Wednesday, June 25th 2008
Ah, the smell of petrol burning through rush hour traffic. Bonjour, Paris! We began our whirlwind tour of Europe with a noontime show for the La Defense Jazz Festival, which I had been looking forward to for some time. Other headliners at this particular festival included Solomon Burke (whom we opened for in London, but more on that later), and Herbie Hancock. This show proved to be quite the experience, as Choklate (vocal extraordinaire) arrived in Paris as we hit the stage for the first set and proceeded to KILL IT for our encore. Much respect, as I was totally useless after my flight from Los Angeles.
La Defense proved to be the perfect gig to kickstart a tour, as the audience was keenly aware of the nuances of our set, and was largely receptive to the myriad references we make throughout the performance. In essence, French crowds=hip. The venue was in a new section of Paris which is largely an economic center, hence a weekday noon performance. It did, however, allow for stunning views of the Arc de Triomphe (see the photo above). Plus, the rediculousl catering post-gig made this a joy. Grilled fennel salad and roast beef with hoarseraddish and vin rouge?! Oui!
Posts
