#stooges

1/15/26.

I've never been to Italy as a visitor, and frankly, I feel like I've barely scratched the surface as a musical visitor. Yes, I just posted about We Were Never Being Boring, an Italian label. And I frequently post about Almost Halloweentime Records, but both of these labels don't necessarily focus on Italian music. And as far as I'm aware, there's never been an Italian sound.

Chow were formed in 2013 "after the demise of two bands, Tunas and Classmates." Their Bandcamp page states that they are from Bologna, Italy. "Eternal Lopez" is a one-sided LP and wears its influences on its sleeves. In fact, the Bandcamp page proudly states: "their debut album, “Ancient Gentle Tower” in 2020, [was] a training trip through a psychedelic punk rock, tinged with Hüsker Dü, Wipers and Screaming Trees references and with a 60’s Detroit feel. “Eternal Lopez” is their new work, with seven new songs that sounds like a clash between Stooges, early Replacements and punk rock." I'd add Ford's Fuzz Inferno.

Our Tour begins here in this gallery

"Is this haunted room actually stretching? Or is it your imagination — hmm?" ~Haunted Mansion, Disney.

One in a series of fun commissions for @johndragoblood.bsky.social!

If you like expressive pictures, check me out! My comms are open, see the sheet here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/60874206/ Biolink here: https://thesheeark.bio.link/ Substar (18+): https://subscribestar.adult/thesheeark

FLOSTRE [addressing the ventriloquist's dummy on his knee]: You don't think much of the pre-Socratic philosophers, do you?

SOCRATES: Just a bunch of clowns spouting nonsense. The Sophists were useful, though.

FLOSTRE: How so?

SOCRATES: Well, I suppose you've heard of my Socratic method?

FLOSTRE: Who hasn't?

SOCRATES: Right. So it went like this: I'd ask some preposterous leading questions, and the other person would have to keep saying something like "Surely that is true Socrates," until they ended up agreeing to something quite ridiculous and making themselves look like complete fools.

FLOSTRE: I hadn't thought of it exactly like that.

SOCRATES: That's how it went. So you can see that it was pure show business. A crowd would gather for the laughs, and on a good day I'd make plenty of drachmas passing the petasos afterwards.

FLOSTRE: The what?

SOCRATES: Hat, to you.

FLOSTRE: And hats off to you, too. What's that got to do with the Sophists?

SOCRATES: I had to have a straight man. Sophists made for great stooges.

[A commotion off-stage. Moe, Larry and Curly run on from left. Moe stops, the other two bump into him. He turns and slaps both of them with a single motion. They line up expectantly.]

MOE: Did someone call for stooges?

CURLY: We're the orig.

[Moe strikes him on the top of the head.]

MOE [addressing Flostre]: At your service. Do we do the act now?

FLOSTRE and SOCRATES in unison: No.

CURLY [disappointed]: No?

FLOSTRE: No.

LARRY: See, I told you we could finish the hand.

[The stooges stand in silence for a moment. Moe looks grim, jerks his head towards the wings. The three of them march off briskly in single file.]

SOCRATES: What did you bring those idiots for?

FLOSTRE: We couldn't get Wittgenstein.

SOCRATES: Who he?

FLOSTRE: You don't want to know.

SOCRATES: No I don't. What I want to know is "Where are the dancing girls?"