Live Review: The Swell Season @ Toad’s Place (05.16)
Few watched this year’s Academy Awards without taking note of Once stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. So, when these two immense talents were scheduled to play in Richmond’s own Toad’s Place (performing under the moniker of The Swell Season) I knew I had to be there.
Few watched this year’s Academy Awards without taking note of Once stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. Not only did their performance of “Falling Slowly” stir all the emotions of the film, but Irglová’s heartfelt and inspiring speech might have been one of the best in years. So, when these two immense talents were scheduled to play in Richmond’s own Toad’s Place (performing under the moniker of The Swell Season) I knew I had to be there.
As could be expected, the show sold out far in advance. Honestly, had it not I would have been disappointed in my fellow Richmonders. On the flip side though, a sold out show can be a very taxing event to attend, especially this one; hordes of atypical concert goers and tight quarters rarely make for a great situation. Luckily, nothing terrible went down and most everyone appeared to enjoy the event.
Opening act Joshua James fit squarely within what I had anticipated from an opener on this tour: acoustic, emotionally potent, and right on the fence of accessibility. His tunes were solid, but like everyone else in the audience my attention felt more focused on getting a vantage point for when The Swell Season took to the stage. After a properly mid-length set, James made way for the folks we were all chomping at the bit to see.
Being from a more underground musical background, shows like this always catch me a little off guard. When dealing with musicians of this caliber, the performances can feel a little forced and the intimacy I’ve come to love from seeing bands in much smaller spaces just doesn’t exist. With a passion and skill few truly possess, Hansard defied these stereotypes with an amazing presence. Throughout The Swell Season’s 2 hour set (!!!), he felt genuine and seemingly poured all in him into each melody. Teamed with Irglová pushing on despite battling the flu, the duo offered each song as if they needed to convince the audience of their talent. Such an effort was unnecessary with the palpable sense of the crowd’s affection, but it made the performance all the more impressive
This marks the second show I’ve seen at Toad’s Place that has given me such a wonderful impression (Andrew Bird being the first). If the venue continues to bring in such memorable acts, they will quickly become the Richmond landmark they strive to be.
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Comments are turned on! Yaahh!
Dang that is a long set!
Nice review. Looks like Toad’s is a great venue.
I caught Swell Season at the start of the tour in Portland and they were fantastic. I posted a review on my blog at http://isorski.blogspot.com/2008/04/concert-review-swell-season.html. Check it out!
Toad’s Place is not a pleasant place to be when it’s sold out. I could barely see the show, the noise from the bar was overwhelming (it’s really sad when the performer has to complain about it), and I couldn’t move, let alone do my Irish jig. However, they were so nice and excited to be there and sounded great, so I wasn’t able to stay mad at the venue.
I don’t know what you guys are talking about. I got free tickets to see them in Baltimore last weekend, and it was awful. I mean, I didn’t really know anything about them to begin with really, but the music was so overwhelmingly boring, I could hardly stand it. Every song sounded almost identical, and the awkward play between the two of them was way too much. I did enjoy the lead dude’s banter though. He did say some pretty ridiculous things, and I did appreciate the energy that he put into it when it was just him playing. And the show INSANELY long. Maybe I am just not ready for the world of Adult Contemporary. No disrespect to those who enjoyed. I am sure there are things that I listen to that you may not necessarily like either, I just had to get that out of my system…Sorry guys :)
It helps to have seen the movie, Once. When I heard they were gonna be in town, I made plans to take my wife. Then it slipped my mind and the show was sold out. To those who haven’t yet, rent Once on DVD.
I downloaded and am listened to the CD. None of the first few tracks really stand out as being all that interesting. I’m sure I’ll get more out of a second or third listen, but at first try its sounding like a watered-down Cat Stevens impression.