mardi 8 juillet 2014

Suzanne Vega + Valerie June + Ayo @ Lalala Unplugged Festival @ Théatre de Paris July 08 2014

Suzanne Vega + Valerie June + Ayo @ Lalala Unplugged Festival @ Théatre de Paris July 08 2014
Summer time , there are festivals everywhere, this one in a beautiful theatre where we saw the play "Un singe en hiver" a couple of months ago, Johnny Hallyday played also a special show here with guest Brian Setzer on guitar. The theatre is the property of a French millionaire businessman who owns "Vente privée" website and who is organizing this festival.
Yesterday Keziah Jones played here tonight it's "girls only" with Valerie June, Suzanne Vega & Ayo.
First on stage is Valerie June from Memphis , Tennessee for some blues -folk music, she's on her own on acoustic guitar or banjo with lots of stories to tell between songs. I'm too sure if people could understand everything she said as you can really hear with her thick accent that she's from the deep south telling stories from the deep south... Anyway,  she has a strong high-pitched voice that she probably needs to modulate a bit more.
Overall good show
Valerie June ouvre les débats, seule avec une guitare acoustique pour un set dépouillé gorgé de blues-folk et soul, entre chaque titre nous avons droit a des petites histoires typiques du sud des Etats Unis, la belle est originaire de Memphis, Tennessee, prononcées avec un fort accent sudiste de mama, pas sur que tout le monde a capté toutes les subtilités de ses interventions mais intéréssant.Valérie a une voix haut perché et extremement puissante qui gagnerait à etre modulée un peu plus.
Etonnante transportation dans les bouges d'une amerique sudiste et profonde.
Valerie June
Then we have the "Plat de resistance" with New Yorker Suzanne Vega still playing with Gerry Leonard, when he's not recording secretly with David Bowie, and a drummer (could get his name).
no need to tell you that we only came here for her.
Nice show, as always with Suzanne. She's still promoting the new album so we have 2-3 new songs and the classics of course, see setlist below for details.
Attraction principale de ce festival, la présence de Suzanne Vega qui justifiait à elle seule notre venue. Formation réduite avec Gerry Leonard à la guitare et un batteur sur quelques titres. Pas besoin d'en faire des tonnes quand on a les chansons, un set simple et chaleureux avec quelques compositions issues de son nouvel album.
Une réussite comme toujours.
Suzanne Vega
setlist
Then it's time to make a move to the café nextdoor to watch World Cup semi finals between Brasil vs Germany. WOW !!! hard to believe what we saw in the first half with Germany playing so good and Brazil completely loosing it and playing as If they were a 3rd league team. 5-0 at the end of the first half.
So we went back to the concert to catch a glimpse of Ayo performing, we're not big fan but it was a bit better than expected with her playing acoustic guitar ( and grand piano) with just a guy playing bass on his keyboard or trumpet.
She had the best ovation of the night but a few songs was just good enough for us so we went back to the café enjoying the end of the game with a very impressive mannshchaft , they could have score a couple more times. Unbelievable !!!  
.
 Ayo closing the night




lundi 7 juillet 2014

Anna Calvi + Daughter @ Cité de la Musique for "Days Off", Paris July 07 2014

Anna Calvi + Daughter @ Cité de la Musique for "Days Off", Paris July 07 2014
Support band Daughter is opening for Anna Calvi, nice "ambient" music but the band played a whole set for more than 80 min and as they don't have a "hit" song it was getting a bit boring in the end.
 Daughter

As always Anna Calvi played a wonderful set, there are no improvisations and you know for what you came for but you are are never disappointed with Anna Calvi.
She's playing with detached hair, which is not very often (for me at least and we saw her live in Paris 8 or 9 times) and she's even more sexy like this.
Encore un superbe concert d'Anna Calvi, étonnement la salle n'est pas pleine, il faut dire c'est son 3e ou 4e concert à Paris cette année. Ce n'est pas grave les absents ont toujours torts. Une interpretation toujours aussi parfaite, pas vraiment d'improvisation aux concerts d'Anna Calvi mais on n'est jamais décu.
C'est la première fois que je la vois jouer les cheveux détachés et elle est encore plus sexy comme cela...
 setlist



ARCHIVES:
Anna Calvi @ Gaité Lyrique, Paris Sept 26 2013
Anna Calvi @ Fnac Ternes, Paris Oct 25 2013 1:00 pm
Anna Calvi @ Trianon Paris April 22 2011
 Anna Calvi, showcase @ Fnac Montparnasse Paris, June 15 2011, 5:30 pm
 Anna Calvi @ Black Session # 322, C'est Lenoir. Maison de la Radio, Paris Jan 17 2011
 Anna Calvi + Deftones + Nneka + Archive + Lykke Li  @ Rock en Seine - St Cloud, August 28 2011
 Grinderman feat. Nick Cave + Anna Calvi @ Cité de la Musique, Paris 26 Oct 2010



There are also a few other concerts in Paris:
Toni Joe White @ New Morning
Wampas @ Republique ( free show)
Keziah Jones @ Théatre de Paris

dimanche 6 juillet 2014

Jessica & Bruce Springsteen @ Paris Eiffel Jumping, Paris July 06-07 2014

Jessica & Bruce Springsteen @ Paris Eiffel Jumping, Paris July 06-07 2014

 June 06 with Elliott Murphy & Gaspard

After attending the Grand Prix de Diane last month in Chantilly, we're back to see some  Horse racing this time just around the corner @ Champ de Mars next to the Eiffel Tower for some Jumping.
We went there on saturday just after seeing Argentina defeat Belgium for the World cup.
Bruce was already there on friday to see his daughter ride but we couldn't miss France- Germany quarter-finals.
On this saturday evening we're seating in the "riders lounge", lots of -people- in the "vip lounge" mainly French actors & actresses ( Guillaume Canet , who's riding, with his missus Marion Cotillard , Marina Hands, who's also a rider and a few others).
Bruce Springsteen is here with Patti supporting his daughter Jessica who's part of the American Team and is one of the best rider. Bruce's friend Elliott Murphy and longtime Paris resident is here as well with his wife and son Gaspard.
 Rachida Dati mayor of Paris' 7th district is also there...
 Maréchal Joffre looking over...
 
JUNE 07:  Bruce, Patti & Jessica and Charlotte Casiraghi

Sunday afternoon we're back @ the Paris Eiffel Jumping, Jessica is riding and has done a pretty good run, being among the 7 finalists ( on more than 40 riders) unfortunately not winning and always supported by his parents.
The weather is awful the whole day with showers but we're once again in the "riders lounge" protected from the rain but still it's cold. Hard to believe it's july.
This time we went to say hello to Bruce and had a quick chat with him,
 Jessica didn't win but was in the final

 Bruce/Rockerparis facing the Eiffel Tower