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Rating: When eight and a half years ago, I met the woman who, soon, will become my wife, talking about this and that to ascertain any affinities, I asked her to express, of course, her musical tastes as well. The answer I dreaded most came, and which I should have received like a deep stab: Gigi D'Alessio! Darkness. Also Jovanotti, Ligabue, and 883. A glimmer of light.
Oh Crowned Mother of Saint Euphemia Barnabite and Martyr! No no no my dear, I absolutely need to "refine" your taste. I'll let the last three pass, but not Topo Gigio, oh no! Needless to say, the indoctrination attempts with De André or Battiato were absolutely in vain. Of course, poor girl, going from canned tuna in oil fished on the eastern ring road to scottona cutlets a la cosacca with dormant tartarini is quite a challenge even for refined palates. However, after repeated assaults, I can say I've scored the consolation goal with a good part of De Gregori's repertoire. I didn't even dare to mention Guccini. She would have dumped me on the spot.
Valentine's Day 2011. The TamarGigio, with the passing of years, was cast into the most obscure oblivion, especially following the gossipy-extramarital union with Anna Pompinangelo, something which for a country girl with sound principles is akin to chronic blasphemy. What on earth do I give her? After giving her the unimaginable for every holiday for over a decade and a half, the real breakthrough was an article in a magazine she buys and reads religiously. Start of the "Jovanotti Ora Tour" which will touch Caserta on April 29 and 30. Wow! I cut out the article to keep it away from her eyes (try convincing her that the magazine came out with a printing error!), buy the tickets and preannounce with wild bragging that she will receive her gift immediately but it will be operational at the end of April. Needless to say, upon seeing the ticket her eyes became, to paraphrase Camilleri, "sparkling."
Departure at 5:30 PM towards Palamaggiò, Campania's temple of basketball and Juvecaserta. Gate opening at 7:00 PM, show starts at 9:00 PM. Travel time around 25 minutes if it weren't for what I qualify as the "digestive road." Meaning from Amorosi (BN) to Caiazzo (CE) it's a tremendous succession of twisty turns best driven with an empty stomach. Shortly after, from Piana di Monteverna (still CE) to Castelmorrone (again CE), the road is mostly straight but studded with speed cameras. Speed limit 50-70. We arrived at our destination around 6:20 PM and a ticket scalper disguised as a parking attendant, after snatching 5 euros for parking, asks if we need tickets. A bit of a line, delayed gate opening (typical), and we snag two seats on the stands to the left of the stage. Great view. Venue filled in less than half an hour between parquet and stands. Audience mainly under 21 but overstanders and families are not lacking. An hour to go before the start and while waiting, we devour half a baguette each filled with galbanone and ham. Cooked for her, raw for me.
Not that I am a fervent lover of the former Cortona DJ but I must acknowledge that in the post-club period, from "Jovanotti Giovani" onward, good Lorenzo Cherubini has come a long way with surprising results. A path opens on stage showing a giant screen with Piero Angela talking about the big-bang. Colored smoke, laser beams, uncontrollable lights and an impressive entrance appearing from a mechanized trapdoor. Megamix.
Jova appears with an outfit, which he will change often, black, red tie on a white shirt and horrible glittering silver loafers. As expected, for promotional purposes, he rolls out almost all the songs from the latest album, hopping like a cricket and entertaining the crowd. Interesting songs even though, like too many artists, Lorenzo too has been relentlessly overwhelmed by what I consider "the end of notes." In my view, notes have been exhausted for years, meaning that having applied all possible combinations in the composition of a piece, I seriously doubt there's still a chance to invent something new. Now to publish something, one must go back and succumb to mimicking famous motives. And with the song "Ora," which despite everything has good lyrics, Jovanotti shamelessly echoes "Streets of Philadelphia" in structure and metrics.
Apart from this little observation, the concert proceeds in a lively manner, colorful, with excellent special effects hitherto unknown to me. Interesting the idea of ensnaring the singer in electric cobwebs, which obviously only appeared on the screen, or making his jacket appear as a tangle of crazy colors or, better yet, recording him live while he assumes an attack position first and a defensive position afterward, so as to double him on the screen as if there were two Jovanotti fighting simultaneously. Naturally, the audience reaches a frenzy with the rousing "L'ombelico del mondo," which envelops everyone with a truly remarkable rhythm and freshness. Jova knows what he's doing and how. He entertains and involves, surprises and captivates, and on the whole one can qualify him as an Italian artist of considerable depth. Overall excellent concert if it weren't for some serious flaws from the sound technician who overdoes the bass in equalization, often muffling the words. The band is excellent, composed of Riccardo Onori on guitars, the loyal Saturnino, Franco Santarnecchi and Christian Rigano on keyboards, Gareth Brown on drums, and Leo Di Angilla on percussion.
Really a beautiful show. At least my girlfriend was very happy with it and that's enough.
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