THE SWELL SEASON DVD, Feat. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, Reissued to Honor ONCE's Tony Wins

On the heels of the musical Once's remarkable eight Tony wins, Artists Den Entertainment is re-releasing its DVD, The Swell Season: Live from the Artists Den. The DVD features the original artists who penned the music for Once, performing at the Good Shepherd Center Chapel in Seattle, Wash., in 2007, shortly before receiving their Grammy and Academy Award nominations. Selections from the show aired on public television's Live from the Artists Den, an innovative music series featuring acclaimed artists performing in extraordinary settings. The full concert DVD features more than 30 minutes of bonus material not seen on the television broadcast, including 4 songs featured in the musical Once.

Known to the world from the indie film sensation Once, The Swell Season is led by Irish singer Glen Hansard (of the band The Frames) and Czech singer-songwriter Markéta Irglová. Their music for the film received numerous prestigious award nods, including two Grammy nominations (Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media – “Falling Slowly” and Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media – Once) that culminated with the song “Falling Slowly” winning Best Original Song at the 2008 Academy Awards. The film was subsequently adapted for the stage. The musical Once opened to critical acclaim at the New York Theater Workshop in 2011 before moving to Broadway in 2012. On June 10, 2012, the musical won 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Book of a Musical, and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.

Built in 1906 as a shelter for wayward or orphaned girls, the Good Shepherd Center Chapel provided a new sort of haven for two hundred invited guests on a crisp autumn night when Hansard and Irglová gave a special performance of their haunting, melodic songs – backed by two of Hansard’s bandmates from The Frames on bass and violin. The live DVD of the concert features interview clips and song introductions by Hansard, including a ghost story inspired by the venue, which he begins by saying, “I’m sure this place is full of ghosts, and I’m sure they’d like to hear this story.”

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