The Swell Season, the folk rock group featuring Irish singer/songwriter Glen Hansard and Czech singer/songwriter Markéta Irglová, had the audience at the Taft Theatre completely entranced at their show this past Saturday.
The duo recently embarked on the tour for their new album, Forward, which marked their first album since 2009’s Strict Joy. Their stop in Cincinnati was only a day after the release of the new album.
Hansard is no stranger to Cincinnati and the Taft Theatre, having played there multiple times since 2012. This show brought a new side of Hansard to Cincinnati, as this was his first time not solo or accompanied by his own band, The Frames.
Most well known for their performances in the 2007 Academy Award-winning film Once, the Swell Season treated the Cincinnati crowd to heartfelt renditions of songs from the soundtrack like “Say It To Me Now,” “Gold,” a haunting rendition of “If You Want Me” and “Falling Slowly,” which won Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards. Along with songs from their new album as well as classics, they also treated the audience to a fantastic cover of Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” which Hansard described as a perfect song (the fans seemed to agree).
The audience was rabid for the duo, especially Hansard, whose Irish charm won over the crowd moments after he stepped onto the stage.
After one song, Hansard took a moment and pulled a letter out of his jacket pocket that had been given to him by his aunt, who gave him only the instruction “give this to my friend’s daughter in Cincinnati.” After Hansard began to read the letter out loud, it was discovered who it was for, and the crowd cheered as the young woman ran up to receive her letter.
She wasn’t the only attendee who was made to feel special that night. During the final two songs, Hansard pulled up a volunteer tambourine player from the crowd, who also got to sing along with Hansard and Irglová on a medley that included some Hansard originals as well as a cover of Springsteen’s “Drive All Night” and the traditional Irish tune “The Parting Glass.”
With Hansard’s apparent affinity for the Taft Theatre, it shouldn’t be long until he and Irglová are back in the Queen City, so if you missed this one, be sure to keep an eye out for the next.
This article appears in Jul 9-22, 2025.