As many of you know, last night Mary, Tori and I had the privilege of going to see Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (Of Once fame) performing as The Swell Season in concert. The show was fabulous. But let me set it up for you:
A Tale of Two Evenings: Part One, Before the Show
Please keep in mind as you read this that I am in the social work field and I do not have a pervasive contempt of the homeless or drug addicted.
We arrived 3 hours before the concert began as it was general admission and I did not want to be stuck in the middle to back after being in such anticipation for this show. In a stroke of pure brilliance we managed to arrive just as two drunk homeless gentlemen *cough* got into line in front of us. I was more than a bit skeptical of them being legitimate concert goers. Their playful but foul banter and obvious drunkenness was annoying, especially as “Ambulatory Drunk” began being verbally abuse to “Wheelchair Drunk”. After a quick trip to Mickey Dee’s for sustenance for myself and the ladies I returned to find ‘Wheelchair Drunk’ laying on the sidewalk practically on top of my family with his portable urinal leaking out onto the pavement (I’m not being poetic here).
By and large I am a pretty passive guy. Not because I shrink away from being aggressive but more because of my peacemaker personality. However there are times when my righteous anger wells up and a switch gets thrown and my mouth and brain begin acting of their own accord with no forethought. So in true this-is-what-they-teach-you-in-social-work-school fashion I approaced the scene and sternly asked, “Just what the hell are you two doing?”. “Ambulatory Drunk” was holding forth on his intention to use his knife (I didn’t see one, but who knows) to cut the damaged rubber wheel off of “Wheelchair Drunk’s” mode of transport. More drunken mumbled replies prompted me to walk a few steps away to phone 911. In the meantime they moved out of the line and into the main sidewalk path. I chose that moment to move ourselves, followed by the entire rest of the line, into their vacated spot. Moments later the “AD” walked up to my daughter and tried to engage her in witty repartee regarding where his place in line went. I very nicely redirected his attentions and he scooted on down the line.
Not long after the police arrived and quickly assessed that ‘Wheelchair Drunk’ was potentially unhealthily intoxicated (his plastic vodka bottle was the size of a gallon of milk–again, not being poetic–and was mostly empty) and he called an ambulance to cart “WD” away. At that point I decided that my controlled annoyance may have actually been a good thing as the social worker in me inadvertently got “WD” off the street and in a detox bed for the night. It won’t change his life, but he may live to drink another day. “AD”, evidently less than thrilled with officers of the law, decided to find somewhere else to entertain the masses and eventually left.
After that the next two hours of waiting was anticlimactic. Fun story, eh?
The concert? Oh, the concert!!!
(Not from our concert, but I was at this exact angle only and this close)
A Tale of Two Evenings: Part Two, An Ecstasy of Sound
How do you describe musicians whose live performance is every bit as perfect and even better than their recorded music? These two (and their band) are immensely talented. Have you seen Once? Once as a film is so much like a documentary of their music and it is such a surreal experience to be standing less than 20 feet away from two people who are movie stars, Oscar-winning song writers, and amazing musicians.
That’s right, less than 20 feet away! It was so unreal. This is the first time that Mary and I have really went to this sort of concert with Tori and the old folks proved that they are quite the cool cats despite their ages! The venue can be seen here: The Uptown Theatre (Scroll down to bottom for a 360 degree tour of the theatre. Cool, isn’t it?)
As you can see, the entire front half is open for standing. We went straight to the front, a bit off-center, and spent the next 4 and a half hours surrounded by mostly polite music lovers (there always manages to be a few people who feel that their choice to arrive at the last minute entitles them to be able to push to the front and squeeze in front of you…we stood our ground pretty good), albeit ones who were quite a bit younger than us. To be fair there were a few other brave middle aged (is 39 and 40 middle aged?) couples and the audience itself (including those that sat in the seats and balcony farther back) was made up of folks of all ages. We still felt like pioneers, trying to be the cool parents.
The reality was that we both wanted our money’s worth which meant that we wanted to be able to see into the performer’s eyes. Mission accomplished. It was such a treat! Damien Dempsey opened and he was an Irish performer who sang some very fun and some very powerful songs. He really got the crowd warmed up. A brief period of technical difficulty with the sound was followed by Glen Hansard walking out on stage with his trademark well-worn guitar (I walked away with an even greater love of the film, nothing is an affectation, that guitar is actually one of his guitars) where he gently silenced the roaring crowd with a lift of his finger to his lips, walked to the very edge of the stage, and performed “Say it to Me Now”–that song he’s playing at night in the film when Marketa’s character first approaches him. It is an awe inspiring experience to hear him sing and realize that nothing was done in the film to enhance his music. That music is Glen Hansard. The crowd erupted again when Marketa Irglova came on stage and that set off a steady stream of wild cheering that did not subside the entire evening. They seemed genuinely affected by the crowd and mentioned it several times. There is nothing like a live performance when the crowd is really and truly into it. Wow!
They performed for hours and in between songs told sometimes long, meandering, wonderful stories that made you feel like they were really engaging you as an audience. The show was advertised as an “All Ages” show and a few people had brought younger children, one of which was right on the front of the standing room line. Anyone who has seen Once had to know that the word “Fuck” was used liberally and to great affect as just a normal part of conversation. I mentioned to Mary that though their music might be ‘all ages’ I didn’t expect their language to be. It wasn’t. Glen charmingly tried several times to stop, playing off the family and the little girl. It was very sweet and led to many laughs. In the end he finally gave up and was just himself. They played many of the songs from Once and several from their new album, The Swell Season. It was so refreshing to be at a concert where the audience does not sing along in such a way that they drown out the performers. Instead the audience was invited on a few occasions to sing along, most notably on their Oscar-winning song, Falling Slowly, and that was a beautiful, moving experience.
If you visit their My Space page you can hear a handful of their songs and see the rest of the remaining tour dates and venues. If you have the opportunity you really, really should get out to see them perform. They are the real deal–musicians who perform out of a pure passion for the medium. The Irish influences in their music make it wonderful to listen to and both Glen and Marketa have such affecting voices. It is so neat to watch them interact on stage knowing that they are a couple.
Wow! Though my feet felt every minute of the time standing my ears and heart could not believe that the show, encore included, was over. I could have listened to them for hours more. I send out my thanks to Jeff and Keri for not only buying Mary the movie for her birthday, thus opening the door for us to be enthralled with their music, but also for pointing out that they were going to be in Kansas City which prompted me to purchase the tickets.
In addition to the My Space link, I highly recommend checking Terry Gross’ interview on Fresh Air with Glen and Marketa. I listened to it live last week and then again with my wife Sunday evening. It is a fantastic interview. Here it is: Fresh Air Interview. Click on “listen now” above the top image to play the roughly 33 minute interview. If you scroll down on that same page you can listen to concert footage from The Swell Season.
My purpose today is not just to brag about an enchanted evening, but to encourage all of you to listen to a wide variety of music and to share that music with others. I cannot tell you how much the internet and blogging has opened me up to new music experiences. I have discovered so many wonderful musicians over the last year alone who have quickly moved up the internal list to become my favorites. And each of those musicians spawns paths to other musicians. Just last night Glen and Marketa sang a song from the Pixies (who I have heard of but not listened to) which I made a mental note of to check out today.
Feel free to share your musical interests in the comments, including links if you like, as I am not alone in loving music, wanting to discover ‘new-to-me’ music, and in wanting to share that love with others.
I’m so happy that “Part One” didn’t destroy “Part Two” for you all! Sounds like an incredible evening!
Actually part one ended up being quite entertaining, I think mostly because I stepped somewhat out of character for myself and decided to not let the experience go on and on and ruin everyone’s evening. None of us paid good money or were giving our time to listen to two drunks cuss at each other and beg for cigarettes and money. Again, that may sound calloused but I know help exists for these guys if they want it (I work in one of many large agencies that provides assistance of all kinds for mentally ill and substance abusers). Most of the time they don’t want it. They just want the next handout. I told Mary that I don’t believe in mixing my work with my entertainment and so I decided to do something about it.
Damn, am I jealous, about the concert, not the experience with the drunks. Your ordeal with the drunks reminds me of a date I had a long time ago when I was in college. I asked out this very shy girl and we went to a pizza parlor hangout. While we were waiting for our pizza a drunk street person (I think this was before homeless was the common term) sat down at our table to argue philosophy with us. He was an older guy, and obviously knew college kids might be more generous with their time and money. I talked with him for awhile until I realized my date was scared out of her mind and so I had to hustle the guy off. This girl never went out with me again.
Well, you had a memorable evening – in fact, you will have two vivid memories for your future. The drunks were annoying now, but you’ll get a lot of funny stories out of them as you get older.
I checked the list you sent and The Swell Season won’t be coming close to us. Bummer, as we used to say.
Jim
Sounds like a great show – can’t wait to see the movie!
I’m soooooooo glad to hear that the concert was wonderful! I’m sure it’s an experience that Tori will never forget as well. What cool parents you are! 🙂
Sounds great Carl. I’m a big music lover too and I have recently been switched on to Pandora.com (probably missed the boat on this one by a mile – but hey). It’s a pretty cool “learning” music site. You go on, create a free account and then begin creating “stations” with your favorite artists. The site then starts throwing other artists at you based on your selections and you give them the “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” on whether you like them or not. This way the site really starts homing in on your music likes and dislikes and gets much more “tuned in” in to your music tastes. I’ve found a lot of new music on Pandora – but like the moniker suggests, it’s a dangerous place to hang out on for too long 🙂
What a great night! Well aside from the 2 obnoxious drunk men…I know about them all too well from my concert going experiences in New Orleans. There are ALWAYS “ambulatory drunks” on the streets in New Orleans parading the concert lines.
The show really sounds amazing and I’m tempted to go out and just buy the Once soundtrack now even though I still haven’t seen the movie. It’s coming up soon though. I got stuck on Lost on Netflix and just stopped watching movies :p I do have Falling Slowly downloaded and I’ve put that on a few mixed CDs…amazing song there!
Chris: You are a Sigur Ros fan, correct? They are going to be at the same theatre next month. Its tempting to go, but I’m not sure my old body can take two experiences like that in a month. Ha! You do need to see the film!
Stuart: That sounds great. I subscribe to Rhapsody which I really enjoy simply because whenever I hear about someone I can go check out their music. This one sounds like something I want to check out.
Jeff: Tori did have a really good time, as did we all.
Dan: Look forward to your thoughts on the film.
Jim: Sorry you can’t see them. We’ve talked about how much you like the film and the music and I think you’d really enjoy the show. The drunks didn’t really bother me at all once I took some action on it and I found the whole thing both funny and sad after that. It is true that drunk people can be humorous, but seeing guys throw their lives away in this fashion is so heartbreaking as is the difficulty in investing treatment in to them knowing how few ever make any lasting changes. I hope WD uses this as an opportunity to get somewhere with his life but I have big doubts.
I was really hoping that this show would be special and it sounds like all the elements came together last night – the performers, the venue, your vantage point, the crowd, and a little bit of weirdness while in the queue!
You’re spot-on about the internet expanding musical horizons – it’s similar to the era of fanzines, record catalogs, and late night college radio – only it’s MUCH faster (even with dial-up access). You asked for some recommendations and I hope you meant it ’cause here you go:
Mark Koselek (the best singer-songwriter since Townes Van Zandt) – http://www.sunkilmoon.com/
Neko Case (an incredible country-noir vocalist) – http://www.nekocase.com/
Blanche (husband and wife indie-folk darlings) – http://www.blanchemusic.com/
Trembling Blue Stars (experimental folk-pop) – http://www.myspace.com/tremblingbluestars
The Acid House Kings (Sweden’s finest indie-pop) – http://www.myspace.com/acidhousekings
The Sidehill Gougers (the best band in Texas) – http://www.thegougers.com/index.html
Keren Ann (French-Israeli chanteuse) – http://www.kerenann.com/
The Lucksmiths (great Aussie indie-pop) – http://www.myspace.com/lucksmiths
Sam Amidon (truly haunted fiddle-playing) – http://www.samamidon.com/
Iron and Wine (sam is the lo-fi king) – http://www.myspace.com/ironandwine
Camera Obscura (so very twee) – http://www.camera-obscura.net/
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan (Scottish-American alt-folk) – http://www.myspace.com/isobelcampbell
Charlotte Gainsbourg (French folk-pop) – http://www.myspace.com/charlottegainsbourg
hem (lo-fi heaven) – http://www.hemband.com/
Emilianna Torrini (the euro-folk queen) – http://www.emilianatorrini.com/
Mojave 3 (incredible acoustic shoegaze) – http://www.myspace.com/mojave3official
Ken: Oh I meant it! Thanks for letting me know that spam ate your comment so that I could recover it. The only folks I’ve heard of on your list is Neko Case and Charlotte Gainsbourg though I cannot recall any of their music. I will have an absolute blast checking these all out. Thank you so very much. People leaving links is like giving a special gift and I really appreciate it.
The show was indeed very special. I’ve been on a sort of bitter-sweet high all day with their music tripping around my head. It is always sad when something like this ends simply because of the brief connection you make, even if it is just part of a group connection, and then that connection is severed and you take your little part of it with you. It is profoundly beautiful and sad at the same time. And I wouldn’t trade those moments for the world. I am so thrilled I got to share that with both my wife and my daughter.
The concert was wonderful. I am so glad that we had the opportunity to see them live.
Carl, do go see Sigur Ros! Go go go go go go go! I have seen many bands live and NOTHING, absolutely nothing, beats their shows. They are beyond beautiful. Seriously, do yourself a favour and go! here is something to persuade you 😛
And what a great list of recommendations from Ken! I’d leave some too but be pretty much covered all my favourites.
I hope you enjoy digging through the links – Neko Case and Blanche have fun websites to wander around in.
That post-event melancholy is one of my favorite emotional experiences – whether it follows a concert, a holiday, a book, a movie, a or visit with someone you love.
It’s great that you and your wife were able to share the concert with your daughter – that memory will be so special(I took my then 4 year-old daughter to her first live musical performance about a year and a half ago – I wrote about it here – http://robot-jitters.blogspot.com/2006/10/take-me-along-in-your-sunshine.html).
Part one, welcome to one of my family reunions. Part two, you guys always see the best shows. On the music recommendations, Neko Case yes (check out the New Pornographers as well, it’s not her stuff but its still quite good), I have the last Camera Obscura album and it is fantastic; can’t wait for the new album later on in the year.
Thanks Cameron! Did I ask you about Once? Do you want to borrow it?
I’ve seen the Once soundtrack around the music stores recently. Have to go check them out.
But incidentally, which Pixies song did they sing?
Dark Orpheus: I’ve been kicking myself all day trying to remember. I remember that they said that it is a really popular song to play on the streets when busking. I have some lyrics right on the tip of my tongue. If I get them I’ll figure it out and post the answer.
Carl, you’re making me broke with all your great recommendations. I have to see Once now and listen to the album. Thank you for one more great recommendation! If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have fallen in love with Neil Gaiman.
Dark Orpheus, they sang Cactus: “Sitting here wishing on a cement floor Just wishing that I had just something you wore
I put it on when I go lonely Will you take off your dress and send it to me?” They also threw in a line from another one of their songs at the end, “She was wearing eyeliner, I was wearing eyeliner.”
I got quite an eyeful while waiting for a concert venue to open when I was in high school. I’d never heard of “magic mushrooms” before that day, and some of my fellow concert-goers had fascinating little cocaine dispensers. (I knew enough to not look too closely, however.) I think I spent several hours asking my friend “what is THAT?” It was an excellent concert though, and I emerged unscathed.
Vasilly: Sorry for your bank accounts sake! It thrills me no end to hear that I’ve had some influence in turning people on to Neil Gaiman. Thank you so much!!! 🙂
Mosker: Thankfully the situation wasn’t quite like that. I was telling someone tonight that it didn’t honestly seem like a big deal to me, it is just a fun story to relate. I have seen so much of that for work over the past couple of decades that it seems pretty common.
Thanks Mary. Here is a You Tube link to The Swell Season’s performance of this song:
Mary: Thanks for being the one who remembers the Pixies song. Hee hee.
Carl: Thanks for the YouTube link. 🙂
One of my friend was just lamenting how she didn’t manage to get tickets to Swell Season. I should send her this link too.
Have her go to the link I put in the post as well to the NPR Swell Season concert. And there are a bunch of concert videos of them on You Tube.
*thumbs up* Thanks. Just sent her the links (and this post) via Facebook.
It might make her feel worse about not being there though. 😉
Dad, you probably didn’t see the guys knife because it was
small and kind of under his jacket, but he did have one.
Upcoming gig in Barbican theater London – 3/06/08. Sold out! One of very few this year in UK…
Someone’s flogging tickets on e-bay…
The things I expose my daughter too. 🙂
Doesn’t surprise me Markus, with the Oscar and success of the movie they are a hot ticket.