Contributor: TOZ Antonio Piretti
What happens when you pack your entire life, your live-performance equipment (including a speaker and cables), and an acoustic guitar onto a touring bicycle? You get the inspiring reality of Antonio Piretti, known to the music world as « TOZ. » Years ago, the Italian-Canadian artist made a radical choice: he left his stable corporate career behind to follow the call of the open road, creating a unique lifestyle where music meets extreme cycling adventures.
For TOZ, cycling is not just a mode of transport; it is a catalyst for deep human connection, and the Warmshowers community has played a monumental role in his journey across borders.
Strengthening Unity During a Global Pandemic
In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread restrictions, Antonio embarked on his most profound challenge yet: the « Not Only A Currency » tour. Traveling solo as a dedicated Warmshowers Rider with just his bicycle, a heavy trailer, and his guitar, he pedaled over 6,100 kilometers across 16 European countries.
While the world was isolating, Antonio used the power of music and the hospitality of Warmshowers to bridge cultural gaps and keep spirits high. Staying with Warmshowers Hosts along the way, he transformed their backyards and gardens into intimate, safe concert venues (fully compliant with the local legal and health regulations at that time), performing emotional acoustic sets for Hosts, their families, and close friends. It was a beautiful testament to how the Warmshowers spirit could thrive even under the toughest global conditions.
This was followed by a tour in which he became a cycling pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago, in France/Spain, biking from the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela. This year he already accomplished his recent « The 2 Seas » (I 2 Mari) tour, where he conquered the demanding Italian Apennines to connect the Adriatic Sea with the Tyrrhenian Sea. Never one to rest on his laurels, Antonio is already preparing for his next musical venture: a tour cycling all the way from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea and back in Europe this summer.
The Warmshowers Spirit on Stage
« Music opens doors, and the bicycle brings me directly to the doorsteps of the people who want to hear these stories and enjoy music together, » Antonio says. His bilingual songs in English and Italian connect people instantly. After a grueling day in the saddle, there is nothing he enjoys more than sharing a home-cooked meal with a Warmshowers Host and playing an intimate set in return for a warm shower and a safe place to rest his bike.
Follow TOZ:
- On Spotify
- Instagram at @tozantoniopiretti
- On YouTube at TOZ Antonio Piretti
