Now I can say, 'I was there.'

Last Thursday, I went to a bar / music venue called Whelan's with Rory and Michele. It's been a life goal of mine to be at one of those music shows where something amazing happens; someone walks in the room, and you know you're part of something special. This was Mark Geary's last gig in Dublin for a while and as we were standing there going past the alloted performance time, in walks Glen Hansard. For those of you who don't know, Glen Hansard is a former Grafton Street busker, a member of both The Frames and The Swell Season, but he's most famous now for being in a movie called 'Once' that garnered both him and Marketa Irglova Academy Awards for Best Original Song in 2008. As soon as I saw Glen coming in from the back, I knew this was that moment I'd always hoped for. As you can tell from the video below that shows the last song of the gig, Glen doesn't need an amp or a mic. He blows the roof off the place on his own. And Mark Geary, Dan Wilde, Seamus and other musicians up there were just phenomenal. So thanks to Rory and Michele for taking me along and helping me fulfill a life goal. Ironically, I was standing next to the guy taking this video, and if you listen really hard towards the end, you can sort of hear me singing as well. A bit weird to hear my voice in a video with Glen Hansard.

Click this link for Glen and Marketa's acceptance speeches.