[contest] The Swell Season: Live from the Artists Den DVD
Posted by PJ in Contests, News, The Yellow Stereo
Lots of love and praise has been lavished upon both Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, aka The Swell Season, here on the site and pretty much everywhere else for the past year and a half. There isn’t one soul that i’ve met recently that hasn’t heard me go on and on about how amazing Once is, and i’ve mentioned it more than enough here – so we’ll keep that to a minimum.
With their recent Academy Award win for Best Original Song making them an official hot commodity and household names, it would seem only fitting that a live DVD be released for those of us not lucky enough to have caught them on previous tours and/or their current one. At least, that’s how I look at this DVD release, because I will not be able to catch the duo when they travel through Atlanta – which is a long story, so I won’t even bother to mention it here.
The DVD titled The Swell Season: Live from the Artists Den, will be released on April 15th and distributed by RED – An Artist Development Company. It will be the very first concert DVD of The Swell Season released, as it was filmed last year at the Good Shepherd Center Chapel in Seattle – which was built in 1906 – serving as a shelter for orphaned girls. It provided a very intimate environment for two hundred lucky invited guests, as the duo performed their amazing songs while being backed by two of Hansard’s bandmates from The Frames: Colm Mac Con Iomaire on violin and Joe Doyle on bass.
I’ve actually not heard of The Artists Den, as they’ve presented these kinds of intimate performances in unique settings since 2004. Some of the varied venues ranged from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County to a 100-year-old ship docked in Manhattan’s South Street Seaport. Previous artists featured include the likes of Aimee Mann, Josh Ritter, and Patty Griffin – the latter of whom was the very first concert DVD released from the Artists Den.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy to watch, and I must say that it’s truly amazing. Just watching the two perform together, while Hansard tells his unique stories to the crowd, it almost makes me sick with envy that i’m not actually seeing this in person myself.
Luckily for our readers, a few of you will be able to get a hold of this great DVD for yourselves, as we’re giving away what is hands-down, the best prizepack that we’ve offered here on The Yellow Stereo. For two lucky readers, you will receive the following:
1x The Swell Season: Live from the Artists Den DVD
1x Once CD soundtrack
1x Once vinyl soundtrack
Isn’t that fantastic?! Seriously, i’m extremely jealous of whoever gets these. We’ll run this the usual way, leave a comment with your email address, along with your favorite scene from the film Once. There are no wrong answers here, as there were plenty of memorable scenes throughout that film. I’ll pick two winners next Monday, so good luck!
MP3: The Swell Season :: “Falling Slowly”
Entries (RSS)
OK, so i’m entering this contest…even though i have not seen the movie (which is why i should totally win!)! Which would mean i have no favorite scene yet (you said there were no wrong answers!) I seriously need to see this movie….i’m so far behind
I have seen the movie… so, I should have a better chance to win than Amy
Favorite scene: The car trip to listen what they have done during their recording night!
lol amy, come’on now. at least watch clips on youtube or something.
Favourite scene, ohhhwwww man such a hard call, SO many.
Either the post batteries scene where she puts on her slippers and dons the headphones in and sings ‘If You Want Me’. It’s beautiful and so raw and amazing.
I adore this film….i have bored and thrilled my close friends with it. in equal measures.
hihihihihiihihihihhh
Oh man, there are so many great scenes in this movie. I went to see it three times in the cinema! My favourite scene would either be the first time they play “Falling Slowly” together in the music store – the way Glen coaches her along and he has that brilliant look on his face when Mar sings too. Or my other favourite scene would be when they go shopping together for a suit and Mar tells him it will do and the shopkeeper tells Glen he’s “gorgeous.” OR (god, this entire movie is composed of my favourite scenes) when Mar is dragging her vacuum cleaner around the city. I love the look on her face, she’s completely unconcerned by it.
I agree with everyone, there are TOO many excellent scenes as the whole movie is AMAZING!
My favorite scene is when they are recording “When Your Mind’s Made Up” and the recording technician is thoroughly bored but then when the drums kick in, he smiles knowing he’s just heard the first song of the most talented artist in his lifetime and he starts actually getting into it.
Thank you for reading my run-on sentence too.
What an amazing film. I found myself sobbing during the last montage right before she received the piano. It was one of those moments where you don’t understand your feelings but you know you have made a connection with two very special artists and humans. But, I will testify that my favorite scene occurs in the Music shop as they both find that their passion is united by music. It is a beautiful scene because the camera is merely an observer, leaving the audience to breathe in its simplicity and beauty. That scene gets me every time.
any scene with music. which there were a lot of..
Oh sweet lord I want to win this.
My favorite scene hands down is when they play for the first time together in the music store. The first time you hear the harmonies together in such quiet glory gave me goose bumps.
Also, there is something special about when they are recording together at the end – you know at that point that they won’t get together, but it doesn’t matter. It’s about the music.
my favorite scene was the one when they first met, glen hansard was singing Say It To Me Now on the street
so great.
parbogast10@hotmail.com
My favorite scene: when Mar was dragging her vacuum through the streets. It was so silly, yet completely natural.
favorite scene is when they first play together, at the piano shop. it was magic.
Favorite scene would have to be the entire “If you want me” scene. Right from where Guy trusts Girl with his music without hesitation, to Girl heartbreakingly borrowing from her own daughter’s piggy bank, to her walking down the street singing the song. You hardly ever see a scene that lacking in self-consciousness in a movie these days. The scene itself was beautiful (especially with all the kids in the background, who weren’t extras, but were actually just locals hanging out on the street!), and then that song! Definitely one of my favorites. There’s a tenderness and romanticism that’s very deeply rooted in reality and heartbreak – it’s just an amazing song.
Have to agree that the best scene was with the disinterested studio engineer, who suddenly realizes the quality of the song they are recording.
I also liked the brief opening scene with the thief is also good as it set up the tone/feel of the movie.
I’m not eligible, of course, but I just had to add some of my favorites after reading all of these great comments….
Obviously, the first scene that comes to mind is the performance of “Falling Slowly” in the music shop, that one scene alone determines whether you love the film or not.
Loved the one steady shot of Marketa singing “If You Want Me” after getting the batteries from the convenience store.
One last scene that really gets me, and this is very subtle, is where they’re both at the party or whatever with all of the other singers/musicians and Glen is playing with all of those guys. It’s this small detail of Marketa gazing over at Glen as he sings and plays guitar that I absolutely love.
Does anyone know exactly what she says to him when he asks in czech, “Do you love him?” I’ve heard people mention that she says, “no, i love you” but I wanted some kind of confirmation!
I agree to all of the above comments… there are so many amazing scenes.
I think one of my favorites is when Glen plays the finished demo for his father and tells him he will be leaving the next day. I love how proud the father is and instead of being sad, he wants to hear the song again.
Plus the scene when they are on the bus is hilarious. “Oh broken hearted Hoover fixer sucker guy”… cracks me up every time.
I was lucky to see the Swell Season when they played at the Variety in Atlanta last year and have to admit they are quite amazing live. Simply lovely. Nothing would make me more happy than winning this package… (insert begging face here).
Amazing movie. Definitely love the part when she’s writing/singing “If you want me”
i’m going to have to go with the “say it to me now” scene in the beginning. there’s so much emotion in that song. and the quips that they exchange are intelligently humorous.
runners-up:
the bus scene with “broken hearted hoover fixer sucker guy” and the scene in the studio where the producer starts paying attention.
and pj, i also read that she says “no, i love you.”
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907657/trivia
thanks joshua!
I absolutely agree with Sharmin’s thoughts on the “If you want me scene”.
I really felt the character’s heartbreak in the “Lies” scene.
The playfulness of “falling from the sky” scene was also one of my favorites.
Yet my favorite scene of the movie is when Markita and Glen are riding down the street on his father’s motorcycle, while the music for “gold” fades out.
The scene in the music store really got to me. (The whole movie, of course, but that one especially)
Hey PJ. It’s a tie for me:
the vacuum scene and when Marketa sings “The Hill”
I love it when Marketa drags her broken vacuum around town like a little puppy dog. It just seems so normal for her.
I also love the scene when Marketa plays/sings “The Hill.” (maybe I’m partial to her because I find her so beautiful!) She completely immerses herself in her music and you see her raw emotion, especially when she cries at the end. The lighting also adds to the scene’s power–a dark room with a sole light on Mar and the piano. I think this is when Glen falls in love with her.
And how great is it that they are engaged now?! …even though he’s quite a bit older, haha
Great movie! I enjoyed the entire thing but it really cracked me up when they arrived at the recording studio and the engineer looked bored as if he getting ready for a painful session.
favorite scene, hands down: the pair of them on the bus.
My favorite scene would have to be the scene where Glen Hansard watches the movie of his ex-girlfriend and sings “Lies.” That is such a powerful and heartfelt song.
My favourite scene is the very first one after the “chase” scene, where good old Glen is singing the magnificent Frames classic “Say it to me now”. As a long time hardcore Frames finding out about the huge success of Once, I was so happy for him, but also a little concerned that the project might eclipse The Frames truly astounding body of work. Glen’s performance of the song totally took me by surprise and also dispelled these fears, as it wonderfully immortalises The Frames and Glen’s passion for music and hopefully it introduced their incredible music to a whole new audience. Also the camera’s reveal of Marketa’s character watching him was just perfect
Also, to anyone who reads this post, The Frames live album “Set List+” is one of the very few absolutely perfect records in existence. Go out there and buy it! It will totally change your life for the better!
The scene in the music shop singing “Falling Slowly” may be the most pure recreation of the genesis of music captured in a non-documentary film. Gorgeous.
My favorite scene would have to be when Mar sings The Hill in the studio. You can see that she is just opening her soul to him, and it can almost feel like an intrusion to be watching it. It is an incredibly intimate moment that shows how transcendent their relationship is. And it is shot beautifully.
Second place- the end when Mar says “hanky panky” because it makes me laugh.
This will be a difficult task as this film has no weak scenes. I will go with the opening scene when Glen is busking in the street and the director zooms out to expose Marketa as if she had fallen from the sky. I knew as soon as I saw this scene I was in love with this film and these characters. This chance encounter is revelatory in drawing out the character personalities (Glen’s melancholy and quiet anger/Marketa’s unabashed directness and charm). But the chemisty is immediately undeniable and I found myself drawn into their music and their lives. This film is a rare gem that inspires on many levels and avoids the Hollywood cliches that are so prevelant in cinema today.
Best scene: Glenn sings Hoover Sucker Guy song on the bus.
Oh, man. Favorite scene? It’s still when they’re singing “Falling Slowly” in that music store together, on one of its pianos. There’s so much emotion there and stories being told without talking (hint: watch the eyes and smirks and such) and it feels as though Glen is pulling his heart out along with his notes. Fan-freaking-tastic.
I love their genuineness throughout the film, especially during the scene in which Marketa tries to convince Glen to let her ride his dad’s motorcycle.
My favorite scene is when they record “When Your Mind’s Made Up” in the studio and he hits that high part. That was the exact moment when that movie had me hook line and sinker. That and the music store scene.
I caught The Swell Season last night in Portland and they were fantastic. Posted a review at http://isorski.blogspot.com/ – check it out.
Actually, when Marketa says “fuck you, batteries” when her batteries die. That is pretty good too.
My favorite part of the film, other than the music was when she tried to get the bike keys away from him. I have done things like that. I had the chance to meet them in Denver. What lovely people.
does anyone know where i can download Swell Seasons radio city show from the 19th of May