THE STORY OF A FAILED PUBLIC LISTENING ATTEMPT IN FRANCE

JOHN GOES TO O’TACOS

It was Thanksgiving Day in Paris and I was looking for some tacos. In particular, I was looking for some tacos from O’Tacos, a French fast food chain that I have been fascinated with for a minute now. It would be a stretch to call what is made at O’Tacos Mexican-American cuisine. It’s more of a “mash-up” of various culinary vernaculars, both Mexican-inspired and not, that was pioneered in the Rhône-Alpes region of France. The “French tacos” at O’Tacos are made up of a grilled flour tortilla crammed with French fries, meat, and cheese. If you’re feeling psycho, you can throw some fondue in the mix. O’Tacos may have one-upped Americans at their own game. This is food somewhere between a croque monsieur and a Crunchwrap Supreme.

Despite having performed in seemingly every third-tier city in Germany, I have never played a show in Paris. Until last week, I had never been there. I ended up spending some time in the city—congratulations, Molly—and coming into the trip, I knew that one priority was to hit up an O’Tacos for an edition of the blog’s famous Public Listening series. But there were some issues. The first O’Tacos I went to, which was confusingly next door to a similar establishment called Enjoy Tacos, was not playing any music. I walked over a mile to a different O’Tacos location, but they weren’t playing anything, either. I figured I could at least eat the food—you know, turn John’s Music Blog into John’s French Fast Food Blog for the week—but my credit card, which had worked fine in France up until that point and would work fine for the rest of the trip, was declined multiple times.

Clearly, my O’Tacos experience wasn’t meant to be. What if they did play music, though? What if my card hadn’t been declined? Here are some songs that I imagine I might’ve heard if I had actually been able to experience O’Tacos.

Central Cee (Feat. Lil Baby) “Band4Band”

O’Tacos doesn’t have an in-store soundtrack. But if there is one song that captures the true essence of the chain, it is “Band4Band.” The tune is middling pan-continental rap done at the highest level possible; it’s neither here nor there but it still hits regardless; it’s a rallying cry for teenagers who wait in line for sneaker drops and eat fast food multiple times a day. Writing this blog post alerted me to the fact that there used to be an O’Tacos outpost in Brooklyn that may or may not have been officially sanctioned. It closed before the pandemic. 

Kavinsky “Nightcall”

The second O’Tacos location I visited was multi-level. The chain’s color scheme is brooding and corporate—a lot of orange and black—and a million miles away from the pastel glory days of Taco Bell. Somehow, “Nightcall” is currently on the French pop charts. Or at least the chart that I checked. The tune is by a French electro producer who at one point was signed to Ed Banger Records, a label that is synonymous with one of the all-time greatest moments in Parisian music. The song is famous for its inclusion in the movie Drive, which is well over a decade old.

50 Cent (Feat. Nate Dogg) “21 Questions”

In the days before my visit to O’Tacos, a vision appeared in my head, fully formed and lucid. I was going to be stuffing my face while listening to “21 Questions.” For a time in the 2000s, 50 Cent seemed like the worldwide ambassador of American rap music. There was something about his sing-song cadence that translated through cultures. I have a memory of watching a G-Unit show on television while sitting alone in a Moscow hotel. 

Saamou “Anodin”

The O’Tacos of my imagination is going to be playing at least a little bit of French drill. The wobbly bass on “Anodin” mirrors how my stomach felt for a week, but I have no regrets. Of course I’m going to only eat red meat and pastries. In Paris, you can get beef stew with bone marrow for the price of a fast-casual salad in New York. A pain au chocolat costs less than a pack of gum in Brooklyn. Now I’m back in the USA, and I’m trying to recover. It’s hard to fight the temptation to walk over to Dunkin’ and cop a mediocre cruller. 

DJ Snake & Hamza “Diana”

My order, if it would’ve gone through: an O’Tacos—they don’t do singular—with spicy tenders, burger sauce, fries, and hash browns. I’m not exactly sure what I was thinking at that moment. Some twisted part of my brain calculated that skipping the cheese sauce would've allowed the meal to be less punishing on my stomach. Wishful thinking!

BossMan Dlow “Get In With Me”

Maybe this is more wishful thinking, but I think the music of BossMan Dlow is something that could get played in a French fast food restaurant. He’s crossed over the threshold. The best songs on his newest record are some of the best rap songs of the year. Speaking of: I’ve never been a major list person. That is one music blogger tendency that eludes me. I’ve always leaned into the chaos—into major gaps in knowledge. There are only so many hours in the day, and I occasionally still make the stuff, too. 

David Guetta, Alphaville & Ava Max “Forever Young”

If O’Tacos played music, I would like to think that it would be impossible for diners to not hear any David Guetta. “Forever Young” is an interpolation of a hit by a band whose name is taken from a Godard film.

Cassius “1999”

“1999” is a French dance classic, and it feels like the perfect soundtrack to an O’Tacos dessert. If anyone from O’Tacos is reading this blog post, and I know you probably are, it might be worth reconsidering your policy on music. It seems like it is not fully customary for Parisian restaurants to be blasting rap, but I think that music is the missing piece in your quest for European fast food domination. And if you need a music supervisor, you know who to call: John, of John’s Music Blog.