Customer Reviews

The Swell Season Live From The Artists Den

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you enjoy quality music of a variety of stripes - new and old style folk, rock and roll, roots music, I promise you you'll enjoy this. This is irresistably good in every way.
My taste usually runs to electronic, ambient, and experimental and some punk and metal, so this is a radical departure for me. I do, however try to appreciate well done music of all kinds. This is definetely the real thing. I was impressed and convinced right away. What great songs! What great performers! Add up to mighty powerful music. Glen Hansard has incredible soul. He summons strong emotions from deep within and delivers them up like jewels snatched from the furnace in cracked raw velvet. Marketa Irglova provides the perfect refined counterpoint with her ethereal voice and light but sharp touch on the piano. There's something emotionally contagious about these two - they almost make you want to cry. I can't say why. This same quality shone through in the film "Once" also. What it is, I don't know, but they have "it". Glen Hansard tells a few stories between songs too - that is a nice surprise and definetely a bonus!
Overall the film is absolutely beautiful to look at. The lighting is gorgeous and every camera angle is interesting - the shooters were spot on throughout. The sound is amazing - very, very high quality for a live show. I almost felt like I was there. I wish I had been. It looks like an intimate show - up close and personal. Wow! Maybe about 200 people? They sure were lucky. The next best thing is this DVD of that experience - which is very very good. World class production and worth every penny.

I was lucky to see them perform in Salt Lake City, so when I saw this DVD was available, I jumped at buying them. They won me over in the movie "Once," and seeing them live only cemented my love for their music and spirit. Both Marketa and Glen love what they do, and it shines through in every song. Her voice has gotten considerably stronger since filming the movie, and it's a wonderful surprise to hear after being accustomed to that soundtrack. And Glen...I can't say enough good things about him. He's funny and charming and so much adores his music that he can't help but pour himself into it with every note. There's the bonus of hearing some of the stories behind the songs in between, which definitely casts new light upon some old favorites.

I recommend this to everyone who enjoyed "Once." I have a feeling I'm going to be buying quite a few as Christmas gifts this year.

Anyone who saw the movie ONCE, instantly fell in love with 'the guy' and 'the girl'. After watching this DVD of their concert in Seatle, we find that they are the same people we met in the film! They weren't acting! They're really, really nice people! And; Oh! My God!!!; the music!!!!! What a perfect blend of voices these two have produced. After watching this DVD, I felt like I had reunited with two old friends.

Amazing...I played this concert over and over for days.
The music makes you want to cry it is so beautiful.
I purchased the CD but it is not as good as the concert.
You have to Watch the performance and listen and fall in Love.

My 21 year-old son turned me on to Glen Hansard awhile back. Then, my wife and I watched Once together, and it confirmed my initial impression. Hansard is a throwback to the singer-songwriters of my youth (Cat Stevens, Dylan, etc), but with an Irish bent that is quite refreshing. This DVD allows the viewer to experience the event in its' simplicity. Very basic instrumentation, songs that are strong but not complex, and the opportunity to see Hansard express the songs as they were written. A good song doesn't need to be over produced. A number of years back Jimmy Webb released "10 Easy Pieces", where it was basically him playing the piano and singing some of his biggest songs. While I never much cared for the Glen Campbell version of Wichita Lineman, Webb's was brilliant. Hansard's work with Swell Season is just that. Deep lyrics, simple but strong melodies, interesting guitar inversions underneath, and a passionate, connected deliverance of the songs provide a nice viewing experience. The only reason I gave it 4 stars was the DVD lacked a few of my favorite pieces. For those who have not experienced Hansard, there are many songs to recommend, but "Say It To Me Now" may be one of my favorites. Hansard uses lyrics, chord progression and dynamics to convey the message perfectly. "Leave" is also a strong, sincere declaration. I enjoy many styles of music, but prefer that it be sincere and authentic. Swell Season offers both.

This is a great concert DVD. I own MANY, and this is my 2nd favorite only after Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds Live at Radio City... (doesn't get any better than that for me).

If you love acoustic music a la Damien Rice, or loved the music from the movie "Once" but don't want to watch the whole thing again just for the songs (as was my case), then get THIS CONCERT! Worth every penny.

For fans of the movie "Once", this DVD is like a Part 2 sequel to that story - the Guy and the Girl get back together and make music happily ever after.

Shortly after making that Oscar-winning movie (the Oscar was for their song "Falling Slowly"), Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (with Joe Doyle on bass and Colm Mac Con Iomaire on violin) recorded this live concert in this small intimate theater in Seattle, Washington on November 4, 2007. This DVD is part of a series of such intimate concerts recorded for DVD at the Artists Den.

The soft lighting, cleverly changing camera angles, and gorgeous colors are a visual treat by themselves. The audio is superb, the songs lovely. Hansard charms the audience with his megawatt personality, tells some jokes, and, in this small intimate gathering, even gets them to whistle along a few times. Irglova, then only 19 years old, is her usual shy self, frequently looking to Hansard while barely looking at the audience; she sits partly with her back to the audience at the piano. She wears what looks like a thin wedding band on her left hand.

The obvious affection and personal connection between Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova is out in the open throughout the show. It's apparent from watching them in this concert that the only acting they did in "Once" consisted of pretending to be strangers getting to know each other. Watching them in this DVD is like picking up the story line from the ending of that movie, with the Guy returning from London to his true love, the Girl, to tour the world doing concerts. Hansard and Irglova wear the same sort of earth-tone clothes as before and Hansard plays on the same thoroughly beat-up guitar with the extra holes, the same one he used in the movie.

The ending of the concert is really sweet and affectionate, and brought out a delighted standing ovation from the audience.

In January 2009, while in Australia playing at the Sydney Opera House, Hansard let out that they were no longer romantically involved, but were still really good friends. The two have continued to tour together as the Swell Season, and have a new album coming out in October.

If you loved the movie "Once", if you love the music of Hansard and Irglova, this DVD is a must-see.

Great songs, great perfomers, great show, great dvd... This is an incredible experience that you must try. I'm sure that you will enjoy it.Words can not describe exactly how this show is incredible.Believe me, you will not be disappointed.

Personally I enjoy watching a DVD concert vs. listening to the same music on a CD. The visual part is half of the performance. The recording and video quality is very good and captures the experience. There are no 5.1 or DTS surround tracks but I didn't expect them from this venue. I would have liked to see about 3-4 more songs on the song list to lengthen the performance by about 20 minutes or so but maybe the list is shorter to get it all onto a single layer DVD. I recommend this DVD for anyone who likes the Swell Season, Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova or possibly the Frames.

I saw the concert on Ovation TV. If you liked Once, you will like seeing them perform on stage. Easy to listen to.