Music in Paris

I love to hear live music, especially in small venues. I’m NOT a fan of the “football stadium” approach to concerts. So now I check fnac.com, a website connected to a chain of music stores in Paris, before each trip, to see what fun music might be available. I’ve discovered three venues that I want to share with you. First, Le Bataclan. This is a small club in the 11th arrondisement on Boulevard Voltaire that holds 1,500 people. The main floor is standing space and the mezzanine has seating. It has a bar in the back and it’s a GREAT, small, venue.  I saw Peter Frampton there and the Fray and they were both terrific concerts. The extra bonus at the Peter Frampton concert was that if you waited 30 minutes after the show ended, there were CD’s available for sale of the concert itself! Incredible.

Second location, the Olympia, in the 9th arrondisement.  This is a more traditional venue, with seating throughout and when you book, you book a specific seat (unlike Bataclan which is First Come First Served). There are about 1,700 seats so again, it’s a nice, small venue for seeing concerts and the sound is very good. I saw Norah Jones here and it was fantastic!

Third location is the Alhambra in the 10th arrondisement. It holds 600 people and is in the style of the Bataclan- an open, standing area on the ground and seating above in a balcony. I saw Glen Hansard here and it was a fantastic show! No reserve seats, so like the Bataclan, you need to get there early enough to get a good spot!