Reading · That Million Dollar Bash

[Glen Hansard and Martin Hayes]

In 2011 I was hired by the Irish arts and music organization Other Voices to photograph two nights of performances at (Le) Poisson Rouge. The lineup featured a heavy list of great artists — not just musicians but poets, writers, and actors — in what was billed as “A Celebration of Music and Literature.”

[l to r: Peter King, Glen Hansard, Martin Hayes, Gabriel Byrne, Iarla Ó Lionáird]

Glen Hansard was key in the creation of the organization along with co-founder Peter King to support and promote Irish music both traditional and forward-thinking (which usually means some of both). I remember leaving with a much-expanded appreciation of the particular endearing paradoxes of Irish culture and creativity: the simultaneous states of high and low, gravitas and humor, enlightened but wry wisdom gleaned whilst rolling in the muck.

Soundcheck was just getting started and Hansard was on stage. As a fan I was excited to see him there and figured it was a good a time to start taking pictures. I may have interpreted this all wrongly, but after a few minutes minutes of tentatively, then more assuredly, taking pictures, he seemed to regard me with irritation and shoot a look of “who the fuck is this idiot?” to someone in the wings, filling me with a jolt of embarrassment and confusion.

[with Martha Wainwright and Sam Amidon]

For the next 15 years, that was the thing that stuck in my mind about the gig, overshadowing any positive feelings that the images were meaningful. In the shock of his passing, I wanted to gather a couple of photos, hoping there were at least one or two worth sharing. But as I went through images from the night, I felt a kick in gut many times over as I came across one image after another of Hansard anchored in the center of the magic and community of the evening — as a constant, supportive presence on stage, a lead performer and a participant interacting lovingly with the other artists in the green room and side stage.

I had obviously been engaged and inspired at the time — I’d taken over 2,400 frames over two evenings. On this pass, it was hard to get an edit down to around 80 images that covered all the personalities, performances, and interactions that I was a witness to. I’m not sure why I hadn’t remembered that more vividly than that moment of embarrassment. Maybe, despite my impressionable self-esteem, I was still able to experience and document a deep and special event.

I’m grateful the pictures are still there after carrying that self-negation around for a decade and a half, and that I can share them as one of thousands of testaments to Glen’s memory.

I set up a gallery on my website here: www.33-13.com/glen-hansard-other-voices-2011 - and placed some highlights below.

Pictured throughout, in rough order of appearance: Glen Hansard, Thomas Bartlett, Sam Amidon, Martha Wainwright, Trixie Whitley, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Gabriel Byrne, Paul Muldoon, Roddy Doyle, Philip King, Colum McCann, Martin Hayes, Damien Rice, Laurie Anderson, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Bryce Dessner, Aaron Dessner, Sharon Van Etten, Justin Vivian Bond.