ONE MAN'S DREAM TAKES CENTER STAGE

ONE MAN'S DREAM TAKES CENTER STAGE
By Tim Wood

Mitch Trupia is one of those folks in town you just need to meet. These days, you'll find him living at his "second home," the new Rock City nightclub on Persimmon Street. This is a man who has packed a lot of living into his years. He has the crow's feet and bags under the eyes to prove it. Yet, he goes about his business with the boundless energy of a teenager. He emotes passion in every action. The cigarette he unapologetically smokes is puffed to the butt, which only enhances his Springsteen-esque raspy voice.

He didn't just work as a production manager. He worked with Madonna, A Tribe Called Quest and Ozzy Osbourne. When he gravitated toward Ground Zero in the days after Sept. 11, he worked the recovery effort for 21 straight days – ending up in the hospital from exhaustion. He is New York through and through, has shacked up in Staten Island and has a clearer recall of Bayside's Bell Boulevard than Google Earth. Nonetheless, Mitch is an equally perfect fit for the Lowcountry. He is as well-versed in yoga and meditation as he is in old-school Metallica (before the corporate sellout).

Life near the tides better suits his soul. An unflappable, undeterred believer has emerged from this combination of Marlboro filters, life experience and Zen fundamentals. The uninitiated might associate his sideburns, reversed cap and mullet-in-the-making more with a stoner comedy sidekick than a community builder. Then he talks. "This town deserves a scene. The musicians deserve a home. The fans deserve the music," he says. His bleary, sleep-deprived eyes come alive with vision. "This space was meant to be a rock club.

More than that, I want this to be a place where anything creative thrives." Some of his critics say it all sounds a bit hokey, like something out of James Earl Jones' mouth in "Field of Dreams." Criticize all you want. Mitch is a tortured artist who has beaten himself up more than others ever could. "That doubt can eat you up. I've learned the hard way that you just need to admit your greatness and believe in it to make the dreams come true," he said. Mitch opens the doors to Rock City this weekend. Silicone Sister rocked last night, Souls Harbor takes the stage tonight as the grand opening celebration continues. Come on out, hear some great music and buy in to a dream for a night.
-Tim Wood, reporter Bluffton Today HILTON HEAD, SC