This guy just radiates charm. My college buddies and I have a special memory of seeing The Frames at the 40 Watt Club about 9 years ago. We somehow ended up chatting with frontman Glen Hansard after the show, and we were so taken by his energy and charisma. It was like every sentence out of his mouth was a new proverb. He regaled us with stories of his days playing coffee shops with Jeff Buckley, and he impressed on us the importance of seizing the moment. “The needle is on the record now!” he declared. “Don’t worry about tomorrow!” And with that, he hooked his arms through ours and we, literally, skipped out the door and down the street, Wizard of Oz style, to Flicker for celebratory drinks. It was a ridiculous and delightful moment that we still talk about all the time. We were so pleased to hear, several years later, that this jolly Irishman was achieving big things, winning an Academy Award for his film Once and touring with his new project The Swell Season.
This memory was close to my heart Thursday afternoon when I walked out to Antone’s see Glen Hansard play a solo set at the Pandora day party.
“It’s scary being just a guy and a guitar at a festival like this,” he said from the stage, “when the ambient noise is louder than you.” Misinterpreting the general observation as a request, members of the audience started to shush each other, to which he quickly interjected, “No! No! I’m not trying to be that guy. I want to win your silence, not demand it.”
And then he proceeded to do just that, performing a set of heartfelt, powerful songs that transcended the manic feel of the festival outside. His banter in between songs was just as priceless as the melodies. But the highlight of the show was when he invited a friend, Tom, on stage for a duet. Hansard said he discovered Tom on YouTube, covering The Swell Season tune “High Hope.” Not sure how the pair met up in Austin, but the performance felt totally off the cuff, and the harmonies were remarkable. By far my favorite moment—maybe of all of SXSW so far—was at the very end when a clearly star-struck Tom said into the mic, “Welcome to the best day of my life.”
It feels like these sort of magical little moments are everywhere at SXSW. With “surprise guests” left and right, there is this pervading feeling that anything can happen… and that anticipation, paired with the imposing size of the festival, also creates an overwhelming anxiety that despite whatever show you’re enjoying, you might be missing the bigger, better surprise, somewhere else. But, at least for that moment at Antone’s, I felt like I lucked out and landed on a gold. Just another warm Glen Hansard memory for me to keep in my pocket.
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