Setlist: Weight of the World (new song), American Townland (Fergus O’Farrell), Love Don’t Leave Me Waiting, Bird of Sorrow, McCormack’s Wall, Star Star/Pure Imagination, Way Back When, Dark Days (Fergus O’Farrell), Dublin You Are – Stephen James Smith, Kerry Retreat – Stephen James Smith, Limerick Town (John Hegarty), Vigilante Man (Woodie Guthrie), High Hopes – When Your Mind’s Made Up, Falling Slowly – with Pete Holmes and ‘Sweet Valarie’, Passing Through – with Pete, Valarie, and SJS
Glen inquires offstage, “Do you want to sing this with me?” and Pete counters from the wings, baffled. “Do you mean me?!” What follows is a spontaneous and completely unrehearsed duet of Falling Slowly, utterly charming for its flubbed lyrics, initially forgotten harmonies, and uncontrollable laughter. When it’s revealed that Glen was actually beckoning Pete’s fiancée, ‘Sweet Valarie,’ Pete rehashes the moment: “I asked, ‘Do you mean me?!'” Glen laughs, “And I said no!” Valarie insists it was better this way. She’s right.
The evening ends with Stephen James Smith joining the three of them for an all-inclusive version of Leonard Cohen’s Passing Through.
[Thanks to Courtney for the setlist and notes.]