Monday, September 24, 2012

Music Mondays with Shlara, Part Deux

My Wednesday was spent at the 9:30 Club with Glen Hansard and his 14-person ensemble. You may be familiar with Glen from his band The Frames, or his minor role in The Commitments or his starring role in the hugely successful Irish indie hit Once.

Side note--if you like music and you have not seen the movie Once, you must stop reading this post and add it to your Netflix queue immediately. (Everyone focuses on "Falling Slowly" which is a beautiful song but my favorite from the film is "Leave")

This review will be completely biased because I love Glen--and, let's be honest, who doesn't love an angst-y, Irish ginger?

He's like an Irish Springsteen--he leaves it all out on the stage every night (Except the night a few years ago in Baltimore, when he admitted that they went on a bender the night before and he was hungover.) Glen's passion while performing demands the audience's attention, and he loves conversing with the audience in between songs--so its a very intimate experience, regardless of the size of the venue. They played 2+ hours and half-way through this show he noted how much he loves playing 9:30 Club, and after the show he tweeted that the evening was a "shot in the soul" so I'm not exaggerating here.

Glen famously dropped out of high school and started his career busking on Dublin's streets. He still has the heart and drive of a busker, despite his sustained success. Plus, he's legitimately talented. And yes, those are holes in his guitar (see clips below)--he wore holes in his guitar from strumming.

The band included his mates from The Frames, some additional strings, the horn section from the Levon Helm band and two women from a DC choir who joined him in performing at Sargent Shriver's funeral last year. They played some tunes from his new album, some Frames hits, and some covers: Justin Timerblake's Cry Me a River, Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, Springsteen's Drive All Night. They also wove a few covers into Glen songs: RESPECT and Redemption Song. I've been to other shows when he weaves in "Ring of Fire" and the "Pure Imagination" song from the 1970's version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He ended the show (as he does many shows) with the Irish pub song, "The Parting Glass" and shots of whiskey for the entire band.

He's the kind of performer that draws you in, wins you over and makes you a fan for life--even if you don't like his kind of music. You can't leave a show in which Glen is performing, and say you had a boring evening. Here's a sampling from YouTube:

This one is for KQ--Glen & Eddie Vedder singing the Once mega-hit "Falling Slowly"

  

And this is classic Glen performing Astral Weeks--it's just him and his guitar and ALL OF THAT SOUND



Second show was Dirks Bentley at Nats Park following Saturday's game when the Nats crushed the Brewers and Gio Gonzalez earned his 20th win. NATITUDE!!! That show sounded fine as we were leaving the park...but I'm not a big country music person, so I can't be 100% sure. We did notice a lot of people in the stands who seemed to be country music fans--there were some redic outfits pairing cowboy boots and shorts or sundresses. And I think some of the Nats players like Dirks, so I'm sure they had fun.

Next up on Music Mondays: Emmet Swimming (hello 90's) and then in a few weeks I'll review that TV show Nashville. Yes, it's country music, but there's no way I can hate a show with Tami Taylor as the lead. Even if she is playing a washed up country star.

[Hoping Clarence and Marls can add their recap of the NJ Springsteen show--assuming they remember the evening.]

21 comments:

Danimal said...

good stuff...was unaware of glen so once again, thanks gtb.

zman said...

http://trainedparrot.com/

Dave said...

this computer in the coach's room works!

T.J. said...

log off the gay porn, sandusky

T.J. said...

just realized that last comment is really going to help (hurt) the ghoogles next time, along with the shirtless stuff

zman said...

Seattles corners are huge. Insert joke.

zman said...

I had no idea that the Seattle D is this good.

Shlara said...

The NFL is basically pro wrestling with these refs. Redic.

Clarence said...

I missed the XFL, so this is kind of fun.

T.J. said...

Folks, if I may be a corporate shill for a second, please go check out the new SB Nation:

http://www.sbnation.com/

I'm a big fan.

Squeaky said...

I'm a daily reader of the The Verge site (another VOX brand and all about tech) but SB now looks like someone threw up white space all over the page.

And where is my subscribe/rss button to TJ contributions?

Squeaky said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Geoff said...

So, there's no precedent for it, but I think the NFL has to go back and reverse the outcome of last night's game.

T.J. said...

i like Squeaky looking out for me

T.J. said...

squeak, it's on this page:

http://dc.sbnation.com/authors/t-j-doyle

zman said...

I would suggest that the Packers appeal the outcome of last night's game but the common nucleus of operative facts occurred in Washington and Geoff probably thinks that the Ninth Circuit should be abolished as per Newt Gingrich so I will keep my suggestion to myself lest I invoke his ire.

Geoff said...

Fuck the Ninth Circuit. All cases should be decided by the Fourth Circuit. See Chamber of Commerce and CDW v. NLRB, No. 11-cv-2516 (D.S.C. Apr. 13, 2012)

rob said...

i had green bay -3.5 last night. anyone know a lawyer? 'cause i'd like to sue roger goodell. in the ninth circuit.

Shlara said...

Here's what I don't understand. What could possibly be on Goddell's schedule today that is more important than settling this ref lockout thing?

zman said...

Colonics?

Mark said...

Goodell works for the owners. If they aren't interested in negotiating enough to end the referee lockout then it doesn't really matter how much he might want to end it.