Once | Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova

We saw Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s exclusive performance on Saturday afternoon at Sejong Arts Center. A damn fine show. I liked the intimate set better than their performance back in January with the full band. They played all the hits from the movie, a few new numbers and several covers. Hansard came out to the front of the stage and sang “Say It To Me Now” to get things started. Just blows me away how he can sing that tune without a microphone and still reach the seats all the way in the back, three levels up. Just brilliant. Not surprisingly, they came out for three encores. That “Once” songbook has some of the greatest hooks in music. Unforgettable show.

The opening act was also first rate. Liam Ó Maonlaí, close friend of Hansard, is an incredible performer and reminds me a little of Marc Cohn. He sang half a dozen songs, playing a variety of instruments. His musical inspirations take him all the way from Ireland to the roots of Africa. Check him out if you can. I grabbed his latest CD after the show.