The Spirit Store is a legendary venue for a reason—its intimate, creaky-floorboard charm is the perfect pressure cooker for a band like The Frames. If you were there on Wednesday night, you know it wasn’t just a gig; it was a homecoming that felt both chaotic and deeply soulful.
Walking into the Spirit Store, the air was already thick with that specific brand of Dundalk devotion. With the venue’s capacity being what it is, there’s no “back of the room”—everyone is effectively in the front row.
Support on the night was from Dundalk’s own Rowan Murphy, a young singer-songwriter who, at 20, her music and lyric writing is well beyond her years, and her voice and performance are well above her peers. She has been supporting a lot of high profile artists lately and I reckon it’s only a matter of time before she’s headlining her own shows. To walk on stage alone in front of a sold out crowd of Frames die hard would be a daunting task for any artist, but Rowan made it look effortless and almost immediately had won the crowd over, setting them up perfectly for the main act.
When Glen Hansard and the crew took the stage, the transition from pub chatter to pin-drop silence (and then roar) was instantaneous.
The Frames have never been a band to stick strictly to the script, and Wednesday was no exception.It was loud, expansive, and occasionally messy in the best way possible. They moved seamlessly from frantic, jagged energy to the kind of hushed folk-rock that makes you hold your breath.Watching Colm Mac Con Iomaire on the fiddle is always a highlight; the interplay between his melodic lines and Glen’s battered acoustic guitar remains the heartbeat of their live sound.
Glen also took an extended moment in the middle of the set to discuss the importance of the Spirit Store and other grass roots venues, and how, without places like these who will put on gigs even if it’s at a loss, they would never have gotten to where they have. They even brought the owner Mark Dearey on stage to say a few words, which included a very accurate observation that you will rarely see a live band commit so strongly to a performance. The fact that decades later, Hansard’s vocals still sounded album perfect is a testament to him, and it was stunning to see they could perfectly recreate the complex layers of their album sound, with an extra edge that inevitably comes from playing live.
By the time the set reached ‘Fitzcarraldo’ and ‘Revelate’ (the former making a rare appearance in their live set, and one I was especially happy to finally hear played live), the audience wasn’t just watching—they were the backing choir.
They even brought Rowan back out to join them in a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Everywhere’, which she absolutely nailed.
It was a masterclass in how to hold an audience. The Frames in a room this size is a rare gift—reminding us why they remain one of Ireland’s most vital live acts, decades into their journey.
If you can find a ticket to one of their few remaining shows, I would highly recommend picking one up.
Live performances like these don’t come around too often.
Rowan Murphy photos:
The Frames photos & set-list:
Set-list:
Trying
Rise
Lay Me Down
Seven Day Mile
Finally
Dream Awake
Keepsake
What Happens When the Heart Just Stops
God Bless Mom
The Stars Are Underground
Santa Maria
Fitzcarraldo
Revelate
Friends and Foe
Red Chord
Pavement Tune
Heyday (Mic Christopher cover)
Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac cover – with Rowan Murphy)
Star Star
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Dance the Devil Back Into His Hole
Monument
Photos & Words – David McEneaney @experimentzero