Last night I was hoping to do three different venues, two for my playing, one for watching someone else. Only managed the first two I had planned. But managed to create a third venue along the way….
The first stop was my return to the Blanchisserie open mic, the new open mic I mentioned a few weeks ago, at the art gallery and performance space in Boulogne-Billancourt. In addition to being a really original location for an open mic, both in terms of it situation next to Paris and by its art gallery and loft-like feel, the Blanchisserie has decided to use the concept of having a featured band before the open mic. And in very intelligent manner, the feature lasts only 30 to 45 minutes.
Last night the group, a duo called John and Betty – not their real names – had a very cool sound, lovely harmonies and some great musicianship on the guitar. Very fresh and original. It set the stage for me, as I had opted to go up first; but they were so good that I began to regret my choice. Then I thought, no, they were a great couple with harmonies, lovely bouncing melodious music. The only way I could respond, I thought, was to do something completely different from my previous time at the open mic with Félix on guitar, and something very singer-songwriterly. So I decided to do my new song, “Crazy Lady,” with fairly quiet fingerpicking, and my slightly older one, “Borderline,” to pick up the tempo a little more before ending off with the foot-stomping cover, “What’s Up!”
I had the feeling it worked out O.K. Then Spencer went up after me and his stuff is totally different to mine. So it seemed to all work out.
There were not as many acts as the last time I was there, but we heard some good stuff, and then I left with my friend Adam, who had come with me last time, to go off to see a burlesque show of Louise de Ville at Le Klub. This is the woman I mentioned a few weeks ago as well, who did her one woman show. This show last night was nothing like that one, it being this time pure burlesque.
But on the way to Le Klub, I decided to pull out my guitar and sing a few songs for Adam and his two friends, as they had all arrived too late at the Blanchisserie to hear my set. (Adam caught the end of my last song.) So I ended up singing four or five songs on the Metro. There, I was able to totally let loose – but the you never realize how loud the metro is until you try playing music in it – and felt that whatever may happen later in the evening, I’d had a good fix of performing…..
In fact, the Klub event lasted a little too long for me to go to The Mazet, as I had intended, so I ended my night there, making a fairly early return home, in fact.
Well, it was not quite the monumental evening of the Cavern the night before,