Swell Season at Zürich Kaufleuten on February 4th
Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, backed by several familiar faces, notably from The Frames, appeared at Zürich Kaufleuten Thursday Feb 4th.
Irglová and Hansard provided a grateful and mesmerized audience with a helping of their docile, folky, heart-ache driven rock last night at the Zürich Kaufleuten. As the duo The Swell Season , they released their 2nd album, Strict Joy, last September. After an extensive tour of the US promoting the album, they’ve come to Europe to continue their work – this was their third concert in a two month tour, most of which are already sold out. Certainly the Zürich Kaufleuten was filled to the rafters with a highly appreciative audience, some of whom travelled across Switzerland and across Germany to see them.
Supporting in Zürich were Colm Mac Iomaire, Joe Doyle, and Rob Bochnik from The Frames. Further support on their new album came from Lenoard Cohen guitarist Javier Mas, Doveman pianist Thomas Bartlett, Chicago Underground Duo’s Chad Taylor and horn players Steven Bernstein and Clark Gayton, best known for their work with Levon Helm’s band.
In Zürich, their set covered much of the material from Strict Joy. Titled as a nod to the poem Strict Care, Strict Joy! by Irish poet James Stephens, the 12-track effort follows the duo’s work on the soundtrack for Once, which happened to earn The Swell Season an academy award for Best Original Song in 2008. No one expected the movie to be such a success, or perhaps even be made. But it was made, and was successful and there it is: The Frames have evolved now into a new thing – The Swell Season.
We were especially appreciative of Colm Mac Iomaire resampling his violin live on stage in The Moon, and we were glad to hear his solo - Cúirt Bhaile Nua (engl. In the Court at New Town).
Irglová’s harmonies with Hansard were achingly beautiful but she seemed not at all at ease on the stage. She played piano with her back to the audience for most of the performance. When she did play towards the audience, on guitar, her classical training showed through as she executed a perfect Segovia technique. Her voice clear and soft, her manner prayer-like in the singing of the ballad I Have Loved You Wrong.
Hansard himself is an engaging story teller, and a great frontman – even allowing for amplification, he made a lot of sound on the stage. We shouldn’t and won’t tell you all the stories he told us, but one quote stays in my mind “The problem with having a fight with someone with a broader vocabulary than you is that even if you win emotionally, they destroy you with their intellect. “ Possibly it stays in my mind because, I admit it, I’ve been known to have the last word ... it has taken me many years to learn the value of restraint. It was a concert like that, with all sorts of hidden moments and statements of truth.... and intensely honestly delivered music. No wonder they have a near-cult following.
One reviewer wrote “While there may be conflicts and contradictions in their heads, when the Frames are on stage these aren't apparent. When they're on stage, they are extraordinary.“ In this reviewer's mind, there's no doubt about that - and certainly not in their fans' minds either. I leave the last word to Marion, Joy, Marita and Kathleen, who were in the audience also that night:
"We think Marketa brings softness into the rough Frames world and the combination of all in The Swell Season is just unbelievable music. Glen Hansard's stage presence is stunning. After his first song in Zürich we practically lay on our (first row) seats and thought we might not be able to take it to the end. The power, energy, music and feelings that came across really thrilled and almost killed us and this is what The Swell Season is all about.
Rosina, Unknown, Marion, Joy, Marita and Kathleen"These are real musicians: not just composers, songwriters, and singers but first and foremost people whose mission is to play music and they want it so much ... They have their values, they reflect people, situations, facts and put it all into music to make us think. This is just extraordinary and nowadays unfortunately rare.
"We are happy that they are so successful in the US, but unfortunately for us they are mostly so far away. We are just waitng for them to come closer - then we will be there - again and again and again..."
Maria | |
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