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To really appreciate the music of The Swell Season, you need to have seen the 2007 Irish independent film, Once. The film tells a story of a struggling musician (Glen Hansard) who develops a friendship with a young woman (Markéta Irglová, both pictured right). They begin creating music together and ultimately fall in love, though the film ends with the two not actually ending up together. In real life, the musicians had unmistakable chemistry and became a couple by the end of the promotional tour following the film's release. The music of The Swell Season chronicles Hansard and Irglová's real-life love and the subsequent end of their relationship. Because of this, it is the kind of music that elicits an emotional reaction from fans who feel a personal connection to the artists.

Unfortunately, I hadn't seen the film, and went to their live show in Orlando a few weeks back on May 25 without ever having heard anything besides "Falling Slowly," a song from Once that won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Original Song. Had I come into the evening with more awareness of the duo's backstory, my overall reaction to the show would most definitely have been different.

One of the unfortunate realities about having to drive to Orlando for shows is that I inevitably hit traffic, and it's nearly impossible to catch an opening act unless I leave work early. Normally, this is just mildly annoying, but at Hard Rock Live, it has become a serious issue. If the show is seated, once the house lights have been turned down, there is absolutely no way to see where your seat is. The few poorly-trained ushers are of little assistance, and disturbing everyone already seated is a given. At the Air concert several months ago, the ushers actually made four rows of people near the front of the stage stand up and check their tickets to fix the mess. This evening, even after we settled into what we hoped were our seats, just as Hansard transitioned from "Low Rising" into Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing," we saw several other people having the same problem. Hard Rock Live really needs to work on this issue, especially considering the high price of tickets to pretty much any show at the venue.

Hansard was playing a battered guitar worn thin from strumming so much that there was a hole clear through the wood. I remembered him humbly discussing it on the Academy Awards, mentioning he was concerned the songs would sound differently if he were to replace it. At the time, his concern seemed charming; tonight, like many other elements of the show, it felt cliched.

The stage set-up was quite simple, with velvet curtains and frosted back-lit acrylic panels erected behind the band. The panels faded in and out, casting a colored glow on the audience that changed hue from a bluish-purple to fuchsia, orange and yellow, based on intensity of song.

Throughout the set, Hansard and Irglová were gregarious and chatty, their heavy accents making their stories all the more personable. Laughter and dialog bantered back and forth, at one point Irglová explaining it was surreal to be in Orlando, because Disney is something she's "only seen on the telly." It was all very sweet, nearly to the point of saccharine. I understand that if you feel you "know" the band, there is a different connection, but somehow, I felt that if the music were stronger, it should be able to stand on it's own without the theatrics of their "aw shucks" film character personas. The set was somewhat rambling, and it was near impossible to understand what they were saying. I really just wanted to hear more music and less talking.

Their set included songs from both Once, and their new release, Strict Joy, including crowd-favorites "In These Arms," "Backbroke," and "When Your Mind's Made Up." Their cover of Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" was a high point, the harmony of their voices complementing the classic tune quite nicely. The cover was followed by a solo from the band's violinist, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, who uses looping pedals to create the illusion of a full Irish ensemble.

Both artists are passably good musicians, though Hansard's vocals border on comical when they are intended to be impressive. To the packed house of their fans, however, they were perfect. The audience was screaming along as though they were watching The Dave Matthews Band; middle-aged men shouting out "YEAH!" when Hansard hit especially emotive moments. Personally, I prefer Irglová's soft vocals, though the size of the venue was not well suited to the intimacy her voice demands.

The show ended with "Falling Slowly" to standing applause from the crowd, and an encore that included solos from both artists; Irglová performing "The Hill," and Hansard "Say It To Me Now," which he screamed from the edge of the stage without a microphone. The crowd loved the moment, and it was about as intimate as performer and audience can be at a venue of this size. Though I was mildly disappointed by the evening overall, the crowd reaction has prompted me to add Once to the list of films I need to watch; I'm hopeful their story helps me feel the same connection.