(Please) Don't Blame Mexico @ Le Baron, Paris

To give you some context, I'm writing this post from a fifth story apartment overlooking Bastille, Paris.

Like all worthy movements, the emerging Parisian rock scene is growing quietly and quickly in the dusty corners of nightclubs and apartments. Currently, the scene is two-fold, with the rock wannabes taking the lead over those with musical talent; however, this will surely change once bands like (Please) Don't Blame Mexico reach ears in the West. A band/collective called Toy Fight gave me entrance into this world a few months back. Because each member of Toy Fight takes part in multiple side projects, the collective has single handedly created a rock circuit. (P)DBM is one of those groups, and I was lucky enough to see them play at Le Baron during my second night in Paris.

Le Baron is known as "the place where everyone wants to be, but no one can get into." The crowd is made up exclusively from a guest list that reaches capacity at about 200, and on monday night the list miraculously had my name on it +2. Once in the club, Spencer, Katharina and I found ourselves inside a dark, smoky cave, draped in red velvet. Cigarette in hand (sorry mom), we found a comfortable corner to enjoy the view, and took in Paris' most beautiful and elite. Older men with their (extremely) young (potentially hired) girl friends, young models drinking champagne splits and middle aged men dressed in their best threads mingled around the tiny bar.

At first I was unsure how (Please) Don't Blame Mexico was going to fare with the crowd, but their relaxed pop melodies blended perfectly with the atmosphere. Maximilian, songwriter and band leader, performed at the piano in vest and tie, playing beautiful Krug-like piano lines that Laurent Blot, lead guitarist, then took and scrambled into a frenzy of distorted wails. Thomas (drums) and Eglantine (bass) moved in-sync to secure perfect rhythm throughout the set, and kept the room tapping their feet.

The most special moment of the evening came when Maximilian performed "Heartbrakes" solo on the piano. Bent over the wooden mantle, carefully pressing ivory keys, a sorrowful song bled through the space, swirling into the scattered French chatter. The crowd noise that infuriates me at home, suddenly transformed into magic once delivered in a foreign tongue.

Walking home at 3AM along the bank of the Seine, there was no doubt in my mind that this evening will stay with me forever.

[www] (Please) Don't Blame Mexico - Heartbrakes

[www] (Please) Don't Blame Mexico - Firstaidkid

Special Thanks to David for making this all happen, and to Spencer and Katharina for giving me a home!

| Myspace | Toy Fight | Le Baron |