Gianna e i Rinoplastici

Last night "Gianna e i Rinoplastici" (Gianna and the Nosejobs) rocked the Big Ben. This is the Rino Geatano Tribute band I told you about last month. The photo above is the lead singer getting into it. The guy in the back, you only see his head, is key to the band as he also plays the accordion for some of the songs. Last night he put his keyboard on some crazy steel drums setting for the song "Ahi Maria" to give it a more "Latino flavor".

Below is the bass and drums part of the band. The drummer is Marielena's brother so she always lets up know when they are playing. She probably has some good photos over on her Flickr page.

What's a band without fans? Nothing! And this band is lucky to have the best fans in Brindisi.


This last picture is left over from November and NaBloPoMo. I was trying some wines back then and therefore it was a bad month for wine glasses in my apartment. One was broken in the usual way, while washing it! This second one however broke spectacularly. I saw Nello and Mara playing while I was eating and I decided I would try to scare them when they weren't looking. I started to get up when I barely touched the glass and it glently fell over. It didn't break then so it casually rolled towards the opposite edge of the table. I lunged over the table to try to stop it and got their just in time to catch nothing but air. The glass fell on to the cold hard tile floor. Needless to say the cats were sufficiently scared at the end of this commotion and the following string of curse words. I hope Santa wasn't listening.

Day 3 Mama Roots

So last night THE thing to do was go to the concert of Mama Roots at the Big Ben. Mama Roots is a local reggae band that never fails to please the Brindisinos. I still remember the first time I saw them at an outdoor concert in Sava. I’m not a big reggae fan but when you’re in a crowd that’s all bouncing to that reggae beat you can’t help but join in. I’ve also noticed that the whole Salento area seems to feel a connection of sorts to the Caribbean. Is it the palm trees, beach, and laid-back lifestyle that they have in common? Who knows?
I managed to get copy of their CD "La Voce Di Chi" soon after that first show so now I’m able to sing along. I have a good story about them. They are so good that later that night after the first time I saw them I dreamt that I married the lead singer’s sister. It was hilarious because you see in the dream I skipped over the whole wedding ceremony and went to the reception where Mama Roots was playing in a big masseria in the countryside. Everyone who is anyone was invited and those that weren’t were at home crying. If you want to hear them then go to their MySpace. I recommend "pupazzo"
I realize now that this month may get tough. So I think I will open up this blog to answer any questions that you all in the viewing public have. I think the question I get the most is something like this, “What the hell is an American doing living and working in Brindisi?” Or “Why are here (there)?” I don’t think I’ve ever given a real story so maybe I will, tomorrow.