The Swell Season played to an enthusiastic crowd at Brooklyn’s King’s Theatre on Saturday night. Glen Hansard (guitar) and Markéta Irglová (piano) shared vocals and showcased all eight tracks from Forward, their first album since 2009, along with a generous selection of other favorites. They were joined by Joe Doyle on bass and Piero Perelli on drums.
Opening the show was New York-based singer-songwriter Keenan O’Meara, who delivered a heartfelt acoustic set featuring his new single, “Please Leave the Light On.” Fresh from the stage at the Newport Folk Festival, O’Meara is also part of the upcoming The September Shows, a collaborative series with members of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Wilco, Guster and more, at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock and The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester.
Hansard, who began busking in Dublin at 13, fronted the Irish rock band, The Frames, starting in the 1990s. Irglová, born in Czechoslovakia, learned piano and other instruments as the country emerged from Communism. The two starred together in the film Once (2007), when Irglová was just 19 years old. Its soundtrack won a Grammy, while the original song “Falling Slowly” won an Academy Award. The duo went on to tour as The Swell Season before pursuing separate solo careers. Their romantic relationship was portrayed in the 2011 documentary, also called The Swell Season. Hansard played solo shows at City Winery and the Beacon Theatre in 2024. In recent years, he has also toured with Eddie Vedder’s Earthlings and opened for Pearl Jam during their 2024 run. Irglová released her third solo album in 2022.
The Swell Season announced in 2023 that they would reunite for a global tour. They played an intimate show at City Winery on March 23, 2025, ahead of the Patti Smith Tribute Show, followed by a surprise performance at The Scratcher in the East Village. Saturday’s show at King’s Theatre was larger and their first at the venue.
During “Back Broke,” Hansard invited the audience to sing along using a simple four-note riff. When he challenged them to harmonize, laughter followed. He mentioned how meaningful it was to perform the song in New York, where he had written it—only to be corrected by someone in the crowd shouting, “You’re in Brooklyn!” “I know it’s Brooklyn!” Hansard replied, laughing.
Both artists have lived in New York, and the crowd included longtime friends and devoted fans, some of whom had followed the tour from city to city. Hansard pointed out one fan, joking that whether this would be their last show likely depended on how this one went.
Irglová sang a poignant solo performance of “I Leave Everything to You,” accompanying herself on the piano. She recalled living in a tiny Manhattan apartment before being invited by a generous couple to live in their Park Slope brownstone. The husband, who worked long hours in a furniture factory, was in attendance this night—as was her own husband.
Later in the set, Hansard switched to the mandolin for “Great Weight,” with his guitar tech, Simon Good, playing in the shadows behind him. Introducing the song, Hansard referenced the lyric, “Tyrants go tumbling,” noting it takes place in a future where “a tyrant has tumbled… Take your pick which tyrant.” The crowd roared in approval. He dedicated the song to South Park, singing the line in the fourth verse, “Well, f— you if you can’t take a joke,” particularly gleefully.
In a touching moment, Irglová surprised three actresses in the audience—including Carrie Lyn Brandon (who toured nationally with Once) and Maddie Eaton (who played Girl in Once at Rubicon Theatre)—by inviting them onstage to sing “If You Want Me.”
The set also featured The Frames’ “Fitzcarraldo” and two of Hansard’s solo songs, “This Gift” and “Her Mercy.”
The Swell Season continued on to perform at the Newport Folk Festival the following day, with their North American tour scheduled to conclude in Seattle this September.
The Swell Season – King’s Theatre – Saturday, July 26, 2025
Setlist: Low Rising, Lies, People We Used to Be, Factory Street Bells, When Your Mind’s Made Up, Pretty Stories, The Moon, Back Broke, A Little Sugar, Stuck in Reverse, I Leave Everything to You, Great Weight, If You Want Me, Fitzcarraldo, Hundred Words, This Gift, Falling Slowly, Say It to Me Now/Gold
Encore: Her Mercy.
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