The Frames at Webster Hall

I had the pleasure of checking out Irish rock band "The Frames" on Monday, 9/10/07 at Webster Hall. I was first introduced to Frames lead singer Glen Hansard's music when listening to All Songs Considered, one of my favorite podcasts. They were reviewing the best albums of 2006, and chose an album of beautiful stripped down songs called "The Swell Season", featuring Hansard and 19 year-old Czech singer Marketa Irglova. I loved the earnest feel of the songs, and the way their voices blended. Hansard sings with so much emotion. I was hooked. Several months later I learned that Hansard had made a movie called "Once" which starred himself and Irglova in the lead roles. The movie is a musical built around Hansard and Irglova's music. It was featured at the most recent Sundance Film Festival and received raves from critics. As soon as it was released in New York, I ran to the theater and saw it, and was enchanted. Even if the movie had sucked, which it didn't, it would have been worth it to hear those fantastic songs through a movie house sound system.

Then I saw Hansard live with the Frames, and...damn, what a show! Hansard plays with an energy that you'd expect to come from someone who had just been given his first and last opportunity to perform in front of a crowd. He's like a kid in a candy store, and his energy is contagious. The Frames have been together since 1992, although they have had marginal success in the US. Hansard's songs are good - not great, but really really good. But I the overall packaging is awesome - the energy, the emotion, the harmonies, the little jokes he throws in. This band is just pure rock and roll in the raw, and i love it! Although his recent popularity in the US is mostly due to the success of his movie, in his main set he didn't play any songs from the "Once" soundtrack or from the "Falling Slowly" album, opting instead for sticking strictly to Frames material. That didn't matter to me - in fact I was that much more impressed by the fact that I was getting so much enjoyment out of songs that I had never heard before.



For the encore they brought out Marketa Irglova, and performed some of the more popular songs from the movie, most notably "Falling Slowly", which is a gorgeous tune.

If you get the chance, see this band live! Buy Glen Hansard's solo album! See Once! Get hooked! Just like I did! You won't be sorry!