The night began with some minor complications, such as trying to fix my dying camera. I arrived at The Wiltern and when I was escorted to my seat, the time window for taking photos was closed (first three songs). Twas frustrating, and more frustrating was the fact that I had a perfect, unobstructed view.
This crowd was in love with Glen Hansard, and with good reason. The Irish singer/guitarist lets it all out, and though the songs are dark and tender, he performs with an unparalleled zeal. At one point, he admitted one of his guitars was being played for the first time, and after strumming it so hard and riffing to shake the rafters, the audience gave him a standing ovation. His soloing was that moving.
Singer/pianist Markéta Irglová followed up with her own solo time to shine during the set, and she invited a fellow Czech singer to the stage. Monday was the anniversary of the Quiet Revolution, and the duet was a tiny peek at a life the Gen Xers like myself will never really understand.
This show felt like an exclusive gathering–as if we were all friends and The Wiltern was transformed into an intimate space. It was so quiet that when a fan yelled, “I love you” to Glen, you heard her loud and clear. And he was ever the gentleman and storyteller, responding to the audience (her said that he loved her back, once he could better see her face) and incorporating stories between nearly every song. There was no division between the audience and the band; when Simon, caretaker of Glen’s gear, had to come out, there weren’t any awkward let’s-pretend-you-don’t-see-this vibes. We laughed with them and we received the ultimate gift a fan could want.
We got the unexpected. Not only were these singer/songwriters talking about the inspiration behind songs, dedications–Glen thanked Markéta for bringing the muse into their lives in a deeply heartrending tone–we were treated to a special guest. As Glen was explaining, life on the road leads to discovering and obsessing over certain things, such as the now-cancelled TV show Freaks and Geeks. Turns out, when Glen and Markéta were last in LA, a bottle of wine was sent to their table whilst having tea. And the mystery man who sent it was the special guest… Jason Segel.
Segel performed at the piano with the band playing along. It was an entirely self-indulgent self-penned song about wanting to hook up with fans at the show, and Markéta had the honorable task of holding a banner with his (presumed) phone number, which he sang gloriously over and over again. The hallmark of his song was that there were “no special effects” on Freaks and Geeks, he really was that charming, and ditto for his unforgettable exposure in Forgetting Sarah Marshall–in fact, that is “what I’m working with,” he sang out.
The encore started off with “Falling Slowly” and ended with “Red Chord,” originally by The Frames (the other performers on the stage, hello!) easing into “A Parting Glass” by the Clancy Brothers. In sum, The Swell Season exhibited phenomenal energy, masterful execution, and the show may be the closest thing to being in a state of grace.
“Falling Slowly”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnTy37tjNhc[/youtube]
“Red Chord”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY39UdhO92w[/youtube]
Set List:
Fallen From The Sky
Lies
Low Rising
Feeling the Pull
The Rain
The Moon
If You Want Me
Fantasy Man
Leave
Say It To Me Now
Back Broke
Astral Weeks
This Low
The Verb
Count of New Town
Solomon (Marketa’s duet)
Once
When Your Mind’s Made Up
Encore:
Falling Slowly
Untitled Song (”I’m Movin’ On”)
High Horses
Jason Segel’s Song
Red Chord
A Parting Glass
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