Sometimes you hear about a little something something going on in Paris and you think it's just a small event. You're new. You don't know. Then you walk out your front door and the little event has exploded on your sidewalk. Hello last night's Fête de la Musique. Holy hannah, I was not ready for you and your craziness. The whisperings of the Fête de la Musique on Twitter and my friends' occasional mentions of the event did not prepare me for the musical extravaganza that took over my neighborhood and other arrondissements.
I started hearing the first few notes of music walking back from my French class yesterday evening. A jazz band had overtaken a local plaza and was jamming out and a DJ was spinning tunes in a bar, but I still wasn't sure what the music was all about. As I got closer and closer to my apartment, I could hear the sounds of multiple bands dueling it out New Orleans's piano style--one on this corner, one on that corner. More than three bands were rocking out on the blocks surrounding my apartment. When mon mari got home, we decided to hit the streets and really see what this fête was all about. One block later, we were in a throng of people singing a U2 song and that was only the beginning. Here are some of the musical and not so musical highlights of my Fête de la Musique education:
I started hearing the first few notes of music walking back from my French class yesterday evening. A jazz band had overtaken a local plaza and was jamming out and a DJ was spinning tunes in a bar, but I still wasn't sure what the music was all about. As I got closer and closer to my apartment, I could hear the sounds of multiple bands dueling it out New Orleans's piano style--one on this corner, one on that corner. More than three bands were rocking out on the blocks surrounding my apartment. When mon mari got home, we decided to hit the streets and really see what this fête was all about. One block later, we were in a throng of people singing a U2 song and that was only the beginning. Here are some of the musical and not so musical highlights of my Fête de la Musique education:
1. Parisians singing in English. From Bono to Lady Gaga, accents and warbly voices never get old.
2. Little kids dancing. I think I watched a future Chris Farley tap dancer do his thing.
3. Spontaneous parade of revelers following a marching band composed of very, very old band campers. Awesome.
4. Enough smoke coming off the food carts selling merguez sausages to make Smokey the Bear nervous .
5. A band performing Peter's Dracula song from the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It sounded that similar, trust me.
6. Weed, weed, weed, and more weed wafting through the streets.
7. Open containers of alcohol in everyone's hands. Bottle of wine anyone?
8. No police presence. Zero. Zilch.
9. French rapping. You try to listen to it.
10. No music after 2AM. YAY! Sleep!
2. Little kids dancing. I think I watched a future Chris Farley tap dancer do his thing.
3. Spontaneous parade of revelers following a marching band composed of very, very old band campers. Awesome.
4. Enough smoke coming off the food carts selling merguez sausages to make Smokey the Bear nervous .
5. A band performing Peter's Dracula song from the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It sounded that similar, trust me.
6. Weed, weed, weed, and more weed wafting through the streets.
7. Open containers of alcohol in everyone's hands. Bottle of wine anyone?
8. No police presence. Zero. Zilch.
9. French rapping. You try to listen to it.
10. No music after 2AM. YAY! Sleep!
A tour around my neighborhood gave me a whirlwind snapshot of the fête and just how misinformed I was about this yearly event. But 2012 watch out. I'll be ready. Party on the balcony! For real information about Fête de la Musique check out the official website.
P.S. Want to hear some French rap and see old guys trying to be down with it? Clearly, mon mari and I are really into it.
P.P.S. Someday I'll learn how to rotate a video so that it's not sideways :)
P.P.S. Someday I'll learn how to rotate a video so that it's not sideways :)
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