dancing 30k steps through paris

Boarding Pass 009: Fête de la Musique, Anderson .Paak, and collective effervescence

Fête de la Musique is an annual celebration of music in Paris on the longest day of the year: June 21st. It’s a completely free music festival taking over the streets of the city. It’s technically just the one day, but leading up to it are countless concerts. My 30k steps started the day before.

On a Friday afternoon, I was laying in my 12-person hostel dorm bunk bed (sans AC of course, what else can you expect from euro summer) in Paris. I was trying to decide what to do with my evening – solo wandering, socializing in the hostel lobby, something else? I saw someone message on Hostelworld: going to see Anderson .Paak tonight if anyone wants to join. I clicked the ticket link and it was only $35. I messaged Thomas.

In most circumstances, I would not recommend meeting up with a stranger at 11pm, especially when that stranger has no social media and you don’t know what he looks like. But I wanted to see Anderson .Paak, and I didn’t want to go alone. That felt like a worse idea. So with a message to my friends back home about my plans just in case, I was off.

Lucky for me, it was Paris in the summer. The sun had just set by the time I left and everyone was out. Thomas and I met up, and the bartender teased him into paying for my drink. He was about to move to Boston to start his PhD, and was traveling for a few weeks. After about an hour, and concluding that neither one of us was crazy, we went to the venue. What ensued was a set that lasted until five in the morning. It was insanely packed, but the crowd was amazing. Everyone was dancing and jumping and completely in the moment. He leaked his single “No Cap,” and as a special treat, ended the night with drumming. It is so enjoyable to watch a master at work, especially when that master is having the time of his life in blond bob.

I went home as the sun peeked out over the edge of the city. Thomas and I did debate watching the sunrise for a half a brief moment before exhaustion knocked some sense back into us.

I took a glorified nap, and the weekend of music continued. It was officially the day of Fête de la Musique. There are organized orchestra performances and DJs playing music from their third floor balconies. Bars and restaurants spill out into the street, serving drinks in plastic cups. You walk down one street to listen to Ariana Grande, then the next street everyone is vibing to Brazilian funk, and a block over you can lose yourself in Afrobeats. There are small side streets that are pockets of music, and larger crowds near the Seine or the canal. It’s overwhelming.

Thomas and I met up again, bought a three-euro bottle of wine, and passed it back and forth as we walked and danced throughout the city. Eventually, we parted ways, and I met up with another girl, Rebekka by the canal. We sat with our feet dangling over the edge for a bit, taking in the hordes of people moving past us. I watched some people jump into the water and swim across. Later, we held hands and pulled each other through the crush of people to stay together. Every balcony we passed was a window into a new genre. Think Spotify Discover playlists, but IRL. And instead of skipping songs, you switch streets.

My feet ached, already tired from the night before. Getting shoved about in the crowds was annoying. But I kept walking. Why? Because of collective effervescence. Coined by French sociologist, Émile Durkheim, it’s the feeling of being connected to everyone around you because you’re experiencing the same thing at the same time. It’s a heightened state of energy and unity. Yeah, I could put in my headphones and choose whatever music I want to listen to. But I’d rather get sweaty and dance with my new friend Rebekka. I’d rather look up into a tiny balcony that was build god-knows-how-long-ago and watch a person, eyes closed, moving their hips to the beat they’re creating. It’s special that it has to end, and I can’t just hit replay. I will never be spontaneously watching Anderson .Paak play the drums with Thomas from Boston again. I will never be singing Dua Lipa lyrics while spinning Rebekka from Germany around the streets of Paris again.

You can experience collective effervescence in a variety of settings: sports games, concerts, comedy shows, and more. Even blizzards that lead to stalled cars and snow days. That connection with strangers is electric, and also so humanizing. There’s a mutual appreciation and understanding for each other. I will pick a live event every time because while a banger playlist is awesome, sometimes you just need to catch someone’s eye and know that they’re just as excited for the drop as you. The person next to you is moved by the music just as much as you are. The rows behind you are cheering just as loud for the home run. It’s a reminder that no, you are not the first or last person to ever feel this way.

Fête de la Musique will always be a special experience to me. It was a whole city celebrating music together. It also plays into the gift economy of partying. The festival itself is completely free. While there are some organized happenings, it’s also understood that your neighbor will be putting on a show as well. DJs planning a free set from their apartments. Symphonies gathering in a courtyard. Restaurants and the metro staying open later than usual. And the dancing! The people contributing their energy and joy to this massive joint party. “Fête” in French is both a noun and a verb. It’s a party or celebration, but it’s also to celebrate. The celebration doesn’t just materialize, it has to be made. And we need to make more parties.

At the end of those twenty-four hours, I collapsed into my bunk bed, every part of my body reminding me that I’m alive.