The Frames at 400 Bar on 10/2/02

By: David de Young

Glen Hansard of Dublin's The Frames writes and sings ethereal, utterly beautiful songs that at times border on other-worldly. The Frames current release For the Birds hints at this but only approaches the magnificence effect of hearing these songs live.

Going to see the Frames Thursday night in Minneapolis I got more than I bargained for. I don't believe I've ever seen a more intimate and mesmerizing set at the 400 Bar. My interest in The Frames had been kindled this summer in Dublin. I had the chance to catch them in at least one warm-up show for the Witnness Festival at a small Dublin theatre that I can't recall the name of now. (I didn't.) But I did get the chance to see them (albeit at a great distance) at Dublin's Witnness Festival where they played the main stage on Saturday, July 12th to a crowd of thousands sandwiched in the lineup between more international-recognized groups as The Hives and Green Day. (Click here http://www.witnness.com/news_article.php?ID=71027072340 for a short review and video of that event.) It was simply amazing to see The Frames in Ireland. Everyone in the audience seemed to know every one of their songs.

The "rocktabulous" (word used by the Witnness site) set played at Witnness was almost the antithesis of the sweet and gripping set they performed at the 400 Bar last night according to Glen Hansard, whom I spoke with very briefly after the show. Of course part of this is going to be the direct result of the fact that The Frames have nowhere near the name recognition here. One reviewer called the Frames "one of Ireland's best kept secrets." On the heels of their 2001 studio release "For the Birds" I have a feeling (and hope) that the "secret" is out of the bag and is being shared around America at this very moment.

Having seen the Frames at Witnness and having listened to a handful of studio tracks I was still fully unprepared for what I experienced last night. I was literally spellbound from the first song, "Plateau" from 1999's "Dance the Devil;" and the entire 400 Bar seemed equally captivated. A hush fell on the room that lingered through all ten songs of the set. The dynamic range the Frames work with live (impossible to duplicate in a studio recording as you'd never be able to take your fingers off the volume knob on your stereo) ranges from Glen Hansard's emotive whispers while he barely grazes the strings of his guitar the to near ear-splitting controlled feedback you might expect to hear at a Sonic Youth show. At times it was so quiet in the bar you could hear the rattling of the fans in the air conditioning vents. And the pinball player behind us had to be asked to quit playing, and the Pinball Wizard and 8 Ball Deluxe machines unplugged to prevent further distraction. (This should have happened before the show started; not halfway through the set.)

One of my companions leaned over to me after "People Get Ready" and said she had a word for my review: "Goosebumps." I myself had already scrawled the word "electrifying" under that song's name on my set-list.

The sets second song was "Lay Me Down," the second song off For the Birds, Colm MacConIomaire's violin shift into a minor key during the break nearly sending shivers up your spine. Next was "God Bless Mom," also a set highlight. Before beginning it Hansard talked briefly mentioning a friend of theirs from Ireland was in the audience. "God Bless Mom" (which they also played at Wittness) was pretty and soaring; you almost felt as if you could fly away with it.

Glen said they were just catching their stride as they broke into "When Your Heart Just Stops" (also from "For the Birds") and the hush that had fallen across the room by this point had become almost uncanny.

To audience chuckles Glen said that usually with relationship problems the best recommendation is just to "fuck your way through them." The song that followed was "People Get Ready."

Halfway through the set the guys gave us a little emotional rest by playing a cover of "Rhinestone Cowboy" by Glen Campbell. After which Glen recited the lyrics "Getting cards and letters / from people I don't even know / And offers coming over the phone," calling them some of the best lyrics ever by anyone; at least I think he was serious. (By some kind of cosmic coincidence I had awoken that morning thinking about Glen Campbell, and what's weirder, that very song.)

Hansard commented that Klaus Kinski is brilliant in his introduction to the song "Fitzcarraldo" apparently based on the 1982 Werner Herzog film (http://us.imdb.com/Details?0083946). Having not seen the film, I'm unable to make any intelligent comment what the song has to do with the film besides sharing its title.

The band left the stage. Glen came back solo to perform a song called "The Blood," which in one way or another dealt with the subject of vampires. In a telling remark, he said one way to recognize a vampire is that when you spend too much time with them they make you very tired. Also, he pointed out that a vampire can get the soul of a suicide if it catches you between the roof and the ground, for example.

The full band returned for a brilliant set closer "Star Star" from Dance the Devil. Then the band bee-lined straight for the merchandise table after the show and I picked up a copy of For the Birds which I have been listening to religiously ever since, stealing listens in between refreshing my memory on Cinerama and Ballboy in preparation for Friday's (10/4/02) 400 Bar show. I must also say Dance the Devil is a great introduction to The Frames if you are starting a collection, and I can recommend it without qualification to virtually anyone reading this review. It's simply a downright great album and one that if you put it on your friends are bound to ask who it is not just out of mere curiosity but to make the mental not to find out more about this well-kept secret from Ireland. I hope I have helped to spread the word.

Location Info: 400 Bar
Artist Info: The Frames

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