minor threat.

The wrong way: Don’t go out at night, there are strangers! And pubs! And people trying to sell you roses! Stay inside and go to bed early; maybe you’ll be the first one at the espresso counter Saturday morning.

The Wright way: Explore your new hometown of Trastevere. Walk into every and all stores if they are open, but make sure you greet the owner. They appreciate a “ciao” or “buon giorno,” even if it’s dark outside. Also, if you see a church that is open, GO IN. There is a chance you’ll never see it open again.

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Adventuring in the land of Trastevere this week, I came upon a bookstore called “M______.” It was open, surrounded by graffiti walls, and I was looking for a blank book to use for field sketching, so I went in. The shop was filled with rad novels, most in which the visage of the tragic artist was staring me in the face. But there was no English section, and the reading level was advanced. There were a few Moleskins I considered grabbing, but leaving felt more comfortable.

The pitch that was playing through the store caught my attention at a louder refrain before I left, and I entertained the new sound as the owner fumbled with a Dell mouse to lower the volume. The music sounded a bit folksy with a dark twist riding on an abstract story-telling style of lyricism. But the singer was new to me. I walked up to the guy behind the Dell to ask what artist it was.

I didn’t think they made them like this in Italia: looked about 28 with thick black framed glasses, a tragus piercing, striped sweater, tight black jeans, some kind of Italian leather sneaker, a black beard, and a tattered bridge of English. After shooting the breeze for a bit, he asked where I was from. D.C. The kid then indulged me with a full, enthusiasm-driven knowledge of the evolution of the punk rock scene into the emo subgenre in D.C. in the ‘80s. In Italian. He knew where it all began. He knew what was up. He knew the influences of Minor Threat.

It makes me wonder what kind of music the people around here really listen to. It’s easy to pick up a random misplaced “Italian” genre CD from the record store here. It’s another thing to realize the importance of the type of music to different demographics in Rome.

I need to know what this music scene is. When in Rome... become a street performer.