Oscar highlight: Irish eyes are smiling

Tough-guy Colin Farrell probably cried in the audience, so I don't feel so embarrassed for cheering aloud when "Once" picked up the Best Song award at last night's Oscars.

I had been looking forward to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova performing "Falling Slowly" for quite some time. I love "Once." Love as in it's one of my top ten movies of all-time, which is a big distinction for a list guy like me. I got a taste of Hansard's performance chops at Austin City Limits Festival three years ago during an afternoon slot by his full-time band, the Frames. Since then, I'd been intrigued by his music, but it wasn't until his Swell Season collaboration with Irglova that I went completely numb for the pair's phenomenal chemistry.

Then came the movie. Then came the Oscar nod. Then came the win -- in the face of three Best Song nominations for "Enchanted" -- last night.

It's a stunning story, for all the reasons Hansard's red-faced, shaky hand acceptance speech hit on. The movie was made for less than $200,000. It's an Irish musical. Hansard and Irglova are musicians, not actors. The two characters in the movie don't even have names. They're just Guy and Girl.

So a live performance from both would have been highlight enough. But after Hansard ended his speech with an accent-heavy "Make art! Make art! Tanks," Irglova leaned into the microphone, only to be interrupted by an ill-timed orchestral cue. So they shuffled off stage and the show cut to commercial. Upon returning, host Jon Stewart asked Irglova to finish her speech, which led to heartfelt thanks and a shout-out for independent artists from the 19-year-old Czech pianist. It was one of the classiest moves I've ever seen on an awards show, and I'm not surprised that Stewart was the man behind it.

In case you missed it, the Oscars clip is below. "Once" fans will also want to tune in Thursday to Ovation TV's, "The Artist's Den," for a performance from both. The concert, shot at Good Shepherd Center Chapel in Seattle, airs at 7 p.m., and has several repeat showings after. I've already watched Josh Ritter and Crowded House in the "Den," so I can vouch for it being an awesome showcase for a diverse set of musicians.

Finally, Hansard and Irglova are taking their tunes on the road May 8th at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. Pre-sale started today at noon, and as someone who already grabbed tickets online, it was selling fast. Oscar buzz will do that everytime.

UDPATE! UPDATE! Due to high demand, the Milwaukee show has been moved to the Riverside. Pre-sale restarts Wednesday at noon; public sale Friday at the same time.

-- Thomas Rozwadowski, trozwado@greenbaypressgazette.com