I saw Glen Hansard live for the second time tonight. The first time was in Portland about three years ago, in November. I’d biked there that evening and was wearing several thick layers of wool. The venue was unbearably hot, and I ended up fainting–twice. Afterwards, I waited outside in the brisk winter air and got a chance to chat with Glen as he left the building. I can’t for the life of me remember what it is we briefly exchanged (I didn’t want to bother him or keep him too long, and still had to bike home) but I remember the way he looked at me. I don’t know if he serves this look to all the ladies, but it almost felt like he knew who I was without introduction–like he’d met some iteration of me hundreds of times before. Life on the road really must be something else.
I saw him tonight at the Moore Theatre in Seattle…and didn’t pass out! Some highlights include: getting a whole slew of merch at a decent price before the show, a surprise double encore with Eddie Vedder, and Glen even covered my favorite Leonard Cohen song. I could swear he picked that one just for me.
I ended up crying, of course. I cried because the music was beautiful, but also because Glen is getting…well…undeniably old. It made me think of his famous movie Once, falling in love, and how we all grow and change. I wept for the beauty of romance, the purity of young love, and for every single dedication he made preceding a song. By the end of the concert, I had mascara all over my face.
I drove home in an emotional haze toting a new poster, t-shirt, vinyl, and two guitar books. The man delivers with his musical prowess, but honestly after Once, he could simply wave and smile and bring the house down. Seattle ate him up.
This isn’t much of a post, but I am utterly exhausted. Besides, I don’t have anything to say tonight that Leonard Cohen can’t say better, so I’ll just leave this here: you’re welcome.
