I’ve lived in some cosmopolitan cities with rich musical histories. Boston, with its iconic spots like The Boston Tea Party, The Channel and The Orpheum with frequent live events on The Boston Commons or The Boston Gardens gave it great musical diversity. It was a university city steeped in rhythm, so there were a ton of clubs to venture out to. New York City had everything, music pulses through the streets. Even Denver had a plethora of venues, including “Red Rocks Amphitheater”, arguably the finest outdoor venue in America, where the rock and roll the gods themselves would feel at home. These places offered endless choices, a smorgasbord of sound if you will.

Then, there’s Grenoble. A different world entirely, tucked away in the French Alps, quieter, smaller, diverse in other ways, but every summer Grenoble has the “Cabaret Frappé”, held at “Le Jardin de Ville” (The Garden of the City”) The entire city gathers in the heart of the old town, music swirling in the air for this five day celebration of music, food, and community sponsored by the city. The music floats through the summer air, free for all who gather and there’s an undeniable vibrancy that fills the park.

Now, there is my age which separates my past life from my current. I remember my parents’ record collection of 13 show tune albums and I thought they are so out of touch their music. It was so easy to stay current then; you just “turn on the radio” and the world poured out. I was sure that would never happen to me. Et voila, fast forward and that is exactly what happened to me.

So I’ve found myself in a place where the music around me might not always be what I would have chosen, but the truth is, events like “Cabaret Frappé” are more than just concerts. They’re a chance to reconnect, with family, with friends it is a great community event and some of the music was eclectic and set your senses afire and as usual, in those fleeting moments it was a great way to capture its energy, the joy of being together, of experiencing life as it comes.