A Guide to the Paris Jazz Scene
Students in Paris spend their Wednesday nights not lining up at clubs, but in caveaus waiting to hear trumpets echo underground. For a generation like this, raised on constant novelty, liking old-school big bands may seem unexpected. But here in the glowing streets of Paris, we crave exactly that: live music and swing dancing.
The TikTok Trends in Real Life
For film lovers like me, Caveau de la Huchette has found spotlight on Tiktok since being seen in La La Land. Viral TikTok videos show young people swing dancing while being guided by the older folks that have been visiting for centuries. The dim orange and red lighting underground makes it feel intimate.
I first discovered Caveau de la Huchette, like many students, watching La La Land. At that time, I didn't even realize it was a real place. It was when I first moved here, I realized that I could actually enjoy it in person.
What TikTok aestheticized was made real. There are no filters underground. There are constantly strangers dancing and loud music. Social media might have amplified Caveau's popularity, but you can never really understand the appeal until you are there.
Around Paris, these videos aren't going viral randomly. Students are finding their way to jazz bars because they make for a great night out.
The More "Underground" Spots
If you want variety and still aren't 100 percent sure about traditional swing, there is another option for both techno and jazz in the same place. Housed in an abandoned and converted train station, La gare Le gore feels more diverse and artistic. The crowd is younger and more eccentric. In my opinion, I found that most people who go are creatives in the art, music and fashion scene. To set the scene of what La gare Le gore has to offer, jazz starts at the top (La gare) and throughout the night, the scene changes to the downstairs (La gore) where the techno begins until the early morning.
But why are students so drawn to jazz clubs? A student at AUP, Margot Shmeltz, says, "Sometimes it feels like nobody is dancing at clubs so I enjoy jazz clubs because they encourage it." They leave you feeling different at the end of the night than regular clubs do. Instead of feeling drained and disconnected, jazz clubs leave you feeling energized and like you experienced something rather than just existed in a room full of people. There are no phones, no shouting, no rushing, just real musicians playing in real time. In a city like this, jazz feels grounding.
In a fast-paced place like Paris, sometimes you can't just find a moment to slow down. Underground at these clubs, you finally can. You can sit and listen, letting the music take over for a while instead of the noise of the city. When above ground moves quickly, jazz slows it all down.
