The Swell Season

There's so much to be said about an evening with the Swell Season. But I think Glen Hansard likely said it all last Friday night. He told stories about ghostbusting exorcists. He rambled about the evils of malls—specifically the monstrous Gateway that functions as a home/neighbor to the Depot (I could go on and on about the amazing-ness of the Depot... such a wonderful venue). His best line of the night was a commentary on the mall's food court: "Airline food from every country? No thanks..."

It felt like we'd all wandered into a gigantic living room and Glen and the boys had grabbed a couple guitars, Marketa had settled in at the piano and we were in for an all-nighter. At points it seemed we'd get just that. Every song had a story or a there's-really-no-point-to-this introduction. We were old friends, catching up after a few years separated by the Atlantic. For those of you who have seen the show, it's something to appreciate. More than a few friends have remarked (none more realistically than D, though) that it's the kind of show that makes you want to leave your job and follow them around the country for a little while, buying scalped tickets and sleeping in your car.

Sadly, my videos (and the photos above) didn't turn out so great. I'll leave one here and you can click here to watch another and here for a final oh-no-my-batteries-are-dying clip. The sound is good even if the visuals are lacking. I suppose my final thought on the show is that, even though Glen and Mar and the rest of the crew never looked me in the eye and we never exchanged as much as an awkward "hey," I walked away with a new batch of Irish friends. If/when we bump into each other again, it'll feel like a another reunion and I'll half-expect a slap on the back and a pint of Guinness.



Also... Kyality has pointed out that approximately 90% of my posts arrive between 9:00am and 10:00am... and today maintains the trend. I guess that should tell you something about my work habits. I don't know if this is the appropriate place, but there's some news on that front coming soon. Then again, the six of you who read this probably already know...