Man commits suicide at Swell Season concert

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A man jumped from a roof onto the stage during a Swell Season concert in Saratoga, Calif., on Thursday night in an apparent suicide, according to news reports and witnesses. Glen Hansard had just finished a song and was engaging in some chatter with the band’s guitarist when an unidentified concert goer jumped from the rooftop of Saratoga Mountain Winery, west of San Jose, leaving behind his friend who had come with him, according to Santa Clara County sheriff’s Sgt. Rick Sung.

The man jumped off near the lighting rig and landed on the stage a few feet away from Glen Hansard, who walked over for a few minutes before eventually vacating the stage with former sweetheart Markéta Irglová and the rest of the band. Sung told SF Weekly that paramedics and a doctor who was in the audience tried to revive the man with CPR for over an hour, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Swell Season, best known for Hansard and Irglová’s romantic interplay captured in the 2006 movie, ‘Once,’ has released a statement: ‘The band, crew and all involved with them are shocked and saddened by the unfortunate events of last night. Their hearts go out to the victim and his friends and family.’

Some fans and concert attendees have taken to Twitter to express their shock. Sundaydinner writes,
‘was enjoying a concert. The last thing I expected was to see someone fall/jump to their death on stage. Still shocked and numb.’

--Margaret Wappler