Latter Days and Astral Weeks

Two concerts for which I was fortunate to experience this past year: Over the Rhine and Swell Season. Over the decades, I've seen a my share of shows. My first concert was an L7 show at the former 328 Performance Hall music venue in Nashville. {Michael W Smith and DC Talk were technically my first.. but they don't count as I didn't know what I was getting myself into at 8 or 9 years of age!}

These two groups are phenomenal live. If you ever have the opportunity to experience a show of theirs- go! I could

Over the Rhine
I first discovered this group while in high school. I was instantly drawn to Karen's voice and the emotion from which she sang. Yet is has only been the recent years in which I've been fortunate to experience this beautiful group perform live. It will change your life! When Karen sings, she bares her soul. Standing in the darkly lit room, your vocals penetrate to the very core of you and you are left with this glorious feeling swimming through you. It is a breath-taking experience. Her husband Linford is there next to her typically on the piano. He is a warm fire to Karen's afternoon rains. They compliment each other beautifully.

Albums: Below are a few of over a dozen albums they've put out.
God Dog, Bad Dog
Ohio
The Trumpet Child
Drunkard's Prayer


Swell Season
Once is a film that lingers with you and leaves you feeling full of hope. This was my first introduction to the couple- Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova- as it has been for many. I'd been listening to The Frames {Glen Hansard's band} on and off for years but honestly never gave them much thought. Watching him in this film gives you a very intimate portrait of the man he is. Yes he is 'acting' yet I don't feel that he is too far off from the man portrayed in the film. Even more intimate are their concerts. Again, if you have the opportunity- go see these two perform live. Glen sings with this genuine and unabandoned emotion that permeates from his entire being. When speaking to the crowd, he is humble and humorous.. his gratitude for the support and response to their music is very evident through his words. In particular, it was his cover of Astral Weeks that was incredibly powerful. Marketa has a gentle and soft, yet guarded demeanor. She was again, a wonderful compliment to Glen. What a gorgeous night of music!

Albums:
Once Soundtrack
Strict Joy
The Frames- they have several albums out