European Vacation Recap 5 - Paris pt. 1

Paris isn't perfect. If it were, the night we arrived my brother Greg, cousin Anthony, and I would have been able to walk right into the No Age/Abe Vigoda show, blow past the 20 or 30 people I envisioned being at the club, and enjoy the gig. Instead, it was sold out and we were stuck outside talking to Juan Vigoda who said if he had any pull he'd get us in. Well, I'm happy for the bands (who I can see in L.A. all the time) and can't complain because Wendy and I pretty much went straight from the airport to the hotel to a chocolate tasting that my Anthony's brother Carey and his fiancee Jamie had coordinated. Pretty damn cool, and it was nice to meet up with other members of my family who made the journey, too. And then, the very next day, we went to the Versailles to see the Takashi Murakami exhibit.

Mom and Dad in the Hall of Mirrors with Matango. The installation was actually quite controversial for many of the more conservative people in France. Understandably, Versailles is a symbol of French tradition and culture, so it was shocking to them that a contemporary guy from Japan would get to take over a bunch of salons. I thought the work was a great fit, though. More pics and thoughts to come in Giant Robot 68, which is at the printer now.

That evening, we went to an ex-bordello-turned-art-gallery where Carey and Jamie (above) had their rehearsal dinner. Here's the bride-to-be teaching us how to make our own placeholders without us even knowing it. There was a ton of contemporary art on display, blending Marvel Comics, Murakami, and glamor photography… There were some nice Polaroids and I spotted some original pieces by Moebius, too. More on that guy later…

Before the next evening's wedding, Wendy and I went to the world's most famous museum to see the world's most famous painting. I know, I know. You're supposed to spend the whole day at the Louvre, but we only had time for the greatest hits. For me, that had to include the cover of The Pogues' Rum, Sodomy, and The Lash. I had no idea that Gericault's piece was so gigantic. (Seeing Hammurabi's Code was pretty rad, too.)

I was shocked that photography was allowed at the museum. We saw a ton of Chinese tourists crossing the red velvet rope, posing with statues, and even fondling them. Man, I was so embarrassed of my people. Luckily, my family was more restrained at the wedding, which took place at the Rodin Museum.

Supposedly, it's the compound where the sculptor actually created his art. I guess you need big doors to get slabs of marble and other materials in and out of there… Maybe a reflecting pool, too? Incredible venue, amazing ceremony, and so much gushy, personal stuff that I won't get into. You had to be there.