Pearl Jam rocks Missoula’s Wa-Griz, and so did Glen Hansard

William Munoz

(Missoula Current) Six years have passed since Pearl Jam last played in Missoula. But given that Montana's senior Senator, Jon Tester, is seeking reelection, the band's appearance wasn't a coincidence.

After all, Jeff Ament – the band's bass player – also hails from Big Sandy, Tester's hometown. He has been a longtime supporter of the senator, and the senator a longtime supporter of the musician.

Planes from Denver, Seattle and Las Vegas were filled with concert goers, and Tester supporters showed their appreciation.

The members of Pearl Jam are supportive of each other when it comes to social activity. Formed in 1990 in Seattle, Pearl Jam was one of the driving forces along with Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Soundgarten - all born from the Seattle grunge scene.

Other than Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters, who were formed after the disbanding of Nirvana, Pearl Jam has been the most successful band from this period, and it showed in front of a packed house at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula.

But not to be overlooked is Glen Hansard, an Irish singer-songwriter from Dublin, who opened for the iconic band. As fate would have it, he formed The Frames also in 1990 and quickly became a force in the Dublin rock scene.

The name came about because Hansard would fix bicycles for his friends and ended up with numerous frames lying around the yard. Neighbors would simply refer to his house as The Frame house.

While Pearl Jam has won many music awards, they have never won an Oscar. But Hansard, along with pianist Markéta Irglová as The Swell Season, did win an Oscar for Best Song, “Falling Slowly” from the film "Once” in 2008.

The duo performed at the Wilma in 2008, a show that began my following of Glen Hansard. In September 2019, he again came to the Wilma stage with Spanish player Javier Mas. One of the more memorable moments from that concert was when Hansard gave Mas his electric guitar and Mas proceed to rip off a solo that would make the best rock guitarists envious.

Then the stage lights failed and as one, the crowd pulled out their phone flashlights and in the magical dim light, the solo played on.

Glen Hansard has a long history with Pearl Jam and in particular with supporting Eddie Veder on his solo tours. Thursday night was yet another musical wonder under the fading summer light.