The Swell Season at Meymandi Hall - 05.15.08

The Swell Season (Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová) came prepared to put on a show Thursday night. Not only was it a night of great music, but Glen Hansard puts on a hell of a comedy routine as well.

Glen opened by himself with "Say It To Me Now" played at the edge of the stage with no amplification. I've seen a number of performers do this over the years, but Glen does it the best. You can tell he spent quite a bit of time busking when he was younger.

The set included a mix of songs from the movie Once, covers, new songs and songs by Glen's band The Frames. While songs from Once received the biggest reaction, some of the best songs of the night were the new songs. Markéta's new song, "I Have Loved You Wrong," is incredibly beautiful and Glen's new songs "If You've Gotta Go, Go With Happiness" and "Your Love Makes Me Cheerful" were both great.

Glen's stories and musings between songs while sometimes a little too long, were both hilarious and at times, incredibly strange. He explained that the song "Lay Me Down" is about an ex-girlfriend who was "a goth" for which he bought a grave for as a Christmas gift. The crowd loved that story and all the others. The man is quite the entertainer.

One of his most endearing moments came before playing "Falling Slowly," the song that won the duo an Oscar. Hansard said the song had "treated [them] very well" and likened its success to kicking a ball out of the park, and the ball goes over the fence, then into the next town and then the next town after that. Hansard said there's 7/8th of you that can't believe you kicked the ball that far, but also the 1/8th who "just wants my fucking ball back."

The Swell Season proved Thursday night that the music they make stands on its own and doesn't need the plot of the movie Once to evoke intense emotions.

If you attended the show and want to purchase a recording, keep an eye on the website playedlastnight.com. If you picked up one of the site's cards the night of the show, don't lose it! It has a code to get you $3 off the download price.

Here's the set list:

Say It To Me Now
All the Way Down (Markéta sings lead)
Lies
This Low
When Your Mind's Made Up
Your Love Makes Me Cheerful (new song)
I Have Loved You Wrong (new song)
Falling Slowly
Leave
Lay Me Down
Astral Weeks (Van Morrison)
Cactus (Pixies)
Rise
If You've Gotta Go, Go With Happiness (new song)
True
Once
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If You Want Me
Blue Shoes (Colm Mac Con Iomaire solo)
Fitzcarraldo
The Mountain (Steve Earle, sung by tour manager)
Star Star/Pure Imagination (from Willy Wonka)

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Charming singer-songwriter Dawn Landes opened the show. With the help of a drummer/keyboard player/harmonica player/singer (that's all one guy and he played most all of those instruments simultaneously at one point), Dawn put on a great show. The first half of the set was a little more country-tinged than her latest record Fireproof, but the second half of the set conveyed the jazzy, rock side of her we hear on the record.

Check out Dawn performing three songs for a Live Daily session here.