Underground. Innovative. Unusual. Outlandish. Eccentric. Bizarre. Maverick. Visionary. Provocative.
Those are the words the new company Hello, My Name is Bill uses to describe their work. Melissa Unger, and Justin Westoverformed this cutting edge company last year that delivers incongruous happenings, astounding spectacles; brand and product launches, gallery and boutique openings, movie premieres, record launches, restaurant openings, private parties.
Friday night Vincent and I attended their third official launch party at the Galerie Eric Mircher in the Marais and it fit many of the adjectives in my first sentence. I met Melissa, a former New Yorker like myself, a few weeks ago at Galerie Impaire in the 10th arr. and she was kind enough to invite to the launch. She greeted us warmly when we arrived and insisted that we go to the tattoo parlor next door set up especially for the event and get a tattoo. I went for the little devil and Vincent was bold and got the barbed wire. The tattoo artist was a funny, cool, quirky Canadian girl Christa who worked as a nanny during the day. It was clever that the stand was in the window of the gallery so everyone could see you getting your tattoo. I opted to have it applied on my arm as getting it in a more private place would be let's say a little awkward unless you were an exhibitionist.
Christa the awesome tattoo artist
The Devil Made Me Do It
The other side of the gallery was lit in dayglo lights to show off the artwork so everyone had a strange orange pallor to them. The crowd was younger and kind of Paris hip chic. In the back was the band who drove in from England and was practicing in pink light and smoke. One of the band members was covered from the head down in a white sheet. Very surreal.
We spoke to Justin one of the owners of the company for a while and found out he was a well know British portrait photographer. It was a fun and unusual evening that lasted till after 1AM.
I wish Hello, My Name is Bill much success and if all their events are as fun and innovative as this one was I am sure they will be a smash hit.
The Band
New Tour Announcement
I am happy to announce a very special one-time tour opportunity. My friend and loyal blog fan Mary Gilbert and her close friend Phil Nuxhall both from Cincinnati, are coming to Paris the beginning of April. Phil is the Historian and Tour Coordinator for the Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati where Mary is a docent. They are both longtime cemetery enthusiasts.
We are co-leading a tour of the lovely Russian Cemetery in Sainte Genevieve Des Bois just outside of Paris where Rudolf Nureyev is buried in a mosaic-encrusted sarcophagus along with other famous Russian expats and after we will visit the striking modern Evry Cathedral, the only 20th century church in France, built in 1992, designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta.
We would love for you to join us for this fascinating and unusual tour and we are accepting reservations for 10 people. Below are the particulars. If you would like to register for the tour please email me at [email protected] and I will email you further instructions.
Tour: Cimetière de Sainte Genevieve Des Bois and Evry Cathedral
Date & time: Friday, April 3, 1PM to approx. 5:30PM which
includes travel time
Cost: 40 euros a person not including train fare- approx. 10 euros
Meeting place: St. Michel metro
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
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