Bird-day Fun

Since today, well, technically yesterday, was my birthday, I went out this past evening for a real French dinner with my roommates, Ryan and Juliette, and 2 classmates, Catherine and Christian. It was actually my first time eating out since I arrived here in Paris just over a month ago. Dinner was very good, and I laid down 50€ on my meal! Gulp! I figured I might as well go all out just once, and my birthday seemed like a reasonable occasion. At the end of the night I told my companions that I'd just consumed enough food for the week. This better be true, because I blew my grocery budget.

This past Saturday October 7th was Nuit Blanche here is Paris. All night, from 7pm to 7am, the entire city becomes a giant art gallery/performance space/party zone. The idea is that no one goes to bed, but instead wanders around this city visiting some of the overwhelming number of cites available for perusal. In areas there are entire streets converted into installation art. There are films, music, and massive monuments made of candy for the snacking delight of touring Parisians. There is an internet cite available that highlights some of the events taking place in the city to help festival-goers plan their night. http://www.nb2006.paris.fr/
The city also lends out, for free, 2000 green and white bicycles to help Blanchers get around the city-wide festival. Because this is Paris, some of the best, or, at least most famous, artists in the world take part in the Nuit Blanche exhibitions. It's an event utterly unlike any other.
One of the cool events that took place, and which I did not participate in, was an series of underwater "concerts." A number of pieces were composed to be played under water, and 70 people at a time could don bathing suits and swim caps and listen to an underwater composition.
Unfortunately, Juliette had looked at last year's cite and found a performance of Rhys Chatham's guitar symphonies on the top of Montmartre!!!! We were peeing ourselves with excitement. From 7 to midnight 100 guitars would play An Angle Moves too Fast outside, on the steps of Sacre Coeur, overlooking the entire twinkling city of lights. Then at 2am and 6am, inside the Sacre Coeur, 300 electric guitars would play a new Chatham piece. We planned to head to Sacre Coeur first thing once the night fell to hear An Angel Moves too Fast in open air before descending into the city to race through our other destinations. Then, at 6am we planned to return to Sacre Coeur, after much craziness and sleep deprivation, to hear the sound of 300 electric guitars reverberate through the famous Cathedral, and, with ears ringing, and eyes aching, stumble out into the early morning, and once again, down into the city below. It was all so perfect. Until we made our way to the top of Montmartre and began to wonder how exactly 300 electric guitars had been so carefully concealed from us. We eventually, and sadly, discovered our mistake.
Although I didn't get to hear Chatham's compositions, I did get to hear another piece composed for 8 electric guitars and 2voices at the Cathedral St. Eustache. It was very Arvo Part meets Sunn 0))). So awesome! There were also a couple amazing pieces for the church organ and 2 clavecins, some vocal pieces, and an couple of outstanding pieces for string quartet. I loved the compositions for the strings -- nothing too classical, but more interesting and subtle than soundtrack music or anything in the "post-rock" catalogue, certainly taking a hint from early 20th C. composition and perhaps even from the more recent minimalist movement. All in all, the entire program had a pungent odour of Arvo Part. I actually spent most of my night in the cathedral. I will post a few pictures up at the top. Although the Cathedral looks empty in them, I can guarantee you that it was not. I just happened to be up at the front. I will also throw in a picture of the church organ that a couple pieces were performed on, and some pretty glowing candle images. I'm a hopeless sucker for anything that glows, scintillates, luminesces, twinkles, glimmers, radiates, coruscates, or sparkles. I consider all of the above "magical" forms of lighting.

If Buffalo Springfield were a movie it would be Easy Rider.
I saw Easy Rider a few days ago despite my relative lack of interest in the movie (How I ended up watching it is a long story). It totally blew me away. Great story, bold and highly skilled cinematography, and some awesome use of avant guard film techniques and 16mm film in a narrative film context. Wow, wow, wow. I've been raving for days. This is not to mention the inclusion of a hippie commune and a solid soundtrack of American rock classics. Stephanie, this is definitely a film for you! Chris Bruce, I would tell you to see it, but given that it is an American film classic, the movie that pushed Jack Nicholson into fame, and inludes a healthy portion of The Band on the soundtrack, I'm going to go ahead and guess that you've already seen it a few times.

Here are the links to a couple of cool Parisian venues that I have been to. Make sure to check out the pictures offered on each site. Les Voutes just might be my favourite place in Paris. It's this super cool venue that is actually a garden and a few old underground tunnels. Although I caught live music there, the venue is usually used to screen short films. Make sure to check out the "Lieu" link and the "Jardin" link within the Lieu link as both have some great photos of the place. http://www.lesvoutes.org/

This next place has music every night, and I think all of their shows are free. Coming up, for example, are free shows by Jel and the Junior Boys. It is also within fairly quick walking distance of my apartment. Again, check out the photos section as well as the restaurant section where you can see the rail tracks over which part of the building looks. You can't see it in any of the pics, but there's a crazy classical/Renaissance looking golden angel and globe type thing hanging from the ceiling in the "conservatory." You also can't really see what the terrace is like. This is a shame. There is a bar and tabled that actually sit on very short grass. There are olive trees. There is an iron fence covered in vines. The whole place is almost silly in its chicness -- so very Parisian. http://www.flechedor.fr/

Well, I think that is all for now. I will try later to update you soon with some pictures I took of Juliette, Ryan, and Bepe, and perhaps furnish you with some delightful stories about our past adventures.

As always, I hope all is well,
Rue des Rigoles