Brad Spurgeon's Blog

PARIS – It’s funny how some open mics can explode in joyous celebration starting with their very first meeting…and then fizzle out and disappear by their second one. That happened in the last week with the open mic that I spoke in such praiseful terms just last week, at l’Imprevu bar. After its first fabulous show last Saturday, by this weekend it no longer existed! There was some kind of disagreement of some kind, somewhere, and the second edition never happened and will not happen again at the Improve. On the other hand, the open mic at the Zebre Rouge bar that started slowly, quietly, with little life, has grown into a major open mic, if the last two editions are anything to go by.

And it turns out that one of the pieces of the recipe that had been missing at the Zebre Rouge in the first editions is that they were doing it on the ground floor room of the bar, while they should have been doing it in the cellar room. Now they are in the cellar, and they have some devoted hosts – Antoine, Pascal and Jules – and the ambiance is just wonderful.
Insu at the Zebre Rouge

It has proven that the Zebre Rouge bar is a PERFECT venue for an open mic, with two cellar rooms and the ground floor room, and smokers’ gathering out front. That allows not just for those who want to talk during the music to be on the ground floor, but they can actually go into the back room of the cellar and talk at tables, while listening to the music at the same time. Furthermore, there is another bar in the basement, so you can order your drinks there too, without leaving the open mic.
Last at the Zebre Rouge

And while this open mic allows for a jam session situation, it puts a high value on individual performances, if that is what you really want to do. The sound system was quite O.K., and with the stage being in the small cellar, you know you can make loud music without bothering the neighbors.
Another at the Zebre Rouge

A fabulous open mic now, this Zebre Rouge had better continue this way or I’ll start losing faith!!!
First at the Zebre Rouge

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