When the Swell Season–the Oscar-winning musical duo Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, made famous in the indie movie Once–performed at the Michigan Theater in early December, Hansard told the crowd how much fun they’d had checking out Ann Arbor. He also thanked the vintage clothing shop down the street for outfitting them.
That shop is the Getup, on S. State, and its owner, Kelly McLeod, was working the day of the concert when she heard Hansard’s unmistakable Irish accent in her store. No stranger to celebrities–in its six years of operation, the shop’s famous visitors have included Morrissey, the Indigo Girls, and Juliette Lewis–McLeod says Hansard’s visit was special because she’s been a fan since she saw him in the 1991 film The Commitments.
“When I saw him in my shop, my inner fifteen-year-old came out,” she says. “I tried not to nerd out too much.” She says they chatted about Blondie, who was playing on the stereo. Hansard liked the outfits on a couple of mannequins so much that he bought the entire ensembles. He also bought bow ties, Izod sweaters, a 1940s hunting jacket, a wool coat for his grandfather, and a striped hat with a pom-pom that he wore for the opening number at the Michigan. Swell Season crewmembers also came by the store. They spent a couple hundred dollars and told staff they were having a hard time keeping their pocketbooks in their pockets. “Ann Arbor is so cool that it’s dangerous,” one said.
