Advent Ball, December 15th

aerobics room

In the mid 1980s before Ciccio and Jacinto became what we know them as today, glam rock and aerobics dominated the planet. In those happy years before grunge stole the show and when people actually cured depression by watching David Lee Roth strut his stuff in a myriad of outrageous costums, Ciccio would often waltz around the streets of derelict towns in many places with his walkman blasting Whitesnake, Alice Cooper, Van Halen, Poison, Motley Crew, and Def Leopard.

But in all actuality he didn't really care all that much for the groups themselves (well except for those outfits with the colored tights!). It was rather that moment when the lead guitarist would break through the clutter and transform himself from a silly kid from the American (or British or European) suburbs into the Paganini of his times: thus it isn't surprising that his all time favorite guitar player is Steve Vai.

In any case, one way, in the contemporary present, he is able to relive those happy days (when music was second to total bravura and tights) is to attend the variety of aerobics classes on offer throughout bella sicilia - he likes to mix up his selection of venue, never the same place more than 3 times a year....

...Currently Ciccio is trying to get Jacinto to write a book based on the the trials of the Italian American guitar player (chest and arm hair included) and how those working class Rocky Balboas of the music world brought -via their electric guitars- a little bit of the ostentatious Casanovean virtuosity of the 17th, 18th, and 19th century mediterranean Sun Violin Gods into post industrial city/pre suburban internet sprawl of late 20th century America and indeed the world.