L’altra America (1986)

Television concert documentary from the San Remo Festival (Club Tenco), Teatro Ariston.
With Greg Cohen on upright bass. Aired on Italian television by RAI DUE. Rebroadcast in 1988.

“I’m not big on awards. They’re just a lot of headlights stapled to your chest, as Bob Dylan said. I’ve gotten only one award in my life, from a place called Club Tenco in Italy. They gave me a guitar made out of tiger-eye. Club Tenco was created as an alternative to the big San Remo Festival they have every year.

It’s to commemorate the death of a big singer whose name was Tenco and who shot himself in the heart because he’d lost at the San Remo Festival. For a while, it was popular in Italy for singers to shoot themselves in the heart. That’s my award.”
– Tom Waits 1987 (Source: “Tom Waits, 20 Questions”. Playboy magazine via Tom Waits Library)

Set List:
Tango Till They’re Sore
I Wish I Was In New Orleans
Downtown Train
Jersey Girl
Innocent When You Dream
Walking Spanish
Tom Traubert’s Blues
On The Nickel
The Heart Of Saturday Night
Burma Shave

– Hallgeir