Burger with Relish

"Feels like this moment shouldn't pass without thanking you and your
town for what has become a very successful chapter of our lives,"
Hansard said after singing "Falling Slowly," one of the songs he
wrote for the film.

For those who didn't know the story, Hansard recounted how after the
Sundance Film Festival accepted the movie in 2007, everything took
off for the duo. But aside from the thank-yous, the two along with members of Hansard's band The Frames gave a show that had heart-wrenching beauty, soul and substance.

The two returned to Utah under the name of Swell Season"promoting
their latest album "Strict Joy." The great thing about this concert is how great both Hansard and Irglova sounded live. So often you purchase a CD and is so over-produced that when you hear the performance live it sounds like a completely different thing. Hansard's voice had great range with his wail-like melodies. Watching and hearing him
play "Say It To Me Now" without a microphone for vocals or guitar was
a humbling example of his strength both in vocals and song writing.

His friendly banter with the audience also helped the already
down-to-earth appeal he exuded. Of course, he has his bandmates to
complete the performance with soft, solid back up vocals and
perfectly timed orchestration.

Tracks from the new album included Irglova's "Fantasy Man," which she dedicated to Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight book series.
"I've read all four," she said, adding that the hype over the series
is slowly spreading over Europe. Irglova's voice was charming and
angelic in her solos. I couldn't help but notice that her presence
was not as pronounced as I expected. She is the other half of the duo
but could have been easily mistaken for another band member or a back- up singer.
The show had an 18-song set list and five encores including "The
Hill," "Low Rising," "In This Arms," "Feeling the Pull," and "The
Verb."

The band dismissed the crowd with an applause of its own.