Why Glen Hansard is The Man and reflecting on Ed solo
Was watching Water on the Road again today and could not help but think about how amazing of an experience it was to have seen Eddie solo. Those 2 NYC shows were such treats and I'm really happy and grateful that I got to see them!! Also was thinking back on how Glen Hansard was one of the best openers I have seen for any show that I have been to- so much respect for that guy! He also happens to be a really nice guy and a pretty good artist- I'll get to that later! Just wanted to share a the little story of how I met him and how I got the most unique Glen autograph out there!!
Prior to the 2nd Beacon show, my friend and I decided we wanted to show up early to try and catch Ed going into the theater. After thinking we had the right bearings but being wrong, we ended up showing up to the Beacon to hear that we had literally just missed Ed--by less than 5 minutes! Hard to hear, but we ended up hanging around a little bit and thinking hey- we got nothing else to do! Didn't even consider the fact that we might get the chance to meet Glen! After about 30/45 min of waiting, Glen came out of a taxi cab and graciously talked to the other few people that were waiting. When he came over to us, my friend and I complemented him on how amazing his music was and how hearing him live turned us into big fans, and just shared in some small talk. He was signing things and my friend had her tour program from the night before, so she turned to Glen's page in the Sniper and he signed it 'Sarah, Gra mor, Glen'. I had left my tour program from the night before in the apartment my friend and I were staying at and was wishing that I brought it because I though I had nothing else sign-able in my purse. Then I realized I did have my Uke Songs CD, but didn't want him to sign the front. Suddenly I came to the realization that he could sign the 'Sleepless Nights' picture page in the CD! The picture next to the lyrics on that page is the faded picture of Ed playing a uke on the beach. Instead of just signing his name, Glen drew a caricature of him playing a guitar next to Ed playing the uke, and signed it 'Gra mor, Glen'. What a nice, nice (and funny) guy and what a badass one-of-a-kind thing to own! Thanks again, Glen!
Here's the picture!! http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz71/samjam92/glen-1.jpg
Prior to the 2nd Beacon show, my friend and I decided we wanted to show up early to try and catch Ed going into the theater. After thinking we had the right bearings but being wrong, we ended up showing up to the Beacon to hear that we had literally just missed Ed--by less than 5 minutes! Hard to hear, but we ended up hanging around a little bit and thinking hey- we got nothing else to do! Didn't even consider the fact that we might get the chance to meet Glen! After about 30/45 min of waiting, Glen came out of a taxi cab and graciously talked to the other few people that were waiting. When he came over to us, my friend and I complemented him on how amazing his music was and how hearing him live turned us into big fans, and just shared in some small talk. He was signing things and my friend had her tour program from the night before, so she turned to Glen's page in the Sniper and he signed it 'Sarah, Gra mor, Glen'. I had left my tour program from the night before in the apartment my friend and I were staying at and was wishing that I brought it because I though I had nothing else sign-able in my purse. Then I realized I did have my Uke Songs CD, but didn't want him to sign the front. Suddenly I came to the realization that he could sign the 'Sleepless Nights' picture page in the CD! The picture next to the lyrics on that page is the faded picture of Ed playing a uke on the beach. Instead of just signing his name, Glen drew a caricature of him playing a guitar next to Ed playing the uke, and signed it 'Gra mor, Glen'. What a nice, nice (and funny) guy and what a badass one-of-a-kind thing to own! Thanks again, Glen!
Here's the picture!! http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz71/samjam92/glen-1.jpg
"Sometimes you find yourself having to put all your faith in no faith."
~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2
2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2
~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2
2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2
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and cool drawing too - very great of him to do
06/26/2011 - EV - Detroit, MI
09/03 and 09/04/2011 PJ20 - Alpine Valley
06/20 and 06/21/2012 - PJ - Manchester, UK
11/13 and 11/16/2012 - EV - Houston, TX and Dallas, TX
07/29/2013 - PJ - Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
11/15/2013 - PJ - Dallas, TX
11/16/2013 - PJ - Oklahoma City, OK
10/03/2014 - PJ - St. Louis, MO
10/08/2014 - PJ - Tulsa, OK
10/12/2014 - PJ - ACL Festival, Austin, TX
I never heard of Glen before seeing him in Philly. I've since bought "The Swell Season" and am enjoying the hell out of it!!!
If You Like Crunchy Guitar Riffs, Powerful Vocals, Melodic Guitar Solos, And Meaningful Lyrics..then you need to check out one of the most refreshing new hard rock bands in quite some time...-->The Liberty Underground<--
P.S. Grá mór is Irish for "Love" (technically "Big Love" but it would mean "lots of love")
ive seen a few versions of falling slowly with ed ......wow!!!!
manchester 09
belfast 2010
hyde park 2010
manchester 2012 1&2
amsterdam 2012 1&2
EV manchester 2012
EV london 31/7/12
brooklyn 2013 1&2
milano,leeds,milton keynes 2014
monkey driven call this living
I was at Detroit as well and was disappointed in the crowd when Glen was on, I was blown away by his performance and couldn't believe that people weren't more attentive to his playing, seemed like a lot of the people around me were not interested in him at all. I became an instant fan of him though.
08-18-1998 East Lansing, Michigan
10-07-2000 Auburn Hills, Michigan
04-23-2003 Champaign, Illinois
06-26-2003 Clarkston, Michigan
05-22-2006 Auburn Hills, Michigan
06-26-2011 Detroit, Michigan - Eddie Vedder
You could say it about most artists, and it hold for Glen on this tour, but the unusual thing is that on this tour Glen didn't really represent his catalogue very widely.
Funny thing is that his material on this tour was more repetitive than it normally is. The songs he played opening for EV were all of a very similar style, a lot of them were written recently (Pennies, Become, Love Dont Keep Me, Song Of Good Hope). Which is cool, they are his solo songs, it's a solo tour, I can dig that.
I was a wee bit disappointed he didnt do solo versions of some the Frames' louder songs in the EV shows, as he can make them work surprisingly well acoustically. Songs like Pavement Tune, Revelate, Say it To Me Now, Fitzcarraldo, Hey Day weren't played at all....or even their more nuanced songs, like Star Star, Lay Me Down, Headlong, Santa Maria, The Blood, or Heart Just Stops. He didn't play many trad songs either.
Either way, point is the new songs arent very reflective of his catalogue or his previous solo sets.
His most successful material outside Ireland (ie: The Swell Season albums) are by far the most repetitive of his albums. The Frames albums have far more variety on them - "Dance The Devil" and "For The Birds" in particular.
is anyone here called Laura?
i've got the frames photo book signed by Glen with the same charicature if there is..
got it for a friend originally but got her name completely wrong :oops:
PM me
He's one of us.
Glen's cousin appears.
here's the show that was streamed online from Iceland the other night if anyone's into it..
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DU6PWNDM
By the way, it's an honour and a pleasure to do that too
but there've been unbelieveable moments/holidays and about a thousand shows..big huge memories, oceans of music and a megaton of great people.
shit, i'm indebted and overpayed in kind
~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2
2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2
This portrait is part of a temporary exhibition for the BP Portrait Award. Amazing in person. It's by Colin Davidson and called 'Thread the Light'. The caption made Glen sound like he's considered a national treasure.
Eddie Vedder- 7/16/11
Brad- 4/21/12 (RSD Performance), 4/27/12, 8/10/12
Flight To Mars- 5/23/12
RNDM- 11/27/12
PEARL JAM- 12/6/13 I have finally seen Pearl Jam live!
Awesome! Thanks for the link. I'm totally hooked on Glen now. He IS the Man!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMYjCINcH9g
Anyone who says they are a "Swell Season" fan needs to check out Glen's real band, The Frames. Swell Season is good, but The Frames are on an entirely different level and vastly better and more diverse.
I would suggest starting with their album "For the Birds" or their live album "Setlist" and after you fall in love, buy the rest....
Thinking you are a Glen fan but only listening to Swell Season and not The Frames would be like only listening to Paul McCartney when he was with the band Wings and ignoring his work with the Beatles.
http://www.jambase.com/Articles/Story.a ... ryID=50746
"This concert review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Glen Hansard further. Eddie must have balls the size of garbage cans to let that guy open for him. That gypsy can steal your woman and walk off with your crowd by the bridge of the second song. Hansard could do no wrong. In front of that crowd - with that voice, that accent, and that kind of (sometimes) violent approach to acoustic guitar - he was fishing with dynamite. I went out and bought the Once soundtrack – as just a place to start. Hats off."
Oh and thanks for the heads up re the portrait - I'm gonna check that out
See you guys at the second stage!!
I will certainly be looking out for more from him, as someone who seems qualified to carry on the traditions of three of my favourite artists - EV, Dylan and Van M.
Send my credentials to the house of detention
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Swell Season regularly does a cover of You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, which is on the I'm Not There soundtrack
Glen is indeed most excellent. Whether he is the man yet - You'll have to ask the original, Van the Man Morrison whether he's prepared to surrender his title
Send my credentials to the house of detention