ADDITIONAL NOTES:
French accordians and chansons on streetcorners, zydeco in cobbled courtyards, Lenny Kravitz rock'n'rolling in jammed Place de la Republique, a uniformed brass band playing disco on rue du Bac, a Baroque quartet in the Palais Royal and people everywhere dancing, drinking... Music everywhere. -- paris-expat.com
Above, the street scene last night along gritty Rue Oberkampf in the 11eme. Everyone was out for the Fete de la Musique, a mass summer solstice celebration that started in France on June 21st, 1982, and has since spread to many countries around the world. From wikipedia:
-- Amateur musicians are encouraged to perform in the streets.
More fete photos via Metroblogging Paris, more info on the 11th arrondissement at wikitravel and the Oberkampf Scene at Foders, and more Paris and 50mm f1.8 photos on this site.
-- Free concerts are organized, making all genres of music accessible to the public.
-- This is one of the only nights in the year where, under French law, there is no sound restriction at nighttime. One can party on without being bothered by neighbors calling the police.
Your pics are amazing as always and I agree with Lei and erica on that awesome last pic.
I know why I couldn't wait to see your take on Paris.
Fabulous.