Brad Spurgeon's Blog

PARIS – Another night at the often wild and wacky Baroc bar in the Belleville part of Paris, that’s today’s theme. Although never abandoning this open mic location, I had in the last couple of years taken a little break from it as a regular hangout. But I’ve been going regularly lately, and not regretting much – except maybe that there could be a few more musicians. But not too many more, please!

Because at the moment, it is really possible to show up at a human hour – say 8:30-9:00 PM – and find a spot on the list to play. The interesting thing about this open mic, as I’ve said in the recent past, is the vast, broad cross-section of bar habitués. You are as likely to find some hip young band or musician as the local barflies who look like they just made it back from skidrow….

And those ones are, as any bar musician knows, amongst the most enthusiastic audience members. There is often a festive spirit at the Baroc, with dancing patrons in front of the stage area during more lively moments of the open mic.

Last night had a few of the regular performers of recent times, but also an unusual duet of two young women who specialized in playing an old man’s blues – can’t remember the bluesman in question – with one woman singing and the other plucking her cello, since neither appeared able to play guitar – I assume!