Brad Spurgeon's Blog

I only managed to do two of my three usual Paris open mics last night, and even then, I only managed to play at one of them – Coolin. Still, there was some excellent music at the Tennessee Bar, the sound system is sounding better than ever, and the place was full.

Over at the Coolin, the sound system was the worst I’d ever heard it, but the place was full of its usual lively, happy clients, and lots of musicians – and some of them superb. I think the sound problem was a sudden, temporary thing related to some work going on in the place. But whatever, I always love going to the Coolin open mic not just for the music, but for the excellent way in which the open mic mixes with the regular clients. You get to meet people and talk to them, and lots of people go just for the bar, and discover the open mic….

There was a funny moment whereby when I left the Tennessee a musician was trying the most insanely difficult feat of singing “The End,” by The Doors, and when I arrived at Coolin, another musician was trying another Doors song. And then that same musician, Henry, sang “Mad World,” which, of course, readers of this blog know I sing all the time – too often, in fact. But Henry did the Gary Jules version of the song, using keyboards and following the slower approacher of Jules, as opposed to the faster, boppy Tears for Fears original. I enjoyed it.

Jim Bauer also did another amazing two-song set, especially the second song….
http://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10200169526693607
And a friend just put up on Facebook a video she did of me doing my “Wicked Game…”