want to consume it, I want to explore every nook and cranny, I want to drink up the experience...and most people don't want to do this.
So we parted ways. Maybe not a bad idea after a week together with her family. And I go to enter the museum and...
It's sold out. There's a waiting line, but the information desk says I probably won't get in. So I pop my umbrella and go out into the rain and ponder my next destination. And for some reason the Piazza Navona comes to mind. I remember sitting in a metal chair at the end of the square on a Sunday back in '72 and at least I can connect with that.
So I start walking and...
What kind of crazy, f*cked up world do we live in where Apple Maps is better than Google Maps? Remember when we used to argue over cell phone providers, over which map apps to use? My default has been Google, I remember when Apple Maps launched and took you far from your destination.
But in L'Aquila, Google Maps steered me wrong, very wrong. And wasn't so comprehensible. Furthermore, the blue dot wasn't always accurate. But when I switched to Apple Maps? Everything was hunky-dory.
So I fired up Apple and started walking to the Piazza Navona.
And I was in one of those moods where I wasn't sure who I was anymore and how I fit in. I could have taken a cab, or even an Uber, but I'm walking half an hour... Do I still have college values, have I not grown up? And others don't even bother with the sights, that's not what travel is about for them. But that's what it's all about for me. I don't want to lie on a beach, I want to be stimulated. I could go to museums all day long, every day.
And I'm feeling so alienated. Thinking about how different I am. I mean did you read that "Wall Street Journal" article about the high end confabs? Do I really want to hang with a bunch of rich people and feel fabulous? And to tell you the truth, I've done that, and it's all about networking and that's not who I am. I'm not looking to use you, and I certainly don't want you to use me. And lifestyle is not everything.
And my feet are hurting on the uneven pavement and I've got no idea where I am, but I'm just following the blue line and then...
I arrive. And it's crowded. The opposite of the empty plaza from half a century ago. They keep making more people, but they are not making more sites.
So I find a spot on a bench and sit down and...
My pants get wet. That's why I could find a space.
So I end up finding a railing where I park my ass and start researching on my phone.
And that's when I read about the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, known in English as the Fountain of the Four Rivers...
Wait a second, this rings a bell. Doesn't one person have their face covered because they didn't know the source of the Nile back then?
Is this even the same sculpture?
Meanwhile, I'm looking at the nearby fountain and it's not resonating.
So I stand up and walk to the center of the Piazza and...
There it is. Straight out of the 1600s.
Bernini didn't want to do it. But at the last minute he was convinced to send a model to the Pope, who immediately green-lit his vision.
That's how it always is. There's a level of talent above the rest, and too often the rest don't like it. They want you to believe they're just as good, even though deep down inside they know this is not true. And the most talented are often mercurial, anything but warm and fuzzy.
So there it is, the river god of the Nile, with his face covered.
And suddenly there was a spark, a connection to college, to who I once was, and my mood changed.
And under the god representing the Americas, there was a stack of coins, because the new world was seen as the land of riches.
But it was the feet that truly impacted me. I noticed the second toe of one god was longer than the first. And it rose above, just like a real person. There were all these nuances. Bernini had to get it right, every little thing. He wasn't making it for a price.
Yes, Bernini was better than the rest. Just like the right restaurant and the right phone, it feels so good when you experience it. It's not about status, but an inner mounting flame, a good feeling inside. You feel whole.
And nothing else matters.
Bernini has been dead for nearly half a millennium. He's not bitching about Spotify payments. All that's left is the work. This is the opposite of Gene Simmons saying that it's all about money. It's not. When it's art.
So what is art?
I don't want to define it, I'll just say on the opposite end of the spectrum is commerce.
Now when I went to college there was no commerce. No business classes. College was not seen as a career prep, but an enrichment of the individual, of their mind. This was back before being an art history major made you a pariah.
Yes, I was an art history major. And I never wanted to work in a museum, I didn't want a job in the art world, but there was a sensibility...in the art, in the art department, that was different from the usual subjects, that impacted me.
I'm all about splitting hairs, trying to reach the zenith, whereas too many people say good is good enough.
And this makes me feel alienated.
But in truth the great musical artists were all alienated. Bob Dylan? John Lennon? These were outsiders commenting on a world they were not a part of. They couldn't sell out, even if they wanted to, they constitutionally didn't know how to. They were on their own journeys.
And people don't like it when you go your own way. Especially now, when it's all about groupspeak. Reviewers are afraid to say anything negative about the new Taylor Swift album for fear of backlash, or appearing a hater.
As a matter of fact, you need to read the comments on the Swift articles in the WaPo and the NYT. Readers are APOPLECTIC! Can these outlets stop writing about Taylor Swift! The readers are maxed out, and they have no intention of listening to the music, they've checked Swift out and she's not for them. What's interesting is the blowback is more about the press than Taylor or her work. Dedicated readers wonder who these papers think their audience truly is. But Taylor Swift has been anointed the biggest story in the land and if you don't agree...
What if you don't agree? What if you're not part of the mainstream? What if you want to go a different way?
Be prepared to go it alone. But know that you have forebears.
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi centered me, made me feel whole and good. Maybe not connected to society, but I could feel the thread back to college and Bernini and his fountain. There was meaning, there was elation. And it wasn't about money, but it was truly inspiring.
Funny how your mood can change on a dime.
But that's the power of greatness, that's the power of the long ball. It's not about hype, it's about the work itself. It may need to be interpreted and explained so you can understand it, but the penumbra is irrelevant, the trappings don't matter, the art stands on its own, makes its own statement. And greatness lasts while the rest fades away.
So I didn't feel closer to society looking at the Fountain of the Four Rivers, I felt closer to myself. Yes, this is who I am. This resonates, engenders a feeling inside that makes me whole. That explains my life. That makes me feel I'm o.k.
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Saturday, 20 April 2024
Friday, 19 April 2024
Already Forgotten?-SiriusXM This Week
Tune in Saturday April 20th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
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Scanno
This was the unexpected highlight of our trip. We came for last night's concert, but going to the birthplace of Quinto Mancini? WOW!
So according to Wikipedia, Scanno is a town on a lake, southeast of L'Aquila, but with a higher elevation, as a matter of fact it snowed there last night, and not just flurries, it was still on the ground when we got there.
I pictured some low-lying village, a bit industrial, the kind of place where you could earn a living, but thought of a better life in the United States.
That's not how it was at all.
Now if you've ever been to the Alps, you know they're staggering. The only equivalent I've ever come across in the USA is the Tetons, but they're just a small row of peaks. Although the Alps are lower in altitude than the Rockies, they jut up straight from the landscape, and they're craggy and rugged and I didn't expect the Apennines to have the same character, but they do.
So we're on the freeway, passing villages with castles, and then we get off the highway and...
It reminded me of Vermont, the road to the Middlebury Snow Bowl. Uphill, twisty and turning...on steroids.
I didn't know we were climbing to an isolated mountain town. On a road that was a death trap. If you've ever lived in the hinterlands, you know drunk driving is a feature, not a bug. And young people lose their lives in accidents all the time. At certain points on the road it was one car only. At others they had mirrors on the curves. And no one was going twenty miles per hour, rather closer to fifty. You know the drill, when you surrender your life to the unknown driver, hoping they have experience.
Turns out ours did. He was a policeman, in uniform and everything, from Villalago, a village fifteen minutes from Scanno. We're driving over these bridges with insane drops. It was truly a stairway to heaven.
And we're in these deep valleys and up on the peaks are these communities... They look kind of like that house the Branch Dividians lived in, as in they're all attached, like one big building, and outside the building are cliffs.
So we ultimately get to a mountain lake, you know, the kind whose color is a cross between silver and green, made up of mountain runoff.
Turns out this is the lake, but Scanno is not built around it. A few kilometers on, you come around a corner and right in front of you is a ski area, with a lift as steep as the one in Val d'Isere, the kind you get freaked out about going up.
And it turns out Scanno is another one of those villages where every building is attached.
So first they bring us to the town hall for a meeting with the mayor. Who smiled and spoke, but not in English, Daniela translated. There was all this pomp and circumstance because the three were the kids of Henry Mancini. The guy's smiling and...I've never gotten such an official reception.
And then we get back in the van, drive in a giant circle, get off and we're at Henry Mancini's street. He's the most famous guy with roots in Scanno, check Wikipedia, they only mention Henry and a guy who hid out there during the War and ultimately became president.
That's another thing about being in Europe, it's hard not to think about the War. We haven't had one in the U.S., we think we're immune. We're not worried about our neighbors invading, Canada and Mexico are not up to that. But in Europe, all the countries are squeezed together. And it's not like your town is so far from the action. 9/11 happened in New York, we didn't feel it quite as deeply in Los Angeles, because it was three thousand miles away. But when some army can invade and come to your burg in a matter of days, you're going to sleep with one eye open.
And then they took us to Quinto's house, just a door in the endless building in the center of the village.
Now I can't go in search of my relatives' homeland. Because they're in Ukraine and Russia. My parents once went to visit my mother's cousins in Russia, but those who didn't leave for the U.S. went to Israel. Our aunts, our grandfather's sisters, came over by boat in the early sixties for a few weeks, and we've all been over there, but to see exactly where your relative lived back in the day?
And nothing has changed. I grew up in a split level house that was new construction. But where these people live...the buildings are hundreds of years old, you're reminded every day that you're just part of a long continuum.
So it turns out there are only 1,800 people in Scanno. And nineteen churches. And with little work, the young people are leaving. But we met this young reporter who moved here during Covid, she wanted to get out of the city. And the town swells in the summer, thousands arrive, to hang out in their second homes, to vacation.
But the rest of the year... Scanno didn't even have a cinema when Quinto lived there.
So Quinto, so named because he was the fifth child, was born in 1890. And he emigrated to the U.S. when he was in his early twenties. And I'm picturing him there back in Scanno... There was no future, I can see getting out, as it was there were twenty guys who looked like they were out of a black and white film from a hundred years ago waiting for the bar to open just before we left. That's another thing about the mountains, the hinterlands, alcohol consumption is rampant, there's little to do and the nights are cold and long and...
Ultimately, after lunch, there was another concert of Mancini music, in a converted church. Unlike in the U.S., the exteriors of many churches are flat and bland...but the interiors are luxurious.
And that's where we met...THE RELATIVES!
Yes, the descendants of Quinto's brothers and sisters, the kids born in the fifties, just like us. It was positively overwhelming, inspiring, yet somewhat strange. It was a complete surprise, we didn't know they'd be there, no one did. And they're so excited to meet Felice and Monica, I've never experienced anything like it. They shared blood, but no everyday history, not even the same language. How do you catch up after all these years? It was like royalty come to visit, very rare, and they roll out the red carpet and are so thrilled you're there.
So much of this official stuff is pomp and circumstance with little meaning. But today was all about meaning.
And twenty of us went to lunch, and the breadsticks enclosed in plastic...trumped every breadstick I've ever eaten. They were somewhat salty and ribbed and far from dry.
I guess maybe if you too live in the hinterlands, you can understand. If you were born and stayed in the same place, with few people there, off the radar screen. It's a complete society, but for those of us who live in Los Angeles, you can never forget the starmaking machinery. You bump into household names at the grocery store. You feel a connection to the outside world, it's palpable. But in Scanno? The roads are treacherous both in and out. It's perched on the side of a mountain. I can't figure out why people moved there to begin with.
Normally it's easy to figure out. There's a body of water for transportation of goods, or a river to provide energy. But what inspired people to build a community in the middle of nowhere with no obvious economic advantages?
The mayor told me the business was cows and sheep, as in farming. And tourism. And ever since Covid, the area's been somewhat depressed. The mayor's the lawyer in town. As for a doctor... THEY DON'T HAVE ONE! They've got a helicopter pad just in case, but if you need treatment you've got to drive twenty kilometers just to see a medical professional, never mind a specialist. And they'd love to get a doctor there, but most people want to specialize these days, there are fewer general practitioners, and do you really want to move to a small town in the middle of nowhere?
Oh, it's spectacular. With vertical walls of mountains rising into the stratosphere.
And you could see satellite dishes. So it's not like you're completely isolated. But...
What would it be like to grow up there? Over a hundred years ago. When life was not much different than it had been for centuries? I mean normally you think about people immigrating to avoid war, you think about how hard it would be to journey so far and start over where you didn't speak the language. But I can't believe it was that hard to convince Quinto to go, I mean what's your future in Scanno? Then again, what did Quinto think when he got to New York?
He ultimately ended up in the Cleveland area, working in a steel mill. The life of an immigrant is never easy. You start at the bottom, usually with manual labor, and you work hard to provide, to get ahead.
Henry was his only son, only offspring at all. And at a young age, Hank was at the cinema, heard the music and said...I WANT TO DO THAT!
Hank played the flute, like his dad. And he didn't quite come from the Liverpool docks, but he made it all the way to the Hollywood Bowl.
Sure, there's luck. But there's also desire. And also taking advantage of coincidences. After losing his job at Universal, walking away from a building on the lot that now bears his name, Hank ran into Blake Edwards, and there ensued a relationship...
You don't know what you're doing when you're doing it, you're putting one foot in front of the other, it all makes sense in retrospect.
Quinto did not leave Scanno to have a famous composer son. He just needed a better future. Then again, in today's world of income inequality, where financial shenanigans are employed to ensure generational wealth, there are tons of rich do-nothings, but it's always those who come from the bottom, immigrants, who change the world and make a difference.
We all come from somewhere, and today we experienced the roots of Henry Mancini, who is still Scanno's favorite child, even though he was born in the United States.
But if his father wasn't from Scanno would Hank have made it, been so successful?
We'll never know, but that's the American Dream, to start from nowhere and make it all the way to somewhere. It's what inspires us, keeps us going.
Perception is they don't have the American Dream in Europe. You're born to your station and...
In truth, the American Dream, the ability to rise up on hard work, has diminished in America, your odds of moving up are actually better in Canada and Europe.
It's the little things that surprise you, where they've got systems figured out better than the States. And sure, the States are more efficient, but they're far from perfect. We could learn from our brethren. Even worse, America has stood for peace, the future, it has been the guiding light, ensuring world order. But now Europe has lost confidence, they don't look for America to save them. As a matter of fact, the EU is the harbinger of regulation these days. The EU stands up for the public in a way that the American government does not. And when Lina Khan blows the whistle on corporations there's all this backlash...
It's different here. And I could live here, but not in Scanno, certainly not in the days before modern transportation and communications.
Brought tears to Felice's eyes. It was overwhelming. After all these years to encounter your roots?
I hope you have the same experience.
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So according to Wikipedia, Scanno is a town on a lake, southeast of L'Aquila, but with a higher elevation, as a matter of fact it snowed there last night, and not just flurries, it was still on the ground when we got there.
I pictured some low-lying village, a bit industrial, the kind of place where you could earn a living, but thought of a better life in the United States.
That's not how it was at all.
Now if you've ever been to the Alps, you know they're staggering. The only equivalent I've ever come across in the USA is the Tetons, but they're just a small row of peaks. Although the Alps are lower in altitude than the Rockies, they jut up straight from the landscape, and they're craggy and rugged and I didn't expect the Apennines to have the same character, but they do.
So we're on the freeway, passing villages with castles, and then we get off the highway and...
It reminded me of Vermont, the road to the Middlebury Snow Bowl. Uphill, twisty and turning...on steroids.
I didn't know we were climbing to an isolated mountain town. On a road that was a death trap. If you've ever lived in the hinterlands, you know drunk driving is a feature, not a bug. And young people lose their lives in accidents all the time. At certain points on the road it was one car only. At others they had mirrors on the curves. And no one was going twenty miles per hour, rather closer to fifty. You know the drill, when you surrender your life to the unknown driver, hoping they have experience.
Turns out ours did. He was a policeman, in uniform and everything, from Villalago, a village fifteen minutes from Scanno. We're driving over these bridges with insane drops. It was truly a stairway to heaven.
And we're in these deep valleys and up on the peaks are these communities... They look kind of like that house the Branch Dividians lived in, as in they're all attached, like one big building, and outside the building are cliffs.
So we ultimately get to a mountain lake, you know, the kind whose color is a cross between silver and green, made up of mountain runoff.
Turns out this is the lake, but Scanno is not built around it. A few kilometers on, you come around a corner and right in front of you is a ski area, with a lift as steep as the one in Val d'Isere, the kind you get freaked out about going up.
And it turns out Scanno is another one of those villages where every building is attached.
So first they bring us to the town hall for a meeting with the mayor. Who smiled and spoke, but not in English, Daniela translated. There was all this pomp and circumstance because the three were the kids of Henry Mancini. The guy's smiling and...I've never gotten such an official reception.
And then we get back in the van, drive in a giant circle, get off and we're at Henry Mancini's street. He's the most famous guy with roots in Scanno, check Wikipedia, they only mention Henry and a guy who hid out there during the War and ultimately became president.
That's another thing about being in Europe, it's hard not to think about the War. We haven't had one in the U.S., we think we're immune. We're not worried about our neighbors invading, Canada and Mexico are not up to that. But in Europe, all the countries are squeezed together. And it's not like your town is so far from the action. 9/11 happened in New York, we didn't feel it quite as deeply in Los Angeles, because it was three thousand miles away. But when some army can invade and come to your burg in a matter of days, you're going to sleep with one eye open.
And then they took us to Quinto's house, just a door in the endless building in the center of the village.
Now I can't go in search of my relatives' homeland. Because they're in Ukraine and Russia. My parents once went to visit my mother's cousins in Russia, but those who didn't leave for the U.S. went to Israel. Our aunts, our grandfather's sisters, came over by boat in the early sixties for a few weeks, and we've all been over there, but to see exactly where your relative lived back in the day?
And nothing has changed. I grew up in a split level house that was new construction. But where these people live...the buildings are hundreds of years old, you're reminded every day that you're just part of a long continuum.
So it turns out there are only 1,800 people in Scanno. And nineteen churches. And with little work, the young people are leaving. But we met this young reporter who moved here during Covid, she wanted to get out of the city. And the town swells in the summer, thousands arrive, to hang out in their second homes, to vacation.
But the rest of the year... Scanno didn't even have a cinema when Quinto lived there.
So Quinto, so named because he was the fifth child, was born in 1890. And he emigrated to the U.S. when he was in his early twenties. And I'm picturing him there back in Scanno... There was no future, I can see getting out, as it was there were twenty guys who looked like they were out of a black and white film from a hundred years ago waiting for the bar to open just before we left. That's another thing about the mountains, the hinterlands, alcohol consumption is rampant, there's little to do and the nights are cold and long and...
Ultimately, after lunch, there was another concert of Mancini music, in a converted church. Unlike in the U.S., the exteriors of many churches are flat and bland...but the interiors are luxurious.
And that's where we met...THE RELATIVES!
Yes, the descendants of Quinto's brothers and sisters, the kids born in the fifties, just like us. It was positively overwhelming, inspiring, yet somewhat strange. It was a complete surprise, we didn't know they'd be there, no one did. And they're so excited to meet Felice and Monica, I've never experienced anything like it. They shared blood, but no everyday history, not even the same language. How do you catch up after all these years? It was like royalty come to visit, very rare, and they roll out the red carpet and are so thrilled you're there.
So much of this official stuff is pomp and circumstance with little meaning. But today was all about meaning.
And twenty of us went to lunch, and the breadsticks enclosed in plastic...trumped every breadstick I've ever eaten. They were somewhat salty and ribbed and far from dry.
I guess maybe if you too live in the hinterlands, you can understand. If you were born and stayed in the same place, with few people there, off the radar screen. It's a complete society, but for those of us who live in Los Angeles, you can never forget the starmaking machinery. You bump into household names at the grocery store. You feel a connection to the outside world, it's palpable. But in Scanno? The roads are treacherous both in and out. It's perched on the side of a mountain. I can't figure out why people moved there to begin with.
Normally it's easy to figure out. There's a body of water for transportation of goods, or a river to provide energy. But what inspired people to build a community in the middle of nowhere with no obvious economic advantages?
The mayor told me the business was cows and sheep, as in farming. And tourism. And ever since Covid, the area's been somewhat depressed. The mayor's the lawyer in town. As for a doctor... THEY DON'T HAVE ONE! They've got a helicopter pad just in case, but if you need treatment you've got to drive twenty kilometers just to see a medical professional, never mind a specialist. And they'd love to get a doctor there, but most people want to specialize these days, there are fewer general practitioners, and do you really want to move to a small town in the middle of nowhere?
Oh, it's spectacular. With vertical walls of mountains rising into the stratosphere.
And you could see satellite dishes. So it's not like you're completely isolated. But...
What would it be like to grow up there? Over a hundred years ago. When life was not much different than it had been for centuries? I mean normally you think about people immigrating to avoid war, you think about how hard it would be to journey so far and start over where you didn't speak the language. But I can't believe it was that hard to convince Quinto to go, I mean what's your future in Scanno? Then again, what did Quinto think when he got to New York?
He ultimately ended up in the Cleveland area, working in a steel mill. The life of an immigrant is never easy. You start at the bottom, usually with manual labor, and you work hard to provide, to get ahead.
Henry was his only son, only offspring at all. And at a young age, Hank was at the cinema, heard the music and said...I WANT TO DO THAT!
Hank played the flute, like his dad. And he didn't quite come from the Liverpool docks, but he made it all the way to the Hollywood Bowl.
Sure, there's luck. But there's also desire. And also taking advantage of coincidences. After losing his job at Universal, walking away from a building on the lot that now bears his name, Hank ran into Blake Edwards, and there ensued a relationship...
You don't know what you're doing when you're doing it, you're putting one foot in front of the other, it all makes sense in retrospect.
Quinto did not leave Scanno to have a famous composer son. He just needed a better future. Then again, in today's world of income inequality, where financial shenanigans are employed to ensure generational wealth, there are tons of rich do-nothings, but it's always those who come from the bottom, immigrants, who change the world and make a difference.
We all come from somewhere, and today we experienced the roots of Henry Mancini, who is still Scanno's favorite child, even though he was born in the United States.
But if his father wasn't from Scanno would Hank have made it, been so successful?
We'll never know, but that's the American Dream, to start from nowhere and make it all the way to somewhere. It's what inspires us, keeps us going.
Perception is they don't have the American Dream in Europe. You're born to your station and...
In truth, the American Dream, the ability to rise up on hard work, has diminished in America, your odds of moving up are actually better in Canada and Europe.
It's the little things that surprise you, where they've got systems figured out better than the States. And sure, the States are more efficient, but they're far from perfect. We could learn from our brethren. Even worse, America has stood for peace, the future, it has been the guiding light, ensuring world order. But now Europe has lost confidence, they don't look for America to save them. As a matter of fact, the EU is the harbinger of regulation these days. The EU stands up for the public in a way that the American government does not. And when Lina Khan blows the whistle on corporations there's all this backlash...
It's different here. And I could live here, but not in Scanno, certainly not in the days before modern transportation and communications.
Brought tears to Felice's eyes. It was overwhelming. After all these years to encounter your roots?
I hope you have the same experience.
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Reaching Mass
You don't do it through publicity, you do it through the work.
In the old days, print publicity was the introduction, now there's so much in the pipeline that even if it's seen, it's not acted upon, and that is the ultimate goal, consumption of the music, that's where a career begins.
You're best getting publicity after you get traction. Then you have a story to tell.
I know this sounds counterintuitive to many, who will ask how you get started, but it's literally just like building a fire, you start with kindling, and then you blow on said kindling to make it white hot and do your best to ignite larger and larger wood. And the hardest part is getting the fire started. Once you've got it started, maintaining it is a different issue. If you get big enough, it's impossible to blow the fire out all at once. We no longer live in the days of Billy Squier and MTV, nothing you do can destroy your career overnight, people are still listening to R. Kelly tunes. Collective consciousness is passé.
But getting started...
People think it's with social media. But unless social media posts include the music, it's nearly worthless. Once you've gained the aforementioned traction you employ social media to keep your career aflame, but when it comes to starting, it all comes down to the music.
And the best way to start is by doing it completely different from everybody else. If you're just following in the footsteps of hitmakers, chances are the flame won't ignite. Your music has to be different, innovative. One of the best ways to make it is with innovative lyrics. Hell, isn't that why Noah Kahan blew up, with lyrics about his emotions, his inner life in a world where everybody is playing to the last row?
And think about your audience. Your audience is not everybody, no one's is. Who is prone to listening to your music. Go where they are.
And don't dun people into submission. If you keep e-mailing them, hounding them to listen, they're not only not going to listen, they're going to talk sh*t about you.
Although you need no CV, music is one of the hardest verticals to have success in. Just because you can play and sing and your parents and friends like you...that's meaningless, unless they start spreading the word because they truly believe in the music.
How do you get people talking about you?
You wander in the wilderness. Which is anathema to today's young players who want instant success. Sure, you may have the tools of promotion at your fingertips, but so does everybody else.
Quick, did you listen to the new Taylor Swift album yet?
Either you did or you didn't, you're either a fan or you're not, and chances are if you're not a fan you're never going to check it out, and she's the biggest act in the world! We no longer live in the days of controlled radio and MTV, in a monoculture, you're appealing to a very small cadre of people, who hopefully will spread the word.
And when your Spotify numbers are anemic... Well, at least somebody is listening. Don't think about getting paid, but the ability to make that direct connection with listeners without a heavy lift. In the old days radio had to play your record or people had to buy it to hear it, it's much easier today, it's just that you're competing with everybody else.
I know this all sounds incredibly negative, like I'm raining on your parade, but everybody else is taking your money and giving you false hope. Now, more than ever in the past two decades, it comes down to the music. You start your career with the music. Which means if you've got a mediocre voice, you'd better be the best lyricist. You have to excel. And your music must contain something that hooks people and makes them want to hear it again. What is special about your track? An incredible chorus, guitar lick, vocal machinations? You've got to deliver a ten on at least one criterion or you're dead in the water.
This is no different from the old days. Don't forget, the Beatles woodshedded for years before they got a recording contract, never mind broke through.
And garage bands in the sixties and seventies... You put them together via the best elements. You found the best singer and the best guitar player, and if someone wasn't good enough, didn't excel, you looked for a replacement. Rush didn't really succeed until it got rid of the old drummer and replaced him with Neil Peart, who wrote lyrics to boot.
It's about fundamentals. Believe me, if you continue to do it you'll be stunned at how bad your early work is. Better to focus on lessons than promotion. Life is long. Just because you can put it up on YouTube doesn't mean anyone is going to watch it, never mind talk about it.
We don't need everybody, we just need a few good men and women. The public is hungry for music, but it doesn't need your music. And you must be dedicated and NEED IT! If you don't need success, if it's not the most important thing in the world, if you're not willing to sacrifice everything to get it, you're never going to make it.
As for the vaunted record deal... Even the major labels can't break new artists. Then again, they're repeating the formula. Innovation always comes from independents, outside.
But you must be unique and special. People need to see or hear you once and not be able to stop talking about you. If you have to convince someone you're great, you're not. Your greatness should emanate from you and your music.
Don't listen to the scuttlebutt, mainly it's wankers angry they're not successful who don't deserve to be successful.
You've got to be special. One listen, one look special.
That's what sells you today, no amount of publicity can compensate for substandard work, for average work, for great work. Look at it this way, the majors get tons of publicity for their acts and still most of them don't make it.
You've got the tools at your fingertips. But what you put through the pipeline is the most important thing.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
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In the old days, print publicity was the introduction, now there's so much in the pipeline that even if it's seen, it's not acted upon, and that is the ultimate goal, consumption of the music, that's where a career begins.
You're best getting publicity after you get traction. Then you have a story to tell.
I know this sounds counterintuitive to many, who will ask how you get started, but it's literally just like building a fire, you start with kindling, and then you blow on said kindling to make it white hot and do your best to ignite larger and larger wood. And the hardest part is getting the fire started. Once you've got it started, maintaining it is a different issue. If you get big enough, it's impossible to blow the fire out all at once. We no longer live in the days of Billy Squier and MTV, nothing you do can destroy your career overnight, people are still listening to R. Kelly tunes. Collective consciousness is passé.
But getting started...
People think it's with social media. But unless social media posts include the music, it's nearly worthless. Once you've gained the aforementioned traction you employ social media to keep your career aflame, but when it comes to starting, it all comes down to the music.
And the best way to start is by doing it completely different from everybody else. If you're just following in the footsteps of hitmakers, chances are the flame won't ignite. Your music has to be different, innovative. One of the best ways to make it is with innovative lyrics. Hell, isn't that why Noah Kahan blew up, with lyrics about his emotions, his inner life in a world where everybody is playing to the last row?
And think about your audience. Your audience is not everybody, no one's is. Who is prone to listening to your music. Go where they are.
And don't dun people into submission. If you keep e-mailing them, hounding them to listen, they're not only not going to listen, they're going to talk sh*t about you.
Although you need no CV, music is one of the hardest verticals to have success in. Just because you can play and sing and your parents and friends like you...that's meaningless, unless they start spreading the word because they truly believe in the music.
How do you get people talking about you?
You wander in the wilderness. Which is anathema to today's young players who want instant success. Sure, you may have the tools of promotion at your fingertips, but so does everybody else.
Quick, did you listen to the new Taylor Swift album yet?
Either you did or you didn't, you're either a fan or you're not, and chances are if you're not a fan you're never going to check it out, and she's the biggest act in the world! We no longer live in the days of controlled radio and MTV, in a monoculture, you're appealing to a very small cadre of people, who hopefully will spread the word.
And when your Spotify numbers are anemic... Well, at least somebody is listening. Don't think about getting paid, but the ability to make that direct connection with listeners without a heavy lift. In the old days radio had to play your record or people had to buy it to hear it, it's much easier today, it's just that you're competing with everybody else.
I know this all sounds incredibly negative, like I'm raining on your parade, but everybody else is taking your money and giving you false hope. Now, more than ever in the past two decades, it comes down to the music. You start your career with the music. Which means if you've got a mediocre voice, you'd better be the best lyricist. You have to excel. And your music must contain something that hooks people and makes them want to hear it again. What is special about your track? An incredible chorus, guitar lick, vocal machinations? You've got to deliver a ten on at least one criterion or you're dead in the water.
This is no different from the old days. Don't forget, the Beatles woodshedded for years before they got a recording contract, never mind broke through.
And garage bands in the sixties and seventies... You put them together via the best elements. You found the best singer and the best guitar player, and if someone wasn't good enough, didn't excel, you looked for a replacement. Rush didn't really succeed until it got rid of the old drummer and replaced him with Neil Peart, who wrote lyrics to boot.
It's about fundamentals. Believe me, if you continue to do it you'll be stunned at how bad your early work is. Better to focus on lessons than promotion. Life is long. Just because you can put it up on YouTube doesn't mean anyone is going to watch it, never mind talk about it.
We don't need everybody, we just need a few good men and women. The public is hungry for music, but it doesn't need your music. And you must be dedicated and NEED IT! If you don't need success, if it's not the most important thing in the world, if you're not willing to sacrifice everything to get it, you're never going to make it.
As for the vaunted record deal... Even the major labels can't break new artists. Then again, they're repeating the formula. Innovation always comes from independents, outside.
But you must be unique and special. People need to see or hear you once and not be able to stop talking about you. If you have to convince someone you're great, you're not. Your greatness should emanate from you and your music.
Don't listen to the scuttlebutt, mainly it's wankers angry they're not successful who don't deserve to be successful.
You've got to be special. One listen, one look special.
That's what sells you today, no amount of publicity can compensate for substandard work, for average work, for great work. Look at it this way, the majors get tons of publicity for their acts and still most of them don't make it.
You've got the tools at your fingertips. But what you put through the pipeline is the most important thing.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
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Thursday, 18 April 2024
Paul Dean-This Week's Podcast
Loverboy lead guitarist, key songwriter and co-producer.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/paul-dean-168586276/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-dean/id1316200737?i=1000652847981
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6nQnD6CgAABGCaFjMvtHV3?si=7iaP8iFORLK7UVcRS8A84w
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/ca144f9f-a062-4469-8dcb-5d456940dfc7/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-paul-dean
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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--
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To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/paul-dean-168586276/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-dean/id1316200737?i=1000652847981
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6nQnD6CgAABGCaFjMvtHV3?si=7iaP8iFORLK7UVcRS8A84w
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/ca144f9f-a062-4469-8dcb-5d456940dfc7/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-paul-dean
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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--
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Frampton At The Greek Last Saturday Night
Yes, quite the contrast to Coachella, then again back in the day the audience was not the show. Did you hear they referred to the desert confab as the "Influencer Olympics"? That's how much the game has changed. The acts are secondary to the experience. The penumbra trumps the music...i.e. the food and lifestyle events off the concert grounds. But back in the day...
Peter Frampton was just another struggling artist trying to make it until he surprisingly blew up with "Frampton Comes Alive" and then destroyed his career with "I'm In You" and the "Sgt. Pepper" movie and has been slowly clawing his way back to credibility ever since. The screen showed footage of Frampton walking with his school chum Bowie while he and his son belted out "Rebel Rebel" and not only did the song sound better decades removed, Bowie oozed a charisma we rarely see in our artists today. Bowie was the whole package: music, image and myth. Furthermore, Bowie kept on growing while so many of his contemporaries became calcified. But that was back before not only politics became tribal, but music too. I LISTEN TO MY FAVORITE AND YOU SUCK BECAUSE YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THEM! David Bowie would have laughed at blind belief. Then again, the intellectual component of music has left the building, while those outside the building keep complaining about their streaming royalties, or to be explicit, their lack thereof.
So it was raining. Before the show the sound system played Albert Hammond's classic hit, and the audience sang along, "It never rains in Southern California"...
Now it used to be summer venues were just that, they started around Memorial Day and faded out not long after Labor Day. But money abhors a vacuum, and now in SoCal these open air venues...go from March to November. Meaning...the weather might just be bad.
To tell you the truth, I wasn't going to go. But Rena convinced me the show would play and it wouldn't be so bad. So I drove over.
And was stunned how many other people made it. Really, in a city where people stay off the roads when it rains, I figured they'd swallow the ticket price. But no, it seemed like most of the people who bought tickets showed up. And let's be clear, this was not the young 'uns, these were people who might get pneumonia and die, but they suited up and went to the gig, the way they have for decades. That's how much the music means to them.
And sure, "Baby, I Love Your Way" and "Show Me the Way" got big ovations, but they were not the only ones. The standing O for the extended "(I'll Give You) Money" was the longest.
Now this is the "Never Ever Say Never Tour." As in Frampton played his final shows, yet here he is again.
But not like his classic rock contemporaries... My favorite is the legendary act that was on its final tour with a new album only a few months away. Needless to say, they're still on the road, and that was a decade ago!
But if you want to see Peter Frampton, go now, because it won't be long before you won't be able to.
At the end of the show Peter spoke to the audience. Saying to be kind, you never know what is going on in people's lives, but also that he was going to fight his disease. As someone with a disease... Your body doesn't know you're fighting it, it's been proven attitude is an almost irrelevant factor. The story with these serious health problems is you surrender. And you make peace with it. It's those that surround you that can't get over it.
So, Peter is helped on to the stage, using a cane to boot. You get it right from the very start, Frampton is not lying, he's hurting. Well, physically, but not in attitude. One of the great things about a Frampton show is his sense of humor, evidenced throughout the gig. There's a casualness that was the antithesis of rock shows back in the seventies, then again, many of those acts haven't survived, or can't go on the road because no one wants to see them.
So, Frampton sits. As does his entire band. Which shifts the experience. Normally, an act performs. Jumps around the stage, tries to get you in the mood to feel the music and have a good time. There was none of this Saturday night. It was just the music, and that added gravitas.
Yes, just the music. No ringers off stage, no backing tracks, it was the same as it ever was, and that was refreshing. Peter and a band. Another guitarist, a bass player, a keyboard player and a drummer. I'd say it wasn't that far removed from the garage, but in truth garage bands are never as tight.
So Frampton played a bunch of numbers in rapid succession right off the bat without speaking to the audience, which made you feel like he still had it. It wasn't an assault, and it wasn't exactly a freight train, it was just a band firing on all cylinders, not needing acknowledgement to do so.
Now when Peter played "Shine On"...
It's on the live album, but this was closer to the original Humble Pie version, with the explosive guitar, with a strut underneath. This wasn't light, but it was catchy, and I guess that's Frampton's secret sauce. There are a ton of hot guitar players out there, but very few can write, and that's what Frampton can do, write songs. Will his compositions be remembered a century from now? Probably not. Then again, other than the Beatles I don't think anything will be popular by then. This was our music, for our time, and it turns out it was only for us. Then again, that was enough.
But that is what Frampton is selling, his guitar prowess. It's actually pretty amazing. Since he's sitting down, that's what you focus on. And he can nail all that picking from the records. And he can eke out notes and tones... That's what you're thinking sitting there, that this is one hot guitarist, who has his own unique style, who might have been sold as a pretty boy but nothing could be further from the truth. Watching Frampton play you could see why he made it, he's just that good. Better than most people think. Which is why George Harrison used him, which is why his fellow musicians respect him.
Now in truth it was a great night because Peter played my two favorite songs, "All I Wanna Be (is by your side)" and "I Wanna Go to the Sun."
Now "All I Wanna Be" is on the live album, but in a truncated, acoustic version. But on Saturday night, this was the album track, from the very first album, "Wind of Change," and it was astounding, because Peter can make all those sounds, he remembers these songs!
As for "I Wanna Go to the Sun"... The way it starts out quiet and slow and builds... Dynamics, those are the mark of talent. Frampton doesn't need to blast you into submission. It's a concert, you're listening.
But the encores...
Well, it was funny, because Peter didn't leave the stage, it was too much effort, he joked about it, and then played the concluding numbers after a short break.
"Four Day Creep"? Man, when Frampton played that lick it was hard to keep your body from moving. There's a boogie, hard rock element which has evaporated from today's scene, but it was so satisfying back then, direct to your body and heart.
And, of course, "I Don't Need No Doctor."
The finale was "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," at this point a Frampton standard, like "Black Hole Sun," which of course he played too.
No Frampton show is complete without "Do You Feel Like We Do," that was the number before the encore, and no matter how many times I've heard it, both on record and live, after the long journey, when Peter and the band kick it full force once again, it's still so SATISFYING!
So if you didn't go...
Well, I was surprised that these were Frampton fans, they clapped for the album tracks, they weren't just there for the hits.
This was not a picnic, a summer trifle, this was about music. From back when music was everything. Frampton and we in the audience were on the same page, we remembered. And like I said, Frampton can still hit all the notes, but this was a live show of yore, where the music itself had so much energy, referenced the recording yet added more, that we were transported in our own capsule into the stratosphere. Nobody else mattered, there was a direct connection between what was on stage and us, and we were liberated, we cast off our troubles and transcended this world which just seems to bring us down.
That's the power of music.
But not everybody can do it.
This was not a party. This was not a video. It's kind of like Max Yasgur said, we all got together for the fun and the music and it was nothing but the fun and the music and that was enough.
Now I advise you to go to these rainy shows with a plastic garbage bag. I dried my seat with some paper towels I got from the bathroom, but I realized if I had a giant garbage bag, I could have cut holes for my arms and been good. Or just laid the thing on the seat.
Now it stopped raining after about fifteen minutes of the show. But it was cold, in the forties.
I was actually prepared for the temperature, I even had gloves with me, but I was not prepared for the elation of the experience, especially after the downer of the rain.
I'd tell you to go to the show, but that's the thing about us baby boomers, we still do! We may look worse for wear, but we still go, we need to connect with the sound, to who we once were, and there's a direct thread from back then to now, and these musicians provide it.
Frampton connected on Saturday night. I think he's finally getting the respect he deserves as a guitar player. But even if you were a casual fan, or were burned out on hearing the hits over and over, I guarantee you if you were there you would have been drawn in.
That's the power of music, when done right.
And Peter Frampton did it right Saturday night.
Peter Frampton was just another struggling artist trying to make it until he surprisingly blew up with "Frampton Comes Alive" and then destroyed his career with "I'm In You" and the "Sgt. Pepper" movie and has been slowly clawing his way back to credibility ever since. The screen showed footage of Frampton walking with his school chum Bowie while he and his son belted out "Rebel Rebel" and not only did the song sound better decades removed, Bowie oozed a charisma we rarely see in our artists today. Bowie was the whole package: music, image and myth. Furthermore, Bowie kept on growing while so many of his contemporaries became calcified. But that was back before not only politics became tribal, but music too. I LISTEN TO MY FAVORITE AND YOU SUCK BECAUSE YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THEM! David Bowie would have laughed at blind belief. Then again, the intellectual component of music has left the building, while those outside the building keep complaining about their streaming royalties, or to be explicit, their lack thereof.
So it was raining. Before the show the sound system played Albert Hammond's classic hit, and the audience sang along, "It never rains in Southern California"...
Now it used to be summer venues were just that, they started around Memorial Day and faded out not long after Labor Day. But money abhors a vacuum, and now in SoCal these open air venues...go from March to November. Meaning...the weather might just be bad.
To tell you the truth, I wasn't going to go. But Rena convinced me the show would play and it wouldn't be so bad. So I drove over.
And was stunned how many other people made it. Really, in a city where people stay off the roads when it rains, I figured they'd swallow the ticket price. But no, it seemed like most of the people who bought tickets showed up. And let's be clear, this was not the young 'uns, these were people who might get pneumonia and die, but they suited up and went to the gig, the way they have for decades. That's how much the music means to them.
And sure, "Baby, I Love Your Way" and "Show Me the Way" got big ovations, but they were not the only ones. The standing O for the extended "(I'll Give You) Money" was the longest.
Now this is the "Never Ever Say Never Tour." As in Frampton played his final shows, yet here he is again.
But not like his classic rock contemporaries... My favorite is the legendary act that was on its final tour with a new album only a few months away. Needless to say, they're still on the road, and that was a decade ago!
But if you want to see Peter Frampton, go now, because it won't be long before you won't be able to.
At the end of the show Peter spoke to the audience. Saying to be kind, you never know what is going on in people's lives, but also that he was going to fight his disease. As someone with a disease... Your body doesn't know you're fighting it, it's been proven attitude is an almost irrelevant factor. The story with these serious health problems is you surrender. And you make peace with it. It's those that surround you that can't get over it.
So, Peter is helped on to the stage, using a cane to boot. You get it right from the very start, Frampton is not lying, he's hurting. Well, physically, but not in attitude. One of the great things about a Frampton show is his sense of humor, evidenced throughout the gig. There's a casualness that was the antithesis of rock shows back in the seventies, then again, many of those acts haven't survived, or can't go on the road because no one wants to see them.
So, Frampton sits. As does his entire band. Which shifts the experience. Normally, an act performs. Jumps around the stage, tries to get you in the mood to feel the music and have a good time. There was none of this Saturday night. It was just the music, and that added gravitas.
Yes, just the music. No ringers off stage, no backing tracks, it was the same as it ever was, and that was refreshing. Peter and a band. Another guitarist, a bass player, a keyboard player and a drummer. I'd say it wasn't that far removed from the garage, but in truth garage bands are never as tight.
So Frampton played a bunch of numbers in rapid succession right off the bat without speaking to the audience, which made you feel like he still had it. It wasn't an assault, and it wasn't exactly a freight train, it was just a band firing on all cylinders, not needing acknowledgement to do so.
Now when Peter played "Shine On"...
It's on the live album, but this was closer to the original Humble Pie version, with the explosive guitar, with a strut underneath. This wasn't light, but it was catchy, and I guess that's Frampton's secret sauce. There are a ton of hot guitar players out there, but very few can write, and that's what Frampton can do, write songs. Will his compositions be remembered a century from now? Probably not. Then again, other than the Beatles I don't think anything will be popular by then. This was our music, for our time, and it turns out it was only for us. Then again, that was enough.
But that is what Frampton is selling, his guitar prowess. It's actually pretty amazing. Since he's sitting down, that's what you focus on. And he can nail all that picking from the records. And he can eke out notes and tones... That's what you're thinking sitting there, that this is one hot guitarist, who has his own unique style, who might have been sold as a pretty boy but nothing could be further from the truth. Watching Frampton play you could see why he made it, he's just that good. Better than most people think. Which is why George Harrison used him, which is why his fellow musicians respect him.
Now in truth it was a great night because Peter played my two favorite songs, "All I Wanna Be (is by your side)" and "I Wanna Go to the Sun."
Now "All I Wanna Be" is on the live album, but in a truncated, acoustic version. But on Saturday night, this was the album track, from the very first album, "Wind of Change," and it was astounding, because Peter can make all those sounds, he remembers these songs!
As for "I Wanna Go to the Sun"... The way it starts out quiet and slow and builds... Dynamics, those are the mark of talent. Frampton doesn't need to blast you into submission. It's a concert, you're listening.
But the encores...
Well, it was funny, because Peter didn't leave the stage, it was too much effort, he joked about it, and then played the concluding numbers after a short break.
"Four Day Creep"? Man, when Frampton played that lick it was hard to keep your body from moving. There's a boogie, hard rock element which has evaporated from today's scene, but it was so satisfying back then, direct to your body and heart.
And, of course, "I Don't Need No Doctor."
The finale was "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," at this point a Frampton standard, like "Black Hole Sun," which of course he played too.
No Frampton show is complete without "Do You Feel Like We Do," that was the number before the encore, and no matter how many times I've heard it, both on record and live, after the long journey, when Peter and the band kick it full force once again, it's still so SATISFYING!
So if you didn't go...
Well, I was surprised that these were Frampton fans, they clapped for the album tracks, they weren't just there for the hits.
This was not a picnic, a summer trifle, this was about music. From back when music was everything. Frampton and we in the audience were on the same page, we remembered. And like I said, Frampton can still hit all the notes, but this was a live show of yore, where the music itself had so much energy, referenced the recording yet added more, that we were transported in our own capsule into the stratosphere. Nobody else mattered, there was a direct connection between what was on stage and us, and we were liberated, we cast off our troubles and transcended this world which just seems to bring us down.
That's the power of music.
But not everybody can do it.
This was not a party. This was not a video. It's kind of like Max Yasgur said, we all got together for the fun and the music and it was nothing but the fun and the music and that was enough.
Now I advise you to go to these rainy shows with a plastic garbage bag. I dried my seat with some paper towels I got from the bathroom, but I realized if I had a giant garbage bag, I could have cut holes for my arms and been good. Or just laid the thing on the seat.
Now it stopped raining after about fifteen minutes of the show. But it was cold, in the forties.
I was actually prepared for the temperature, I even had gloves with me, but I was not prepared for the elation of the experience, especially after the downer of the rain.
I'd tell you to go to the show, but that's the thing about us baby boomers, we still do! We may look worse for wear, but we still go, we need to connect with the sound, to who we once were, and there's a direct thread from back then to now, and these musicians provide it.
Frampton connected on Saturday night. I think he's finally getting the respect he deserves as a guitar player. But even if you were a casual fan, or were burned out on hearing the hits over and over, I guarantee you if you were there you would have been drawn in.
That's the power of music, when done right.
And Peter Frampton did it right Saturday night.
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Concord Buys Hipgnosis
It's a professional business.
Why does everybody think music is run by know-nothings and they can do a better job. Even KKR couldn't make its publishing foray work.
Then again, once you get the banks involved it's all about money. And contrary to what Merck says, it's not about the guaranteed returns on publishing, but getting lucky...usage of tunes, new platforms and long term value growth. This is not a business for Wall Street flippers. There's nothing you can do to juice copyrights in the short term. If you're buying to gussy up and sell, you're delusional.
Then again, interest rates were so low, close to zero, that money was looking for a place to go, and therefore some of it went into songs and when interest rates rose everybody got pissed that songs didn't grow concomitantly.
Furthermore, despite his career in the music business, Merck really had no expertise in publishing, never mind finance. Ditto at Round Hill. So Concord gets bigger and Primary Wave, run by Larry Mestel, a man with long record company experience, continues to grow and we're seeing contraction in the sphere instead of growth. Concentration is the game in major music assets. And it's all about history in the music business, catalog, the old songs have value, because they're better known than the new songs, they hit in an era when everybody was paying attention...to Top Forty radio, to AOR, to MTV. Which is why you can live on a hit of the past. Living on a hit of now, of the future? A very different game.
There's still a ton of dough in new music publishing, but you have to pick winners, which is best done after the song gains traction and the writers want a payday/out. This is the game at Kilometre. Interesting that its majordomo, Michael McCarty, has decades of publishing experience.
But the old stuff has raw asset value. It's the backbone of not only these publishing behemoths, but the three major record labels. Sans their catalogs, they're not moribund, but they're bad businesses. You spend all that money on new music with no guaranteed return, furthermore there's no sure-fire way to make a hit, rather than controlled radio you have the open cesspool of social media, most especially TikTok, wherein the only advantage the major has is its checkbook.
This is why the majors invest in so few acts. They're looking for insurance. They want to sign what is similar to what is already successful. They don't want to take big risks. They're in the music BUSINESS, don't confuse it with art and changing the culture. That is done by independents, however indies don't have the back catalog to float them, to keep them alive. This has been the story in Hollywood for decades. If the most successful independent movie studio, Carolco, goes out of business, what are the odds you can be successful?
Carolco depended on hits. They lived and died at the box office. Whereas established studios counted the dollars from licensing their libraries, which is what they're still doing. Studios keep making fewer pictures, hoping for great success, meanwhile Netflix is all about niches.
That's how you enter a business and win. By coming up with a new paradigm, from the outside. That is ignored by the usual suspects at first, before their lunch is eaten.
Just like Spotify ate Tower Records.
No one with deep pockets is going into record production, because the numbers look too bad. So you've got cottage industry, hustlers, rolling the dice, and most of them have street values, meaning their goal is to build it and sell, not build it and hold.
As for the live business... Did you see how much that Florida investor lost in music festivals like KAABOO? Looks easy. Just find a site, book name talent and... Lose money for a few years even if you're one of the big boys. And if you gain any traction, you sell out, like Insomniac to Live Nation, like seemingly every standalone festival to Live Nation. The only indie festival still ready to be picked off is Outside Lands, and isn't it interesting that its proprietor, Another Planet, is run by people who started with Bill Graham.
Music looks easy. You don't need a degree. Actually, a degree usually works against you. Because it's more about hustle and edge than what's in a book.
And unlike Procter & Gamble, you can't plot a record company's returns in a constant upward line on a chart. You're a victim of the vagaries of the system. Some great records never made it. And now not only does a great record not guarantee success, successes often take years to happen.
So it's the end of an era.
Well, Blackstone's still in business with Merck, but that's just temporary, they have tons of college graduates running the numbers, they want to run on feel about as much as today's baseball teams, which are all managed Moneyball style. Good lunch and b.s. is the basis of entertainment, but not of finance. In finance it's all about the spreadsheet.
So, just like with Sanctuary, Merck fails again, getting rich in the process. Merck's skill is sales, someone should hire him to do that, this guy can sell ice to Inuits, a necessary skill, but one quite different from vision and management.
So this publishing craze is at about its end. Big money has moved on.
And those who sold...
How does it feel to see your songs sold again? How does it feel to have no relationship with those who own and manage your songs? How does it feel to be on your own, like a complete unknown to those who own your assets.
There is a future in the music business, but it's for lifers. And to stay in the music business is nearly impossible. If someone has survived and thrived respect their knowledge, it might not be quantifiable, but it's necessary to run a successful business. The road is littered with wannabes.
And publishing is a great asset if you're willing to count pennies and wait. Which is why I advise against selling. Sure, Merck paid top buck, might have overpaid in some cases, but in truth there keep being new avenues of compensation created. Isn't that what Universal's battle with TikTok is all about, money?
Porn runs the internet, but music comes second. Music is needed all over the web, new sites have to license. Music is all about creating tolls, and it's doing a good job of it.
The more tolls, the more money. I have yet to meet an artist who feels good about having sold their catalog. Give it a few years and ask them. Hell, almost all of them are bad with money, unlike the bankers, they get a sum and blow it, not knowing how to manage it.
So my advice here is to stay in your own lane. And if something looks easy, ripe for picking... Remember, Guy Hands couldn't make EMI work either!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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Why does everybody think music is run by know-nothings and they can do a better job. Even KKR couldn't make its publishing foray work.
Then again, once you get the banks involved it's all about money. And contrary to what Merck says, it's not about the guaranteed returns on publishing, but getting lucky...usage of tunes, new platforms and long term value growth. This is not a business for Wall Street flippers. There's nothing you can do to juice copyrights in the short term. If you're buying to gussy up and sell, you're delusional.
Then again, interest rates were so low, close to zero, that money was looking for a place to go, and therefore some of it went into songs and when interest rates rose everybody got pissed that songs didn't grow concomitantly.
Furthermore, despite his career in the music business, Merck really had no expertise in publishing, never mind finance. Ditto at Round Hill. So Concord gets bigger and Primary Wave, run by Larry Mestel, a man with long record company experience, continues to grow and we're seeing contraction in the sphere instead of growth. Concentration is the game in major music assets. And it's all about history in the music business, catalog, the old songs have value, because they're better known than the new songs, they hit in an era when everybody was paying attention...to Top Forty radio, to AOR, to MTV. Which is why you can live on a hit of the past. Living on a hit of now, of the future? A very different game.
There's still a ton of dough in new music publishing, but you have to pick winners, which is best done after the song gains traction and the writers want a payday/out. This is the game at Kilometre. Interesting that its majordomo, Michael McCarty, has decades of publishing experience.
But the old stuff has raw asset value. It's the backbone of not only these publishing behemoths, but the three major record labels. Sans their catalogs, they're not moribund, but they're bad businesses. You spend all that money on new music with no guaranteed return, furthermore there's no sure-fire way to make a hit, rather than controlled radio you have the open cesspool of social media, most especially TikTok, wherein the only advantage the major has is its checkbook.
This is why the majors invest in so few acts. They're looking for insurance. They want to sign what is similar to what is already successful. They don't want to take big risks. They're in the music BUSINESS, don't confuse it with art and changing the culture. That is done by independents, however indies don't have the back catalog to float them, to keep them alive. This has been the story in Hollywood for decades. If the most successful independent movie studio, Carolco, goes out of business, what are the odds you can be successful?
Carolco depended on hits. They lived and died at the box office. Whereas established studios counted the dollars from licensing their libraries, which is what they're still doing. Studios keep making fewer pictures, hoping for great success, meanwhile Netflix is all about niches.
That's how you enter a business and win. By coming up with a new paradigm, from the outside. That is ignored by the usual suspects at first, before their lunch is eaten.
Just like Spotify ate Tower Records.
No one with deep pockets is going into record production, because the numbers look too bad. So you've got cottage industry, hustlers, rolling the dice, and most of them have street values, meaning their goal is to build it and sell, not build it and hold.
As for the live business... Did you see how much that Florida investor lost in music festivals like KAABOO? Looks easy. Just find a site, book name talent and... Lose money for a few years even if you're one of the big boys. And if you gain any traction, you sell out, like Insomniac to Live Nation, like seemingly every standalone festival to Live Nation. The only indie festival still ready to be picked off is Outside Lands, and isn't it interesting that its proprietor, Another Planet, is run by people who started with Bill Graham.
Music looks easy. You don't need a degree. Actually, a degree usually works against you. Because it's more about hustle and edge than what's in a book.
And unlike Procter & Gamble, you can't plot a record company's returns in a constant upward line on a chart. You're a victim of the vagaries of the system. Some great records never made it. And now not only does a great record not guarantee success, successes often take years to happen.
So it's the end of an era.
Well, Blackstone's still in business with Merck, but that's just temporary, they have tons of college graduates running the numbers, they want to run on feel about as much as today's baseball teams, which are all managed Moneyball style. Good lunch and b.s. is the basis of entertainment, but not of finance. In finance it's all about the spreadsheet.
So, just like with Sanctuary, Merck fails again, getting rich in the process. Merck's skill is sales, someone should hire him to do that, this guy can sell ice to Inuits, a necessary skill, but one quite different from vision and management.
So this publishing craze is at about its end. Big money has moved on.
And those who sold...
How does it feel to see your songs sold again? How does it feel to have no relationship with those who own and manage your songs? How does it feel to be on your own, like a complete unknown to those who own your assets.
There is a future in the music business, but it's for lifers. And to stay in the music business is nearly impossible. If someone has survived and thrived respect their knowledge, it might not be quantifiable, but it's necessary to run a successful business. The road is littered with wannabes.
And publishing is a great asset if you're willing to count pennies and wait. Which is why I advise against selling. Sure, Merck paid top buck, might have overpaid in some cases, but in truth there keep being new avenues of compensation created. Isn't that what Universal's battle with TikTok is all about, money?
Porn runs the internet, but music comes second. Music is needed all over the web, new sites have to license. Music is all about creating tolls, and it's doing a good job of it.
The more tolls, the more money. I have yet to meet an artist who feels good about having sold their catalog. Give it a few years and ask them. Hell, almost all of them are bad with money, unlike the bankers, they get a sum and blow it, not knowing how to manage it.
So my advice here is to stay in your own lane. And if something looks easy, ripe for picking... Remember, Guy Hands couldn't make EMI work either!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
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Wednesday, 17 April 2024
L'Aquila
We're here for a hundredth birthday concert for Henry Mancini.
L'Aquila is somewhere between one and two hours from Rome, depending on the traffic. It's in the Apennine mountains. (You remember them from elementary school, right? Well, I remembered they were in Italy, but I couldn't have picked them out on a map, nor did I know they were so close to Rome.) It's a bit over two thousand feet high and feels like it, it's in the fifties today, and supposed to go down to almost freezing tonight. If it weren't for the long days, I'd think winter is coming.
Actually, Hank's birthday was yesterday. We celebrated with dinner in the hotel, in a restaurant with multiple cases of aged beef wherein you can see your dinner before it is cooked. Actually, I was the only one who had steak, from the local cow, as opposed to one from Russia, Ireland or Japan or even America, all of which were in the case. And they served this round bread that was a cross between naan and pizza and it was very good.
But speaking of the food...
I just have to testify about the bread. It'll crack a tooth, I tell you. Which is the crusty exterior you want, which Americans won't tolerate. That's the way bagels used to be, now they've got the consistency of Wonder Bread. Furthermore, everywhere you go in America, except for a few restaurants, the bread in the basket they serve with dinner is soft, basically bland, empty calories. But at lunch today, the bread might have looked pedestrian, but the crust reminded me of my youth, back when you bought rye bread at the local bakery, when they sliced it upon order.
So the key is not only making people aware it's Henry Mancini's hundredth birthday, but that they consume the music.
Now if you're my age, everybody knows Henry Mancini. But over the past week I quizzed two twentysomethings and got blank stares in response. Then I started to sing "Pink Panther" and their eyes immediately lit up. But still, it's such a challenge crossing old acts over to younger generations, attaching the composer to the song. The family switched to Primary Wave to quarterback this centenary celebration, we'll see how it works out.
Anyway, the conservatory in L'Aquila reached out, they were doing four concerts, would we come?
Well, here we are.
Now the head of the conservatory's passion is prog rock, I kid you not. Unfortunately, he doesn't speak English so well, but I did get him to say his favorite prog rock keyboard player was Rick Wakeman.
And the conductor of the program... He's not that great with English either. But Daniela studied at the University of Chicago, she's the conservatory's musicologist. And she's a fount of information. They say you learn most when you hang with the locals...that is true. Although I still wish I spoke Italian. You know, like Jackie Kennedy, that's what we heard when JFK was president, before she was married to Onassis, when her image was at its peak, that she spoke six, or was it seven languages. You have no idea of the hope JFK's election generated. A turning point, a young man to lead us into the sixties. We thought we had something similar with Obama but he punted, for fear of looking like the angry black man. Biden is standing up to the status quo more than Barack, then again, Biden was vice president for eight years and saw firsthand that you can't negotiate with the unreasonable.
I had to ask Daniela about "Gomorrah." Of course she'd seen it, and "Suburra" too (although it took a while for her to understand what show I was talking about, I didn't have the accent right). Streaming television is now the universal language.
So after waking up we went to the Fountain of 99 Spouts. Built in the 1200s. No one knows where the water comes from, supposedly they killed the architect and buried him under the fountain to preserve the secret.
And then we went to the local museum.
Most of the art was religious, but it all made me feel insignificant. That and the Forum back in Rome. You're born and you feel so important, believing you matter, that you're going to put a dent in the universe. Meanwhile, almost no one achieves this. And frequently those who are remembered were overlooked during their lifetime. But you see the antiquities and you realize nothing has changed over the years. Oh, of course travel is much speedier, and health care is much better, but everybody thinks they're important when they're alive, that the era within which they're living is the most significant. I don't know, it's weird. Museums are sanctuaries, where the trappings of regular society don't count. How rich you are, what kind of car you drive... You leave those at the door at the museum. It's just you and your senses. Your thoughts start to percolate. Today money triumphs, but not at the museum. It's a great correction.
So we'll be back in Rome, but for less than two days. The whole trip is barely a week.
And L'Aquila is not a tourist town. Although there are ski areas in the mountains, one where Pope John Paul II used to surreptitiously ski. And there is still snow on the peaks. And every car I've been in so far has had a stick shift. Nearly extinct in the U.S., from Skodas to Volvos, everybody's rowing through the gears here.
And oh, on the conservatory stage, I saw this Fazioli concert grand. I figured they couldn't afford a Steinway. But it turns out Fazioli is usually more expensive, and their concert grand is even bigger, and you learn something every day.
That's the name of the game.
"Al Conservatorio dell'Aquila parte l'omaggio a Henry Mancini": https://shorturl.at/houxX
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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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L'Aquila is somewhere between one and two hours from Rome, depending on the traffic. It's in the Apennine mountains. (You remember them from elementary school, right? Well, I remembered they were in Italy, but I couldn't have picked them out on a map, nor did I know they were so close to Rome.) It's a bit over two thousand feet high and feels like it, it's in the fifties today, and supposed to go down to almost freezing tonight. If it weren't for the long days, I'd think winter is coming.
Actually, Hank's birthday was yesterday. We celebrated with dinner in the hotel, in a restaurant with multiple cases of aged beef wherein you can see your dinner before it is cooked. Actually, I was the only one who had steak, from the local cow, as opposed to one from Russia, Ireland or Japan or even America, all of which were in the case. And they served this round bread that was a cross between naan and pizza and it was very good.
But speaking of the food...
I just have to testify about the bread. It'll crack a tooth, I tell you. Which is the crusty exterior you want, which Americans won't tolerate. That's the way bagels used to be, now they've got the consistency of Wonder Bread. Furthermore, everywhere you go in America, except for a few restaurants, the bread in the basket they serve with dinner is soft, basically bland, empty calories. But at lunch today, the bread might have looked pedestrian, but the crust reminded me of my youth, back when you bought rye bread at the local bakery, when they sliced it upon order.
So the key is not only making people aware it's Henry Mancini's hundredth birthday, but that they consume the music.
Now if you're my age, everybody knows Henry Mancini. But over the past week I quizzed two twentysomethings and got blank stares in response. Then I started to sing "Pink Panther" and their eyes immediately lit up. But still, it's such a challenge crossing old acts over to younger generations, attaching the composer to the song. The family switched to Primary Wave to quarterback this centenary celebration, we'll see how it works out.
Anyway, the conservatory in L'Aquila reached out, they were doing four concerts, would we come?
Well, here we are.
Now the head of the conservatory's passion is prog rock, I kid you not. Unfortunately, he doesn't speak English so well, but I did get him to say his favorite prog rock keyboard player was Rick Wakeman.
And the conductor of the program... He's not that great with English either. But Daniela studied at the University of Chicago, she's the conservatory's musicologist. And she's a fount of information. They say you learn most when you hang with the locals...that is true. Although I still wish I spoke Italian. You know, like Jackie Kennedy, that's what we heard when JFK was president, before she was married to Onassis, when her image was at its peak, that she spoke six, or was it seven languages. You have no idea of the hope JFK's election generated. A turning point, a young man to lead us into the sixties. We thought we had something similar with Obama but he punted, for fear of looking like the angry black man. Biden is standing up to the status quo more than Barack, then again, Biden was vice president for eight years and saw firsthand that you can't negotiate with the unreasonable.
I had to ask Daniela about "Gomorrah." Of course she'd seen it, and "Suburra" too (although it took a while for her to understand what show I was talking about, I didn't have the accent right). Streaming television is now the universal language.
So after waking up we went to the Fountain of 99 Spouts. Built in the 1200s. No one knows where the water comes from, supposedly they killed the architect and buried him under the fountain to preserve the secret.
And then we went to the local museum.
Most of the art was religious, but it all made me feel insignificant. That and the Forum back in Rome. You're born and you feel so important, believing you matter, that you're going to put a dent in the universe. Meanwhile, almost no one achieves this. And frequently those who are remembered were overlooked during their lifetime. But you see the antiquities and you realize nothing has changed over the years. Oh, of course travel is much speedier, and health care is much better, but everybody thinks they're important when they're alive, that the era within which they're living is the most significant. I don't know, it's weird. Museums are sanctuaries, where the trappings of regular society don't count. How rich you are, what kind of car you drive... You leave those at the door at the museum. It's just you and your senses. Your thoughts start to percolate. Today money triumphs, but not at the museum. It's a great correction.
So we'll be back in Rome, but for less than two days. The whole trip is barely a week.
And L'Aquila is not a tourist town. Although there are ski areas in the mountains, one where Pope John Paul II used to surreptitiously ski. And there is still snow on the peaks. And every car I've been in so far has had a stick shift. Nearly extinct in the U.S., from Skodas to Volvos, everybody's rowing through the gears here.
And oh, on the conservatory stage, I saw this Fazioli concert grand. I figured they couldn't afford a Steinway. But it turns out Fazioli is usually more expensive, and their concert grand is even bigger, and you learn something every day.
That's the name of the game.
"Al Conservatorio dell'Aquila parte l'omaggio a Henry Mancini": https://shorturl.at/houxX
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
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Re-Roma
If you like Carbonara get the traditional type made with Guanciale instead of bacon or pancetta.
Spaghetti
Guanciale
Pepper
Salt
Peppered pecorino cheese
egg Yolk
(NO CREAM)
Created in 1944 Rome Italy
Val Garay
___________________________________
The trick of the Trevi:
Go early and if you cant, go to the benetton and go upstairs in the store. There is a window with an amazing view.
Also, if you want a great gelato, there is a place that looks touristy but isn't at the foot of the Spanish Steps.
Also, for an even better fountain, take a cab to the
"Il Fontanone", The Gianicolo Hill Fountain
The fountain is GORGEOUS and the view of Rome up there is worth it. You can walk down through Trastevere section and eat there.
Pick any place, the food there is phenom.
e
Ellyn Solis
___________________________________
Go here to eat: https://www.allarampa.com/
You're welcome.
Lisa Bancroft
___________________________________
Don't miss Giolitti for gelato. It's the best you will have.
Todd Greene
___________________________________
Bob… if still there. 'Piperno'. You won't be disappointed
Sari Leon
___________________________________
Hi Bob,
Long time reader from Italy here.
I always go here to have a non touristic lunch in Rome:
https://www.trattorialuzzi.it/
Enjoy Italy. If you need anything, just drop me a line.
Best regards,
Paolo Bonsignore
___________________________________
Make sure to also try pasta alla gricia and cacio pepe! Some of the simplest pastas but so good and truly Roman. The secret is all in the ingredients (esp. the guanciale).
There are a ton of tourist food traps in Roma with bad food, so i would ask local peeps for recommendations. F tiktok!
If you end up driving north, stop in Emilia Romagna (that's where i grew up) and try the pork products. That's our specialty. And if you drive south to Naples you must go to pizzeria Da Michele. I still remember the taste of that pizza from 20 years ago! Napoli also has the best coffee IMO.
Safe travels amongst my peoples!
Ettore Pasquini
___________________________________
If you're still in Roma, I'd highly recommend this place; we ate here by chance on a visit from London and returned for a second time on our final night.
Ristorante Il Fellini
Best,
Steve Reed
___________________________________
Pizzarium bonci for the win
Philip Believable
___________________________________
Giolitti's gelato in Rome near the Pantheon is the best gelato (or any food) I have ever eaten. Don't miss it!
Dan Butler (he/him)
Head of Music, Business & Legal Affairs
Walt Disney Studios
___________________________________
You want the best Gelato in Rome? Head to the Frigidarium. Indescribably good.
John LaGrou
___________________________________
Check out Pasta Chef. Best pasta dishes you will ever find. They should start a franchise in the USA!
Bruce Foster
___________________________________
The bar at Hotel Eden has a stunning view of Rome. Perfect for sunset viewing.
Nick Petropoulos
___________________________________
If you love coffee, go to Tazzo D'Oro near the Pantheon...
Jason Ormeoryou
___________________________________
Best carbonara across 2 weeks in Italy Sept 2023. In Rome next to Piazza Navona.
Ponte e Parione - Ristorante Piazza Navona
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zukxVLnk9k7Evs458?g_st=ic
Rome and Italy are amazing. Enjoy.
Rick Roeling
___________________________________
I still miss the gelato, we had it every single night we were there. Also a great restaurant in the Piazza Navona, can't remember the name but they had a killer pasta diavolo. Enjoy!!
Susan Hughes
___________________________________
Great town! Depending how long you're there I highly recommend Antica Pesa. High end Italian at its finest. Have a wonderful trip!
Edward Ryan
___________________________________
best coffee and experience. hands down
https://www.sciasciacaffe1919.it
John Rubeli
___________________________________
Ristorante Camponeschi in the Piazza Farnese.
Excellent restaurant, elegant.
My cousin Alessandro owns it, tell him Slim Man says hello!
Buon appetito.
Slim Man
___________________________________
Go to All'Antico Vinaio. Best sandwich in the country. A handful of locations all over Italy.
They just opened up a location in Abbott Kinney too, but don't let that dissuade you. It's an unbelievable sandwich.
Joel Dauten
___________________________________
Bob, I lived in Rome for almost 5 years and learned that the best restaurants are the ones Italians take you to (where they eat) or refer you to, and the best food is what they order. The best meals I had were as guests of Italians. As a visitor, stay away from restaurants obviously patronized mostly by tourists. I wouldn't take a recommendation from an American on TikTok unless they lived there.
I would refer to you my favorite restaurant in Rome but unfortunately it closed. I've probably been gone too long to be a good source.
Hope you enjoy your visit.
Tom Moore
Fairfax, VA
___________________________________
We were there a few months ago. The earth tones they use, like those in Paris, cause the buildings to blend so magically with the sun and sky. And the trees…I have a neighbor who cuts all the lower limbs off of his cedars trying to get the same effect.
I didn't know I cared about sculpture until I did a tour at the Borghese Gallery. "This is a masterpiece" the guide said of "Apollo and Daphne" by Bernini. "No sh*t!" almost came flying out of my mouth. I was floored by the sculptures and paintings there. How did I get to my age without knowing about this?
Yeah they're still digging ancient stuff up. And the Romans support it.
Michael Alex
___________________________________
bob, right, you can't trust the wisdom of TikTok.
You CAN trust the wisdom of YELP for restaurants in Europe. YELP led me to some of my best meals in Italy.
George Kahn
___________________________________
Was just in Rome 3 weeks ago. Excellent meals at the following places:
Cuccagna - Piazza Navona
Sospiro Trastevere
Il Giardino Antica Trattoria
And if you go to Florence make a reservation for Osteria Pastella
Gary Greenstein
___________________________________
If you're looking for great healthy food in Roma try https://gingersaporiesalute.com/menus/
Simon Shaw
___________________________________
We were in Rome in October & this was my most memorable pizza. Deroma.
Steve Tipp
___________________________________
You want carbonara in Roma?
Head here
https://www.santopalatoroma.it/
Paul Howarth
___________________________________
Bob, sorry to hear TikTok ruined an opportunity to eat well.
Here's some Roman restaurant recommendations that I've been to, and will not disappoint:
- Trattoria Al Moro, Trevi
- Supplizio, Regola
- Roscioli, Regola
- Da Enzo al 29, Trastevere
- Roma Sparita, Trastevere
Enjoy!
Benedict Curran
___________________________________
Forget tiktok recommendations!
You simply must go across the river to Trestevere and get suppli from Suppli Roma. But you don't have to take my word for it: https://maps.app.goo.gl/a7EaHWLp87bVAY9r7
I would recommend the Cacio e Pepe.
Buon viaggio!
-Chris Sartori
___________________________________
I don't know where else you are headed but as you may know my sister lives just outside Orvieto about an hour 15 train ride from Rome to Orvieto. It is one of my favorite Italian towns. A hilltop medieval gem. You can drive up or take the funicular train stright up. It is magnificent and there are five senstional restaurants there. My favorite is La Palumba. A day trip is perfect if you are done with Rome, it's not nearly as touristy.
I've got plenty more as we have been from top to bottom of Italy. Screw TikTok.
John Brodey
___________________________________
If you want to see how much things have changed, you will enjoy watching Roman Holiday where there are kids literally swinging from the horse's nose and climbing all over the statues.....different times. I find the best time to walk Centro Storico is late at night when you can have Trevi Fountain and many other sights to yourself. It's an amazing experience. Most of the tourist restaurants aren't that good and all the best meals I've had have been at someone's house.
Michael Friedman
___________________________________
I spend about 3 months a year in Italy and a good portion of it in Rome and we keep track of every place we eat. We do it because we eat at so many places (our trip we just finished came in at 105 different restaurants) and we also give the document out to friends to help them navigate the social media list of lies and exaggerations. I know many Italy Travel posters(bloggers) and they often admit to me that they review places they have never been to!
Scooter Pietsch
___________________________________
Still a lot of grandmas on Vespas? It's a wonderful city… enjoy! Travel safely!
Anthony Napoli
Beacon, NY
___________________________________
Have fun, Bob. I have been to Rome several times for a couple of weeks at a time to work in the studio and gigs. So I was hanging with the locals and sightseeing. You might like Basilica of San Clemente. It's near the Collosseum. A small church (with Cosmati tile floor), built on a pagan temple, built on a Roman house. You can go down to see all of them. I went when there were few people...mindblowing. * They close for a while in the afternoon so check the schedule.
Carbonara, of course! If you haven't had Cacio e Pepe, it's a Roman pasta specialty. Very simple, but you won't get the correct cheese anywhere outside the region. If you are in Trastevere, there is a good place sort of down the far end where it is more quiet that seemed to be popular with the Romans, Ristorante le Mani in Pasta. Mainly seafood, not too big, you might eat downstairs, and vibey. We stayed just around the corner (about 5 years ago), walked past it alot, lover the food and it was not overly touristy but busy. Mostly Romans.
Have a great trip! I love Rome and the people are very cool.
Robert Bond
___________________________________
we were just there in November. there is a restaurant called That's Amore, which is hilarious because it's almost like they are poking fun of Americanized Italian food in the U.S......but I had some of the best eggplant parm that I've ever had there.
also, this was right across from our hotel and we ate there twice because the pizza and pasta was amazing (as it is in most places there, but it was next level there):
Al Forno della Soffitta
Mike Farley
___________________________________
remember this about TikTok, et al
most people posting aren't all the exposed or sophisticated... and you know nothing about their palette
so lots of people love it
which means "ooooh, McDonalds" in a different margin
you're worldly. ask your friends who travel.
that's how I found Taillevent in Paris, where i went for my mother's 58th birthday. it was so exquisite, i even intimidated my snobby mother...
just a thought from someone who's not an obsessive foodie, but knows the difference.
Holly Gleason
___________________________________
OMG! Mietek, my sister Jillian and her husband Arnold and their goddaughter and I spent basically a month last July -August in Rome, the hottest days in history and the trip went from agony to ecstasy at the end and we all love and miss Rome now.
Rick Steves described it as a 'brutal city', which it is, but we came to love it and I'd go back right now if I could, insane crowds and all.
We stayed in Trastevere and discovered Roman cooking—even took some cooking classes. Took the train up to Verona and to Venice.
If indeed you are there, I wish you a fantastic trip!
Wendy Waldman
P.S. Il Matto in Trastevere, local, fantastic real Roman food.
Also near there, Giuffre, one of the best gelato places in town, awarded multiple 'cones'
___________________________________
Hey Bob - I've lived in Florence for a year now - it's been great. Agree with you on many of the TikToc suggestions, but some of them are right on. You just never know. Lots of hype though, for sure.
Those trees are called Umbrella Pines.
The Euro is worth $1.06, so more than a buck right now. Dollar is worth .94 Euro, maybe that's what you were seeing.
Great restaurant in Rome: Rascioli (they just opened one in NYC). Sit at the counter like a sushi bar. Fun!
Also: Felice a Testaccio
If you come to Florence let me know and I can give you some suggestions!
Tony George
P.S. Sorry "Stone Pine", informally called Umbrella Pine.
___________________________________
My wife and I were in Rome in November for 10 days – I hope your trip is as magnificent as ours was! - a few thoughts/suggestions:
1) We were amazed at how almost *every* vehicle in Rome was an EV! It proved to us how effective the oil & gas industry in the US has been at fighting off normalizing EVs here in the States
2) The locals in Rome were incredibly welcoming to us as American tourists – very patient, very warm, very helpful, always pleasant – we rarely came across anyone who was your stereotypical rude European who had nothing but disdain for US tourists
3) Italy has the high-speed train system figured out – if only we had a similar system here in the US (again, shows how effective the oil & gas lobby has been over the years)
4) Words cannot adequately describe The Vatican and, in particular, St. Paul's Cathedral – and *every* single church in Rome, no matter how small or how large, has incredible artwork on display
5) All of which shows us as Americans how isolated we are – we have almost 250+ years of history to lean on – Italy (and I presume the rest of Europe) has THOUSANDS of years of history to relish
6) The food in Roma was incredible – and there are little Trattorias all over the place, seemingly on every corner – but the best meal we had was at Trattoria Sora Lella on a little island in the Tiber near Trastevere – homey ambiance, delicious food, excellent service – they told to eat like the Romans eat so we did!
There's so much more we can say but it's such an incredible place, get away from the phone/computer and enjoy all that Rome has to offer!
Christopher Perry
Norman, OK
P.S. Man, I blew it - St. Peter's!
St. Peter's, St. Paul's, St. Paul's, St. Peter's, Oprah, Uma….d'oh!
___________________________________
Just had an excellent meal at Ristorante EDY. Local while in center. Some great art on the walls collected by the owner. Worth a shot, Bob
Won't fawn over you, if I run into you.
Here for a few months. Sold everything in the US. On the road for now 9 years. Still checking US new through the NYTimes. Yes, life goes on here. Same as Buenos Aires which after 5 months we just left.
Yet… in both Rome & Buenos Aires the U.S. situation is mentioned in the local news and seeps into conversations with locals…. Most are very concerned by possibly The Loofah Faced Sh*t Gibbon getting back in the WH…. I know I am. Dual citizenship gives me options, yet the U.S. is home regardless where I am.
Enjoy Rome.
To be continued,
Sjaak
___________________________________
Been following you since the heady days of the early internet wars when the majors thought they could simply sue the p2p'ers out of existence but, I have not written before.
If you have not seen 'The Great Beauty' and you get a chance to see it when you're still in Rome, please try. You will see a side to Rome that is beneath the surface and I suspect, hidden from even Gen TT. I split my time between Southern Italy and London and I return to that film very often.
Thanks for the years of thought provocation and I hope in a small way I have returned the favour.
Best
Jim Gottlieb
___________________________________
"And the Euro is worth less than a buck."
€1 = $1.06, which means it's worth a bit more. Usually is.
The one to look at is the Swiss Franc. Forty years ago it was 3 Francs to a dollar. Now it's $1.10 to the Franc. Go back a century it was about 20 Francs to the dollar.
The dollar is mighty no more.
Ross Fitzsimons
___________________________________
No. You must be reading it wrong. 4668 euro is what you get for 5k as of today. 93 to 1.00. I lose 400 bucks if I want to pay my artisans today. My bank just asked me if I wanted to lock in. Dollar is still weak but gained from the 90-1 that prevailed for the last 8 months.
Patti Jones
___________________________________
Your statement "And the Euro is worth less than a buck" is misleading. Currently and for some time 1 Euro is worth more than a 1 Dollar (today $1,06 to be exact). You could say the purchasing power of 1 Euro in Rome is less than 1 dollar in LA. Comparing costs of living in US vs Europe is a little more complex than it seems.
I found that as soon as you get out of the touristy places in Italy you can get a fresh $6 personal pizza pie that beats anything in America.
Cheers,
Andy Altmann
___________________________________
hey careful.... euro is worth $1.06 right now. It hasn't been less than a $1 for a while.
Bit of advice: if you use your US ATM card , use it only at real bank ATM's. Anywhere else will fee you to death. Also when you swipe your card at a restaurant or shop the machine asks you if you want to pay in Euros or Dollars. Always choose EUROS. If you fall for their "scam" and choose the Dollar conversion the CC company offers you automatically pay x% fee on gtop of the conversion rate, I've seen as high as 15%. Your US bank will not take an exorbitant fee(usually, if they are decent) and will give you a much better exchange rate.
Enjoy Roma!
James Kirst
___________________________________
The bigger the crowd, the less it knows. Katie Parla is knowledgeable https://katieparla.com/city-guides/rome/
The Euro is worth slightly more than a buck @ 1.06€ to the $.
Christopher Randall
___________________________________
Expect you've already heard, but you have your exchange rate backward. A Euro will cost you a bit more than $1.06, not the other way around.
Jim Collins
___________________________________
Bob, I've lived in Germany since 2001. I grew up in Alaska, not real America. Nothing we watched on TV reflected our lives. Funny how that describes so many lives.
So: cars in Europe continue to grow in size, while parking spaces remain tight. I'll tell you it's hard not to hit the next car with your door in Europe in normal parking spaces. So maybe you don't see it as a tourist, but as a long-time resident... and that's not mentioning the poor design of parking garages here, where cars are expected to turn 90 degrees.
America's politics are broken. Congress has been non-functional in a long time. Why is that an issue? It sends a message. Putin thinks, why stop with Ukraine? Iran thinks, why not bomb Israel? And so on and so forth. If the US isn't setting the agenda for the world, who do we want to do so? It feels it doesn't matter in a small town in a smaller country, but only until it does matter.
Enjoy your carbonara and get back to hastening the revolution!
Best regards,
Phillips Hofmann
___________________________________
I enjoyed reading your email about Rome, Bob. I have an Italian co-worker who is based in Rome whose English is excellent (she studied history at Oxford), and if you'd like to get off the beaten path a bit, I can put you two in contact. She knows the city, restaurants, things to do, where to go, etc. quite well. If you'd like me have her reach out to you, please let me know. Her name is Giulia, and I think you'll like her a lot.
Best,
Brownlee Ferguson
___________________________________
Dear Bob,
Anyone who believes restaurant recommendations from TikTok deserves to eat there. Come to London and I'll take you for real Italian food.
Paul Ruta
London N1
___________________________________
I'm totally wired in Rome. How long will you be there? Vacation or conference?
It's my favourite city on earth. I've visited many times and worked there quite a few times as well.
Do you want to meet some interesting people while you're there? I should introduce you to Father Brian. He was my assistant engineer in LA, then moved with us to Connecticut and had a spiritual pivot. He's now a Catholic priest studying at the Vatican. He's a truly special human. Also there's Mario Tronco, the founder of the Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio (who I produced eons ago) and his cousin Arianna Tronco who is the most important literary agent in Italy with a stable of awesome writers. And more…would you like to see The Forum Music Village (Ennio Morricone's amazing studio where all his best film scores were done and where I worked with 2Cellos, Lang Lang and Zuccherro)? Marco Patrignani is the manager there and speaks English very well. He's a super cool guy.
Are you into Caravaggio? Some of his best are in Rome. Here's a list of where they are:
https://mamalovesrome.com/caravaggio-in-rome/
Where are you staying?
Bob Ezrin
___________________________________
Bob: Great hearing from you re Rome! Gigi and I will be in Rome, Bologna and Tuscany October18-27 hosting a KJAZZ Promo Tour so please don't leave any unpaid bills around with my name on them. Thanks much.
Jerry Sharell
___________________________________
You're never gonna read this,
but if you're still in Rome I'm your
longest time reader here in the eternal city,
anything you need from a local just ask
I'll be at your service, no charge.
besides music I also worked tourism.
all the best
Lele Lunadei
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Spaghetti
Guanciale
Pepper
Salt
Peppered pecorino cheese
egg Yolk
(NO CREAM)
Created in 1944 Rome Italy
Val Garay
___________________________________
The trick of the Trevi:
Go early and if you cant, go to the benetton and go upstairs in the store. There is a window with an amazing view.
Also, if you want a great gelato, there is a place that looks touristy but isn't at the foot of the Spanish Steps.
Also, for an even better fountain, take a cab to the
"Il Fontanone", The Gianicolo Hill Fountain
The fountain is GORGEOUS and the view of Rome up there is worth it. You can walk down through Trastevere section and eat there.
Pick any place, the food there is phenom.
e
Ellyn Solis
___________________________________
Go here to eat: https://www.allarampa.com/
You're welcome.
Lisa Bancroft
___________________________________
Don't miss Giolitti for gelato. It's the best you will have.
Todd Greene
___________________________________
Bob… if still there. 'Piperno'. You won't be disappointed
Sari Leon
___________________________________
Hi Bob,
Long time reader from Italy here.
I always go here to have a non touristic lunch in Rome:
https://www.trattorialuzzi.it/
Enjoy Italy. If you need anything, just drop me a line.
Best regards,
Paolo Bonsignore
___________________________________
Make sure to also try pasta alla gricia and cacio pepe! Some of the simplest pastas but so good and truly Roman. The secret is all in the ingredients (esp. the guanciale).
There are a ton of tourist food traps in Roma with bad food, so i would ask local peeps for recommendations. F tiktok!
If you end up driving north, stop in Emilia Romagna (that's where i grew up) and try the pork products. That's our specialty. And if you drive south to Naples you must go to pizzeria Da Michele. I still remember the taste of that pizza from 20 years ago! Napoli also has the best coffee IMO.
Safe travels amongst my peoples!
Ettore Pasquini
___________________________________
If you're still in Roma, I'd highly recommend this place; we ate here by chance on a visit from London and returned for a second time on our final night.
Ristorante Il Fellini
Best,
Steve Reed
___________________________________
Pizzarium bonci for the win
Philip Believable
___________________________________
Giolitti's gelato in Rome near the Pantheon is the best gelato (or any food) I have ever eaten. Don't miss it!
Dan Butler (he/him)
Head of Music, Business & Legal Affairs
Walt Disney Studios
___________________________________
You want the best Gelato in Rome? Head to the Frigidarium. Indescribably good.
John LaGrou
___________________________________
Check out Pasta Chef. Best pasta dishes you will ever find. They should start a franchise in the USA!
Bruce Foster
___________________________________
The bar at Hotel Eden has a stunning view of Rome. Perfect for sunset viewing.
Nick Petropoulos
___________________________________
If you love coffee, go to Tazzo D'Oro near the Pantheon...
Jason Ormeoryou
___________________________________
Best carbonara across 2 weeks in Italy Sept 2023. In Rome next to Piazza Navona.
Ponte e Parione - Ristorante Piazza Navona
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zukxVLnk9k7Evs458?g_st=ic
Rome and Italy are amazing. Enjoy.
Rick Roeling
___________________________________
I still miss the gelato, we had it every single night we were there. Also a great restaurant in the Piazza Navona, can't remember the name but they had a killer pasta diavolo. Enjoy!!
Susan Hughes
___________________________________
Great town! Depending how long you're there I highly recommend Antica Pesa. High end Italian at its finest. Have a wonderful trip!
Edward Ryan
___________________________________
best coffee and experience. hands down
https://www.sciasciacaffe1919.it
John Rubeli
___________________________________
Ristorante Camponeschi in the Piazza Farnese.
Excellent restaurant, elegant.
My cousin Alessandro owns it, tell him Slim Man says hello!
Buon appetito.
Slim Man
___________________________________
Go to All'Antico Vinaio. Best sandwich in the country. A handful of locations all over Italy.
They just opened up a location in Abbott Kinney too, but don't let that dissuade you. It's an unbelievable sandwich.
Joel Dauten
___________________________________
Bob, I lived in Rome for almost 5 years and learned that the best restaurants are the ones Italians take you to (where they eat) or refer you to, and the best food is what they order. The best meals I had were as guests of Italians. As a visitor, stay away from restaurants obviously patronized mostly by tourists. I wouldn't take a recommendation from an American on TikTok unless they lived there.
I would refer to you my favorite restaurant in Rome but unfortunately it closed. I've probably been gone too long to be a good source.
Hope you enjoy your visit.
Tom Moore
Fairfax, VA
___________________________________
We were there a few months ago. The earth tones they use, like those in Paris, cause the buildings to blend so magically with the sun and sky. And the trees…I have a neighbor who cuts all the lower limbs off of his cedars trying to get the same effect.
I didn't know I cared about sculpture until I did a tour at the Borghese Gallery. "This is a masterpiece" the guide said of "Apollo and Daphne" by Bernini. "No sh*t!" almost came flying out of my mouth. I was floored by the sculptures and paintings there. How did I get to my age without knowing about this?
Yeah they're still digging ancient stuff up. And the Romans support it.
Michael Alex
___________________________________
bob, right, you can't trust the wisdom of TikTok.
You CAN trust the wisdom of YELP for restaurants in Europe. YELP led me to some of my best meals in Italy.
George Kahn
___________________________________
Was just in Rome 3 weeks ago. Excellent meals at the following places:
Cuccagna - Piazza Navona
Sospiro Trastevere
Il Giardino Antica Trattoria
And if you go to Florence make a reservation for Osteria Pastella
Gary Greenstein
___________________________________
If you're looking for great healthy food in Roma try https://gingersaporiesalute.com/menus/
Simon Shaw
___________________________________
We were in Rome in October & this was my most memorable pizza. Deroma.
Steve Tipp
___________________________________
You want carbonara in Roma?
Head here
https://www.santopalatoroma.it/
Paul Howarth
___________________________________
Bob, sorry to hear TikTok ruined an opportunity to eat well.
Here's some Roman restaurant recommendations that I've been to, and will not disappoint:
- Trattoria Al Moro, Trevi
- Supplizio, Regola
- Roscioli, Regola
- Da Enzo al 29, Trastevere
- Roma Sparita, Trastevere
Enjoy!
Benedict Curran
___________________________________
Forget tiktok recommendations!
You simply must go across the river to Trestevere and get suppli from Suppli Roma. But you don't have to take my word for it: https://maps.app.goo.gl/a7EaHWLp87bVAY9r7
I would recommend the Cacio e Pepe.
Buon viaggio!
-Chris Sartori
___________________________________
I don't know where else you are headed but as you may know my sister lives just outside Orvieto about an hour 15 train ride from Rome to Orvieto. It is one of my favorite Italian towns. A hilltop medieval gem. You can drive up or take the funicular train stright up. It is magnificent and there are five senstional restaurants there. My favorite is La Palumba. A day trip is perfect if you are done with Rome, it's not nearly as touristy.
I've got plenty more as we have been from top to bottom of Italy. Screw TikTok.
John Brodey
___________________________________
If you want to see how much things have changed, you will enjoy watching Roman Holiday where there are kids literally swinging from the horse's nose and climbing all over the statues.....different times. I find the best time to walk Centro Storico is late at night when you can have Trevi Fountain and many other sights to yourself. It's an amazing experience. Most of the tourist restaurants aren't that good and all the best meals I've had have been at someone's house.
Michael Friedman
___________________________________
I spend about 3 months a year in Italy and a good portion of it in Rome and we keep track of every place we eat. We do it because we eat at so many places (our trip we just finished came in at 105 different restaurants) and we also give the document out to friends to help them navigate the social media list of lies and exaggerations. I know many Italy Travel posters(bloggers) and they often admit to me that they review places they have never been to!
Scooter Pietsch
___________________________________
Still a lot of grandmas on Vespas? It's a wonderful city… enjoy! Travel safely!
Anthony Napoli
Beacon, NY
___________________________________
Have fun, Bob. I have been to Rome several times for a couple of weeks at a time to work in the studio and gigs. So I was hanging with the locals and sightseeing. You might like Basilica of San Clemente. It's near the Collosseum. A small church (with Cosmati tile floor), built on a pagan temple, built on a Roman house. You can go down to see all of them. I went when there were few people...mindblowing. * They close for a while in the afternoon so check the schedule.
Carbonara, of course! If you haven't had Cacio e Pepe, it's a Roman pasta specialty. Very simple, but you won't get the correct cheese anywhere outside the region. If you are in Trastevere, there is a good place sort of down the far end where it is more quiet that seemed to be popular with the Romans, Ristorante le Mani in Pasta. Mainly seafood, not too big, you might eat downstairs, and vibey. We stayed just around the corner (about 5 years ago), walked past it alot, lover the food and it was not overly touristy but busy. Mostly Romans.
Have a great trip! I love Rome and the people are very cool.
Robert Bond
___________________________________
we were just there in November. there is a restaurant called That's Amore, which is hilarious because it's almost like they are poking fun of Americanized Italian food in the U.S......but I had some of the best eggplant parm that I've ever had there.
also, this was right across from our hotel and we ate there twice because the pizza and pasta was amazing (as it is in most places there, but it was next level there):
Al Forno della Soffitta
Mike Farley
___________________________________
remember this about TikTok, et al
most people posting aren't all the exposed or sophisticated... and you know nothing about their palette
so lots of people love it
which means "ooooh, McDonalds" in a different margin
you're worldly. ask your friends who travel.
that's how I found Taillevent in Paris, where i went for my mother's 58th birthday. it was so exquisite, i even intimidated my snobby mother...
just a thought from someone who's not an obsessive foodie, but knows the difference.
Holly Gleason
___________________________________
OMG! Mietek, my sister Jillian and her husband Arnold and their goddaughter and I spent basically a month last July -August in Rome, the hottest days in history and the trip went from agony to ecstasy at the end and we all love and miss Rome now.
Rick Steves described it as a 'brutal city', which it is, but we came to love it and I'd go back right now if I could, insane crowds and all.
We stayed in Trastevere and discovered Roman cooking—even took some cooking classes. Took the train up to Verona and to Venice.
If indeed you are there, I wish you a fantastic trip!
Wendy Waldman
P.S. Il Matto in Trastevere, local, fantastic real Roman food.
Also near there, Giuffre, one of the best gelato places in town, awarded multiple 'cones'
___________________________________
Hey Bob - I've lived in Florence for a year now - it's been great. Agree with you on many of the TikToc suggestions, but some of them are right on. You just never know. Lots of hype though, for sure.
Those trees are called Umbrella Pines.
The Euro is worth $1.06, so more than a buck right now. Dollar is worth .94 Euro, maybe that's what you were seeing.
Great restaurant in Rome: Rascioli (they just opened one in NYC). Sit at the counter like a sushi bar. Fun!
Also: Felice a Testaccio
If you come to Florence let me know and I can give you some suggestions!
Tony George
P.S. Sorry "Stone Pine", informally called Umbrella Pine.
___________________________________
My wife and I were in Rome in November for 10 days – I hope your trip is as magnificent as ours was! - a few thoughts/suggestions:
1) We were amazed at how almost *every* vehicle in Rome was an EV! It proved to us how effective the oil & gas industry in the US has been at fighting off normalizing EVs here in the States
2) The locals in Rome were incredibly welcoming to us as American tourists – very patient, very warm, very helpful, always pleasant – we rarely came across anyone who was your stereotypical rude European who had nothing but disdain for US tourists
3) Italy has the high-speed train system figured out – if only we had a similar system here in the US (again, shows how effective the oil & gas lobby has been over the years)
4) Words cannot adequately describe The Vatican and, in particular, St. Paul's Cathedral – and *every* single church in Rome, no matter how small or how large, has incredible artwork on display
5) All of which shows us as Americans how isolated we are – we have almost 250+ years of history to lean on – Italy (and I presume the rest of Europe) has THOUSANDS of years of history to relish
6) The food in Roma was incredible – and there are little Trattorias all over the place, seemingly on every corner – but the best meal we had was at Trattoria Sora Lella on a little island in the Tiber near Trastevere – homey ambiance, delicious food, excellent service – they told to eat like the Romans eat so we did!
There's so much more we can say but it's such an incredible place, get away from the phone/computer and enjoy all that Rome has to offer!
Christopher Perry
Norman, OK
P.S. Man, I blew it - St. Peter's!
St. Peter's, St. Paul's, St. Paul's, St. Peter's, Oprah, Uma….d'oh!
___________________________________
Just had an excellent meal at Ristorante EDY. Local while in center. Some great art on the walls collected by the owner. Worth a shot, Bob
Won't fawn over you, if I run into you.
Here for a few months. Sold everything in the US. On the road for now 9 years. Still checking US new through the NYTimes. Yes, life goes on here. Same as Buenos Aires which after 5 months we just left.
Yet… in both Rome & Buenos Aires the U.S. situation is mentioned in the local news and seeps into conversations with locals…. Most are very concerned by possibly The Loofah Faced Sh*t Gibbon getting back in the WH…. I know I am. Dual citizenship gives me options, yet the U.S. is home regardless where I am.
Enjoy Rome.
To be continued,
Sjaak
___________________________________
Been following you since the heady days of the early internet wars when the majors thought they could simply sue the p2p'ers out of existence but, I have not written before.
If you have not seen 'The Great Beauty' and you get a chance to see it when you're still in Rome, please try. You will see a side to Rome that is beneath the surface and I suspect, hidden from even Gen TT. I split my time between Southern Italy and London and I return to that film very often.
Thanks for the years of thought provocation and I hope in a small way I have returned the favour.
Best
Jim Gottlieb
___________________________________
"And the Euro is worth less than a buck."
€1 = $1.06, which means it's worth a bit more. Usually is.
The one to look at is the Swiss Franc. Forty years ago it was 3 Francs to a dollar. Now it's $1.10 to the Franc. Go back a century it was about 20 Francs to the dollar.
The dollar is mighty no more.
Ross Fitzsimons
___________________________________
No. You must be reading it wrong. 4668 euro is what you get for 5k as of today. 93 to 1.00. I lose 400 bucks if I want to pay my artisans today. My bank just asked me if I wanted to lock in. Dollar is still weak but gained from the 90-1 that prevailed for the last 8 months.
Patti Jones
___________________________________
Your statement "And the Euro is worth less than a buck" is misleading. Currently and for some time 1 Euro is worth more than a 1 Dollar (today $1,06 to be exact). You could say the purchasing power of 1 Euro in Rome is less than 1 dollar in LA. Comparing costs of living in US vs Europe is a little more complex than it seems.
I found that as soon as you get out of the touristy places in Italy you can get a fresh $6 personal pizza pie that beats anything in America.
Cheers,
Andy Altmann
___________________________________
hey careful.... euro is worth $1.06 right now. It hasn't been less than a $1 for a while.
Bit of advice: if you use your US ATM card , use it only at real bank ATM's. Anywhere else will fee you to death. Also when you swipe your card at a restaurant or shop the machine asks you if you want to pay in Euros or Dollars. Always choose EUROS. If you fall for their "scam" and choose the Dollar conversion the CC company offers you automatically pay x% fee on gtop of the conversion rate, I've seen as high as 15%. Your US bank will not take an exorbitant fee(usually, if they are decent) and will give you a much better exchange rate.
Enjoy Roma!
James Kirst
___________________________________
The bigger the crowd, the less it knows. Katie Parla is knowledgeable https://katieparla.com/city-guides/rome/
The Euro is worth slightly more than a buck @ 1.06€ to the $.
Christopher Randall
___________________________________
Expect you've already heard, but you have your exchange rate backward. A Euro will cost you a bit more than $1.06, not the other way around.
Jim Collins
___________________________________
Bob, I've lived in Germany since 2001. I grew up in Alaska, not real America. Nothing we watched on TV reflected our lives. Funny how that describes so many lives.
So: cars in Europe continue to grow in size, while parking spaces remain tight. I'll tell you it's hard not to hit the next car with your door in Europe in normal parking spaces. So maybe you don't see it as a tourist, but as a long-time resident... and that's not mentioning the poor design of parking garages here, where cars are expected to turn 90 degrees.
America's politics are broken. Congress has been non-functional in a long time. Why is that an issue? It sends a message. Putin thinks, why stop with Ukraine? Iran thinks, why not bomb Israel? And so on and so forth. If the US isn't setting the agenda for the world, who do we want to do so? It feels it doesn't matter in a small town in a smaller country, but only until it does matter.
Enjoy your carbonara and get back to hastening the revolution!
Best regards,
Phillips Hofmann
___________________________________
I enjoyed reading your email about Rome, Bob. I have an Italian co-worker who is based in Rome whose English is excellent (she studied history at Oxford), and if you'd like to get off the beaten path a bit, I can put you two in contact. She knows the city, restaurants, things to do, where to go, etc. quite well. If you'd like me have her reach out to you, please let me know. Her name is Giulia, and I think you'll like her a lot.
Best,
Brownlee Ferguson
___________________________________
Dear Bob,
Anyone who believes restaurant recommendations from TikTok deserves to eat there. Come to London and I'll take you for real Italian food.
Paul Ruta
London N1
___________________________________
I'm totally wired in Rome. How long will you be there? Vacation or conference?
It's my favourite city on earth. I've visited many times and worked there quite a few times as well.
Do you want to meet some interesting people while you're there? I should introduce you to Father Brian. He was my assistant engineer in LA, then moved with us to Connecticut and had a spiritual pivot. He's now a Catholic priest studying at the Vatican. He's a truly special human. Also there's Mario Tronco, the founder of the Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio (who I produced eons ago) and his cousin Arianna Tronco who is the most important literary agent in Italy with a stable of awesome writers. And more…would you like to see The Forum Music Village (Ennio Morricone's amazing studio where all his best film scores were done and where I worked with 2Cellos, Lang Lang and Zuccherro)? Marco Patrignani is the manager there and speaks English very well. He's a super cool guy.
Are you into Caravaggio? Some of his best are in Rome. Here's a list of where they are:
https://mamalovesrome.com/caravaggio-in-rome/
Where are you staying?
Bob Ezrin
___________________________________
Bob: Great hearing from you re Rome! Gigi and I will be in Rome, Bologna and Tuscany October18-27 hosting a KJAZZ Promo Tour so please don't leave any unpaid bills around with my name on them. Thanks much.
Jerry Sharell
___________________________________
You're never gonna read this,
but if you're still in Rome I'm your
longest time reader here in the eternal city,
anything you need from a local just ask
I'll be at your service, no charge.
besides music I also worked tourism.
all the best
Lele Lunadei
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Monday, 15 April 2024
Roma
Well I guess you can't trust the wisdom of TikTok.
Waiting for our room to be ready, I surfed the social network looking for eats. We wanted something quick, as most of the day had already slipped away. The most popular, the most talked about place was called Trapizzino. One after another TikTokker raved. To the point where I felt if I missed the place, my trip to Italy would have suffered. There are multiple locations and after perusing the Colosseo we took a cab to the closest one, in the Mercado, which turned out to be part of the train station. And we couldn't find it. All the TikTokkers showed lines, that was what I was looking for. Ultimately the Mercado map told us that Trapizzino was in the corner, but I figured it had to be another Trapizzino, since there was nobody there, and there were three bored attendants behind the counter. But it was the place.
So what Trapizzino specializes in... Well, let's just say it's a pizza pocket filled with...fillings. And we got the eggplant and... This is what everybody is talking about? This is what we came for? I must tell you the bread was superior to all you find in Los Angeles other than at a couple of the finest restaurants, but I can't say the entire concoction was tasty, rather it was fast food, and not piping hot, and that was a disappointment. To cleanse our palates we got gelato thereafter, which was superior to any I've had in the U.S. But if TikTokkers can be so wrong on Trapizzino, what else are they wrong about? The internet is all about the wisdom of the crowd. Maybe the crowd doesn't know so much.
Now you immediately know you're in a foreign country because of the trees. They're akin to mushrooms, albeit with much longer stems. I'd like to tell you what kind they are, but I missed that day in school.
And the color of the buildings. There are earth tones used that are very rare in America.
And it was gray and humid, which I know about as a result of my salad days on the east coast, but these days are extremely rare in Los Angeles.
As for the SUV-ization of the Continent... Not so in Rome. That's what they say, big cars have invaded Europe, on tiny streets. But I didn't see any. I saw some baby SUVs... And I also saw a Maserati hearse! But mostly tiny vehicles, some so small that they parked butt end to the curb. I wish we drove such tiny machines in the U.S.
So we walked to the Trevi Fountain, which was uber-crowded, I remember being able to get much closer, and I also remember it being at street level. But my memories are fifty years old, fifty two in fact, maybe something has changed in half a century.
And we walked to the Forum... And saw Trajan's Column... I also remember being able to walk amongst the ruins, which you can do a bit if you pay today, but I remember an open scenario, and my memory is pretty good. Then again, some of the excavations were new. And I must admit I'd forgotten a bit too much from art history class in college, but I was utterly fascinated still. How subsequent generations tore stuff down for the marble, built upon the ruins. As for the Colosseum... It'd be like stumbling upon the original Yankee Stadium two thousand years later, can you imagine that?
It's not complete culture shock going to a foreign country these days. First and foremost, your phone works. And you can use Google Images as your guide, never mind the map apps. Then again, reading about the Trump trial reminded me of Joni Mitchell:
"Reading the news and it sure looks bad"
I mean I was just in the U.S. yesterday, but it seems so far away.
And the Euro is worth less than a buck. Which is pretty astounding...if only the hoi polloi were aware of this, but the hoi polloi don't have a passport. Then again, as good as Biden says the economy is, that's not the way so many feel. Did you read that piece in yesterday's "New York Times"?
"Why Is Biden Struggling? Because America Is Broken"
Free link: https://rb.gy/lnep0o
I think this guy's solutions are hogwash, but as far as a description of today's America, he's right on. I don't care which side of the political fence you're on, I think you're going to nod your head when you read this.
But people are living just fine in Rome. And we flew an Airbus over, so the door plug didn't blow out.
Looking forward to some carbonara...
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Waiting for our room to be ready, I surfed the social network looking for eats. We wanted something quick, as most of the day had already slipped away. The most popular, the most talked about place was called Trapizzino. One after another TikTokker raved. To the point where I felt if I missed the place, my trip to Italy would have suffered. There are multiple locations and after perusing the Colosseo we took a cab to the closest one, in the Mercado, which turned out to be part of the train station. And we couldn't find it. All the TikTokkers showed lines, that was what I was looking for. Ultimately the Mercado map told us that Trapizzino was in the corner, but I figured it had to be another Trapizzino, since there was nobody there, and there were three bored attendants behind the counter. But it was the place.
So what Trapizzino specializes in... Well, let's just say it's a pizza pocket filled with...fillings. And we got the eggplant and... This is what everybody is talking about? This is what we came for? I must tell you the bread was superior to all you find in Los Angeles other than at a couple of the finest restaurants, but I can't say the entire concoction was tasty, rather it was fast food, and not piping hot, and that was a disappointment. To cleanse our palates we got gelato thereafter, which was superior to any I've had in the U.S. But if TikTokkers can be so wrong on Trapizzino, what else are they wrong about? The internet is all about the wisdom of the crowd. Maybe the crowd doesn't know so much.
Now you immediately know you're in a foreign country because of the trees. They're akin to mushrooms, albeit with much longer stems. I'd like to tell you what kind they are, but I missed that day in school.
And the color of the buildings. There are earth tones used that are very rare in America.
And it was gray and humid, which I know about as a result of my salad days on the east coast, but these days are extremely rare in Los Angeles.
As for the SUV-ization of the Continent... Not so in Rome. That's what they say, big cars have invaded Europe, on tiny streets. But I didn't see any. I saw some baby SUVs... And I also saw a Maserati hearse! But mostly tiny vehicles, some so small that they parked butt end to the curb. I wish we drove such tiny machines in the U.S.
So we walked to the Trevi Fountain, which was uber-crowded, I remember being able to get much closer, and I also remember it being at street level. But my memories are fifty years old, fifty two in fact, maybe something has changed in half a century.
And we walked to the Forum... And saw Trajan's Column... I also remember being able to walk amongst the ruins, which you can do a bit if you pay today, but I remember an open scenario, and my memory is pretty good. Then again, some of the excavations were new. And I must admit I'd forgotten a bit too much from art history class in college, but I was utterly fascinated still. How subsequent generations tore stuff down for the marble, built upon the ruins. As for the Colosseum... It'd be like stumbling upon the original Yankee Stadium two thousand years later, can you imagine that?
It's not complete culture shock going to a foreign country these days. First and foremost, your phone works. And you can use Google Images as your guide, never mind the map apps. Then again, reading about the Trump trial reminded me of Joni Mitchell:
"Reading the news and it sure looks bad"
I mean I was just in the U.S. yesterday, but it seems so far away.
And the Euro is worth less than a buck. Which is pretty astounding...if only the hoi polloi were aware of this, but the hoi polloi don't have a passport. Then again, as good as Biden says the economy is, that's not the way so many feel. Did you read that piece in yesterday's "New York Times"?
"Why Is Biden Struggling? Because America Is Broken"
Free link: https://rb.gy/lnep0o
I think this guy's solutions are hogwash, but as far as a description of today's America, he's right on. I don't care which side of the political fence you're on, I think you're going to nod your head when you read this.
But people are living just fine in Rome. And we flew an Airbus over, so the door plug didn't blow out.
Looking forward to some carbonara...
--
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