It evidently takes just over 119 seconds to pour the perfect Guinness, and then another 118 seconds for that perfectly poured Guinness to perfectly settle in the glass. That’s about four minutes to enjoy the perfect beer, and four minutes longer than it took the Frames to get rolling at their near-perfect show at the Henry Fonda.
Frontman Glen Hansard (one of the truly funny and charismatic lead singers in rock music todayno offense Ryan Adams) and the Frames played a solid set, happily mixing the stronger, older material with newer songs off their latest release, The Cost. “The Stars Are Underground”, “Pavement Tune” and “Revelate” were particularly strong, although I was devastated by the inexplicable omission of “Fitzcarraldo” from the set.
Without question, the highlight of the show was the encore, and the fact that two of my friends left early without hearing itHA. HA.
Up first was a memorizing duet of “Falling Slowly” with a girl Hansard allegedly met earlier that day in a coffee shop. It was hypnotically perfect (perhaps too perfect for two people who have never played together before), and the song induced pin-drop silence in the Fonda. It was probably the second most quiet I’ve ever heard a venue. (First on the list would be Jim James’ version of “Bermuda Highway” at the Roxy in October 2003.)
To close, the Frames played a cover of the Pixies’, “Where is My Mind?” and, although, it didn’t match the pure brilliance of the original, it was wonderful way to end the show. In the words of Glen, “That was amazing.”
