Each year, la Fête de la Musique is something to love, and this year I had the impression that more people participated in the event than ever before. Of course, that may have had something to do with the teenage rave that went on outside my window until well past midnight.

Early on in the evening, la Place des Abbesses was one of the most pleasant places to be, as the area had transformed into a village festival, with roving musicians, tables set out on the sidewalks and lots of folks grilling up merguez sausage for sale along with chilled glasses of white or rosé. By 1 a.m. however, it became une place to avoid — unless you happen to enjoy dodging drunks and vomit.

The sweetest moment of the evening was the performance of a 12-year-old kid (with a very stylish haircut), who had rehearsed Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” to the point that he could almost pronounce the “H” in haze. As he stood there on the street corner, picking and singing to a gaggle of wide-eyed preteens, his little amplifier beside him, I realized that he embodied perfectly the spirit of the event.