The Swell Season Tickets

Last night, The Swell Season came to Vancouver again. After a sold-out show last November at the Centre for the Performing Arts, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, has come back to warmer temperatures and to the outdoors of Stanley Park. If I hadn't seen them play last November, I would probably proclaim it the best concert I ever been to but since I did, I would say it was the second best concert I've been to. However, their set-list was very similar to the November show and since I loved that show, I loved this one too. You couldn't have asked for a better summer evening. It was supposed to rain and thankfully it was only blue skies and clear weather throughout. While the gates opened up at 5:30pm, the opening act of Black Francis, whose lead singer was the lead singer of the Pixies, didn't go on until 7pm. I don't know much about their music but I will say that Black Francis was way better than The Swell Season's previous opening act when they were last here. The Swell Season came on at around 8pm and to honour their opening act, the played a Pixie song called Cactus. Then they played Low Rising. Glen was still rocking a grizzly beard and Marketa now sporting a darker short hair cut. Glen then commented how he felt so far away from the audience and actually invited audience members to come closer and all of a sudden a huge swarm of people made their way to the front and Glen actually invited them to come on the stage. The band then launched into In these Arms and rocked Malkin Bowl with The Rain. However, the security from the venue felt it was unsafe for that many people to be sitting in the front of the stage so everyone had to get off. While the crowd was making their off the stage, The Swell Season serenaded them with their version of Blue Moon. It was hilarious. When the crowd left and it was just the band again alone on stage, they launched into a gut-wrenching version of their song Lies. At this point, I knew that Marketa would then perform, based on the November show, and I knew that she would sing my favourite song, If You Want Me and she didn't disappoint. She sings that song with so much emotion that it was a joy to see her perform it live again. Before singing Fantasy Man, she told a story of how when she was walking through Stanley Park it reminded her of her hometown until she turned a corner and saw the skyscrapers. Then it just Glen on stage as he performed Leave. Then it was audience participation time as Glen wanted us to sing the harmony of Back Broke. In the middle of it, he asked the sound guy to mute the piano because it sounded off to him. He apologized to Marketa for doing it and I think she jokingly seemed off-put. After the song, the audience yelled for him to unmute the piano and Glen asked for that and explained again why he did initially and that is when Marketa jokingly left the stage. She came back of course to duet with Glen on Van Morrison's Into the Mystic. Then the band's violinist Colm Mac Con Iomaire performed a song called The Count of Newton. It was a very beautiful Irish song but I think he played it the last time they were here. Marketa then returned and launched into my favourite song of hers from Strict Joy, called I've Loved You Wrong. The band then played Feeling The Pull, When Your Minds Made up and finished with their Oscar-winning song, and my all-time favourite song, Falling Slowly. Of course there was an encore coming especially after we gave them a well-deserved standing ovation. Glen then came out, only with his guitar and with no mic or amps, performed Say it to me Now. It was again a great emotional performance. The last time he played it here, he sat on the edge of the stage. This time, he was standing up but it was still a great performance. Then somehow a little girl of maybe two years old or three made it on her way to stage for the next encore song, which was Gold. It was actually was cool to see it performed live (the three guitars playing together was awesome) and it was an appropriate song for the little girl who was on stage dancing away. Last time they were here, someone yelled in the audience that they wanted him to sing Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy but he didn't oblige but he did last night and jokingly said that the whole night was building up to that. The show closed as it opened with a Pixie song. Glen talked about how big of an influence the Pixies were and enjoyed the fact that Black Francis opened up for them. In fact, Black Francis joined the Swell Season on stage to perform Where is my Mind. When the concert was over, I did really enjoy it but felt there was something a bit lacking in it. A colleague of mine pointed out that Marketa was a bit off her game and I agree and it definitely has to do with the suicide at a recent show that probably shook up the whole band but especially Marketa. I mean I really loved her performance of all her songs but I think she performed them better back in November. But Glen thanked us for being a great crowd because they needed it based on what they've been through the last few days. Under the circumstances, I think they still performed an awesome and rockin' show that everyone enjoyed.

Malkin bowl is always a great experience under the stars. But what really made this show was the band. The idea of more of a intimate setting though was hard for some was great for the rest of us.

This is the second time I have seen these guys and they are amazing - true musicians! I love how casual they are - it feels as though you're just hanging out with them while they're playing in their friend's garage. I always feel so connected at their concerts - and it helps that Glen is hilarious! Great entertainer. "Say it to me now" was by far the best performance...just unbelievable.

How many bands invite the entire audience on stage?

Excellent showmanship and musicality. Plays the the audience very well. UnPlugged songs were more difficult in the open air theater than a concert hall. Very well done.

Peter Katz opened and blew away the crowd. He was very charming. The Swell Season treated us with their beautiful music, as always, along with their quirky comedic personalities. Their encore was spectacular, and they even brought Peter Katz back and played one of his songs with him. Simply amazing.

Glen Hansard's energy and vocal and guitar playing skills are like no one else's. He is always a treat and a treasured evening of everything a concert should be. It was my third time seeing them and they are never less than amazing. Such a humble and cool guy with so much talent, it is just so special to share an evening with him and his band. Marketa's voice, so lovely and her harmonies incredible as always. A very great evening out musically.

Always with grace and heart the swell season never fails to illuminate the minds and hearts of the audience. Great great great performance by opener Peter Katz.

An excellent show Well worth the ticket price Nice venue

The concert was fantastic, the 2nd show they have put on in Toronto in the past year, the first being at Massy Hall; I enjoyed this one alot more. I felt that the band was more relaxed and since the QET is less then half the size of Massey I felt it was a much more intimate show. The opener Peter Katz was amazing as well. Glen and the band hit on most of their better songs from both swell season albums but as well did a few covers and also pulled some of his old material out from The Frames. All in all a amazing night, this is my second time seeing them and there most definatly will be a third the next time they come through TO

This show was absolutely amazing! No words to describe how moving their performance was. I had chills. The Swell Season, MUST come back to Toronto for another show. Queen Elizabeth Theatre was also a very good choice in venue, the sound was great. They even served Sushi before the show in the lobby! Overall, I am so lucky to have experienced this band live, and will definitely be seeing them again if i'm ever in the same town they happen to be playing in!

Words cannot describe Glen's voice live.. The room was silent during :say it to me now" when he sang it without microphone, and with such feeling. They interacted with the crowd, asked us what we wanted to hear, made jokes etc. This is worth the money.......treat yourself! Also my friend and i waited around 4 o clock in the aft, and he came out and took pictures with us. He was so nice.....i was so nervous.

An entertaining concert with lot of audience participation. The sound was amazing, the banter funny and the band came back to do a 7-song encore, which was incredible.

The Swell Season honestly never fails to impress. This is their third concert in Toronto and was definitely their best set list yet, even without their violinist. However, the venue was absolutely dreadful. Whoever picked it for them should consider a new career. The seats were old, the room had a kitchy, high-school-theatre-performance vibe, the lobby was tiny, the women's bathroom had 4 stalls in TOTAL and so the line wound all around the lobby (did I mention the lobby was tiny?), and to top it off it is in the middle of nowhere on the CNE grounds. Not only that, but if you decided to have dinner in Liberty Village and then stroll south to enter the grounds by the GO station, you were greeted by a cheery blonde who told you that you couldn't walk through there -- instead you had to walk half an hour back to Ossington and Liberty Street and then south to the other entrance. GRR! Anyway Swell Season rocks.

Glenn, Marketa and the band were, as usual, in fine form on Sunday night. It was the last show for about five weeks until the Winnipeg Folk Festival. The show was fantastic. I was fortunate to be inches away from the stage and loved every minute of it. Glenn was his usual charming and funny self. He seemed to be having a great time and went all out especially at the end during a long (yea!) encore, doing more songs than listed on the setlist (I got a copy and a pick at the end) His musical range is so amazing. It's like he's fluent in all musical styles and can just blend different things together without (literally) missing a beat. Colm did a beautiful solo of an old Irish song which I have no hope of spelling correctly so I won't even try. He is also very charming although in kind of a quiet way. Marketa opened their show with her beautiful mainly solo song If You Want Me. Marketa looked very cute with a new short , sleek haircut, bare feet and a pretty, sparkling necklace. She spoke more this time and seems to have become more comfortable doing so (than in former shows). Siting at the piano she sang her new song Crossroad which I really want a copy of. Her speaking and singing voices were beautiful and clear. She has an understated and elegant way about her yet keeps everyone's attention completely focused. There was even a Bruce Springsteen song thrown in and the Fred Rose song made famous by Willie Nelson, Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain. I could go on and on about how great it was but you should really just check their tour dates and get yourself some tickets. The whole experience was Strictly Joy!

A band that became internationally renowned for their amazing songwriting ala "Once" is equally amazing in the live performance setting. As an avid concertgoer, I can firmly say "Simply the best concert I've been to in years." Don't hesitate for one second if you're considering attending this show. Encore was almost as long as the previous extent of the show... opening act was amazing.

The incredible power and depth of range of Glenn's voice and guitar worked as well with Massey Hall's acoustic as Marketa's intimate piano and vocals. The pair make for an amazing musical mix and the venue helped boost their sound. Often very poignant and despite the physical distance to the balcony, a very close and intimate experience.

It was like a gourmet meal for the ears! If you ever have the opportunity to see The Swell Season with or without the Frames, absolutely amazing either way! :)

A thoroughly entertaining and inspirational evening. First off I have to comment on the stage design and lighting. Brilliant. Basically synced with Glen Hansard’s crescendos the lighting did exactly what it should do for a band; add to the experience not distract from it. The band was wonderful. There really is not much more to say without using a dozen different synonyms that all mean roughly the same thing. They were brilliant! With fear of being too cheesy with this next bit... I have to say the night was inspirational. I use inspirational because that’s the feeling I had when I left the theatre. 1)The fact that a group of independent musician/friends can send out their folky singer/songwriter tunes and came back with an Oscar. Awesome. 2)I couldn’t wait to get home and pick up my guitar. The night was filled with music lovers and some music… err whatever she was. Nearing the end of the first wave of music the audience began to throw out requests, Glen seemed to enjoy the back and forth and let it continue… at least until one ridiculously good looking gentleman added, “Play what YOU want!” and then we all had a good laugh at my errr… his… remark. Unfortunately, immediately after that one crazy Irish lady yelling incoherently at the band broke that playful teasing. Apparently she had followed them from their Seattle show to heckle (I think she was heckling… I couldn’t really understand what she said) But it gave the group an opportunity to take the high-road when Glen pleaded with the ushers to not kick her out. After the incomprehensible, yet strangely amusing outburst the band, and the audience for that matter, really loosened up. Yes, we Vancouverites can be quite stiff but really, what do you expect when you have a sit-down show at the Centre? I really loved the show, I loved the band and was blown away with how good they sounded live, seriously better than on the albums. But even more so, I was pleasantly surprised with the caliber of voices from the people sitting around me. As stiff as we are… we bloody sound good together. I will see them any time they come back to Vancouver.

The amazing performances of Glen and Marketa and the Frames brought energy and light to a dark and rainy fall season in Vancouver. From the beginning, Glen in his Irish toque and Marketa in a peasant style dress wowed the audience - they were IN CHARACTER - and who writes such music and lyrics better than the Irish? Glen left his cap on the stage, just in the circle of illumination throughout the concert to remind anyone in the audience who might forget - which really would have been impossible, given the quality of their performance throughout the evening. Both Glen and Marketa performed solo, each in their unique style. Marketa's voice was pure, sweet, and soulful and her piano and guitar were played with finesse. Glen's voice was as passionate, powerful, and tender as ever - what an amazing range - and his guitar playing is second to none. Awesome! They were brilliant! They were magnificent! - beginning note to third-call back finish. I hope these names are all correct as I may have forgotten in the excitement of the evening, but The Frames were powerful - Joe Doyle, Rob Bochnik, Johnny Boyle, and Colm Mac Con Iomaire - who played a sweet and soulful violin solo, introduced by Marketa.