You Can Feel It All Over

The thing I love most in the world is music. You can ask any one of the people in the group how obvious this is based on what I do as I walk down the street; I hum along to the music blaring through my headphones. And often it's more than humming. I’ve come to terms with it. Perhaps the others have as well. Perhaps they just indulge me. Perhaps they hate it. But whatever. So I brought a guitar along with me to France. Mostly for fun, but also to keep up my practicing for a couple projects I’m doing once I’m home (Insert shameless plug here: Grassroots Shakespeare Co. Summer Tour 2013 - http://www.grassrootsshakespeare.com/ Salt Lake Pops Orchestra - http://www.slpops.com/ ) 

So one day as I was playing my guitar, my host, Mme Mercier listened in, and was impressed. She pulled out a camera and filmed me playing for a bit, and commented how much she loved music. Then came the really cool part. Show business is all about who you know. Mme Mercier knows someone. There’s a local band here in Nice called The Kitchies. Their lead singer’s brother’s wife is the daughter of someone that’s related somehow to Mme Mercier (once removed, I’m sure). So she says “I could see if they’ll let you play.” I said, “sure,” thinking nothing would ever come of it. Then the weekend rolls around. Mme Mercier says, “I talked to the band, and they said you can come play tonight if you want.” 

Well sure. I’d love to. So I did. 

I got the name of the Pub (De Klomp) and a general idea of where to find it in the maze of Nice’s Old Town district and set off. It didn’t take too long to find the right place. I told the bouncer that I was there to play music, and he waved me in. The band was already playing their first set, so I sat down to listen to the music. It was nice and acoustic-rock-ish type sound that bordered on hipster, but still stayed cool. I could dig it. So they finished their first set, and I spoke with "Flo" (Florence) the bassist, who was apparently the one that Mme Mercier called to set this up. He talks to the owner (or whoever was in charge) and bam. I got the gig opening up for The Kitchies’ next set. No big deal.

I proceeded to make my European debut. The people seemed to enjoy the music (but not as much as their beverages, though this is true in just about any locale where music and alcohol are both available). I felt the familiar sensation of a performance high (it’s like a runner’s high, but for the stage) as I played some of my favorite songs to an audience that didn’t really understand the language I was singing in, but was still having a good time. The general rule for an acoustic set is to play no more than two songs. Unless they ask for more. I finished the second song, and then I heard a group yell, “one more song!” So I happily obliged them. The band even let me come back the next night for another gig. I came back the next night and brought friends from the Study Abroad program. They didn't even card us on the way in, which would totally be an issue in the states (what with 18 and 19 year olds in the group) but France's minimum drinking age is 16, so no one thought twice about it.

But I degress. I was there to play music. And play I did. The second night was even better. People were coming over from the other side of the bar just to see me play. It was amazing.

I felt great about the whole thing. And I smiled all the way home. 

And now, apart from me feeling “supercool” for playing guitar for the first time in Europe (you know, NOT just on the streets), I also found that the French are not so different from the Americans when it comes to music. Stevie Wonder was right: you can tell right away you’ve got the A when the people start to move. That goes for any language.

P.S. (Here's what Stevie was talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_lP25QIoEM )

P.P.S. The songs on the set list for the first night coincidentally all start with the letter G. 

Night 1:
Geek in the Pink - Jason Mraz

Grey Street - Dave Matthews Band

Gonna Take It -  John Butler Trio

Night 2:
So Damn Lucky - Dave Matthews
Time - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Testing 1,2,3 - Barenaked Ladies