Perhaps it’s too early in his career for a memoir, but Glen Hansard has amassed some incredible stories about crossing paths with famous musicians along his journey so far. A pair of them — one uplifting and the other a bit solemn — crossed my radar this week, and I’d be remiss not pointing them out today. First up is a “Meeting Your Hero” story for the ages, in which one of Hansard’s holy trinity of songwriters (Dylan, Cohen, and Morrison) scoffed at a song request from the emerging busker before ultimately spending the entire night with his protégé. This Van the Man encounter has brought endless inspiration for Hansard in his years with the Frames, the Swell Season, and as a solo artist since — some of which you can almost feel vicariously when hearing him recount that night. Check out the video, from an interview with Kevin Pollack (via Open Culture), below:
That wasn’t the only notable twist of fate for young Hansard: the late, great Jeff Buckley spent time before pursuing a solo career as a roadie and friend to Hansard in the wake of his breakout role in The Commitments. As it turns out, the pair performed an impromptu set together at NYC’s now-defunct Sin-é club. Initially unaware of Buckley’s lineage before it came up after he covered a Tim Buckley tune, Hansard says he stole the show, winning over everyone within earshot and getting hired to wash dishes at the club. Soon after, Buckley performed at a memorial for his father, became a regular at Sin-é, and the rest is history. Hear Hansard remember those days and perform a tribute to his friend, “Neath The Beeches” (via Fuel/Friends), after the jump.