Parisian Music Experience

Since I have been here the most positive interactions I have had have been at musical events. I feel like the common environment and atmosphere created by a group of people with similar musical interest allows people to be more accepting of their surroundings and the people in them. I have attended many different types of shows and performances and feel that this is a place where people are most friendly to me. However, this of coarse comes with the over friendly men and those who have no intentions of being at all decent.

The first event I attended was at a club for Deadmau5 given, as he is very popular in the states, I was not surprised by the overwhelming amount of American, Canadian and English people in the crowd that I met. What I did find a little funny was how offended Parisians got when I asked where they were from. Their English was so good and most of them had British accents so I couldn’t pick up on the fact that they were actually French. Another night that I went to see Steve Aoki another fairly famous DJ in America, the situation was very different. It wasn’t until 3am that he actually began his set and the whole time that I was asking around if people knew when he was coming on, it was like they didn’t even know who he was. They were strictly there for the club with its view of Seine through the gorgeously lit arches. At both of these clubs men who just couldn’t take a hint followed me mercilessly. Social Club was by far my favorite, we went to see a French artist and there was not much interaction but the whole environment was much more low key, just about dancing with your friends rather than impressing people with your clothes and bottle service area. Although I didn’t have very many interactions with people here I thoroughly enjoyed watching Yelle and can’t wait to see her again tomorrow night where she will actually be singing in French as opposed to playing a DJ set.

In desperate need for something other than the club scene, we went to check out the gypsy jazz festival at the flea market. In a restaurant still covered in Christmas decorations and hidden in a winding antique market, it was like this place had never been tainted by the changes that come with time. A woman with a beautiful deep voice blaring loudly through the speakers in the tiny café over a small band of an accordion, bass and keyboard. Occasionally, a man would come on with his drink in hand belting classic French music, the crowd was a testament to this. Later on in the week La Fete de la Musique also filled my craving for world music. Although we saw many different DJ sets playing everywhere from on top of a truck, on a boat, a balcony and a huge temporary stage the different cultures we came across when turning the corner is what truly amazed me. I was lucky enough to witness a traditional Chinese drum circle and song performance just far enough away from a Native American pan flute band that their rhythms wouldn’t be competing to be heard. Both in traditional and ornate costuming they played as if it was for no one but himself or herself. I also saw the various facets of African culture and how different they are from each other. This is something that I have noticed just from observing the people on the street however, switching from a traditional African drum circle to a rap battle in a matter of minutes was unreal. My favorite show of the night was most definitely a rock show in front of a bistro that we happened to stumble across. Standing behind a lovely French couple hand rolling their cigarettes we watched as a crazy blonde proceeded to climb up onto peoples dinner tables and then their shoulders to crowd surf the passerby’s. Throughout her show she was trying to pull her friend up to sing with her but she wasn’t having it. After a couple songs the craziness dies down and the second girl came on stage to sing a beautiful opera song, melting my heart with each word even though I couldn’t understand her. All in all, I couldn’t have dreamed of a better experience. When it got dark I felt unsafe after being cornered and harassed in the crowded streets even though I was wearing long pants and a long shirt, I think the pure wonderment that was burned into my eyes is what made me an easy target. I was really upset at the time but I realize that things could have been a lot worse. I am able to look past this now and embrace the experience for the beauty of the pride of all the separate cultures that are able to coexist in one city.