Once or Twice

Glen Hansard brought his battered guitar but left his Oscar on the mantle piece to play two sets of Amanda Stern's Happy Ending Music and Reading Series at Joe's Pub last week. The theme was "Temporary New Yorkers," so all of the participants were people in the city for an extended visit or artistic excursion.

Hansard played some very new songs and some very old songs, got everyone to sing along and took the requisite risk Happy Ending shows demand (all participants are required to make themselves vulnerable by attempting something they've never done). You kind of have to check it out to understand it, which is convenient because the Happy Ending Series is now a regular part of the Pub and you can catch a new show on the first Wednesday of every month.