By Jess Daninhirsch
At a sold-out Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, the 34-year-old Irish singer Hozier bared his soul onstage on July 29 in a dazzling night of powerful music.
There is something so unique and special about Hozier’s music. His lyrics are so poignant, as if he is the Shakespeare of our generation, and the instruments evoke such strong feelings.
On his “Unreal Unearth” tour, Hozier was joined by Allison Russell, whom Hozier called one of the great “freedom singers” of our time. Russell, a Montreal-born vocalist, sang songs in English and French while switching between the guitar, the banjo, and the clarinet. She was joined onstage by three other women who are part of the Rainbow Coalition, a band of POC and queer musicians.
Russell has a beautiful voice, and she uses it not only to sing her own music and alongside Hozier, but to speak out for causes in which she believes.
There is only one word to describe what I saw from the photographers’ pit when Hozier came onstage:
magical. It looked like I was staring up at a god surrounded by streams of blue light. The audience around me was entranced.
The stage was beautifully set, with fake trees adorned in glittering lights hanging upside down and a screen in the background that showcased an array of shapes and colors interspersed with live shots of Hozier and his band. Each visual felt as if you were watching the concert from deep in the woods or high up in the mountains.
Hozier expressed his gratitude for his band throughout the concert. He introduced each member of the band one by one, and while performing “Almost (Sweet Music),” each band member had a solo because the song is all about the magnificence of music. Where would we be without it?
He also showed how humble he is by constantly thanking his audience for coming to the show. He also forgot his own lyrics at the beginning of “Like Real People Do,” prompting him to restart. “It’s live music,” he said. “That’s how you know it’s live.”
Russell did the same during her opening set, when she began a song in the wrong key. “To err is human,” she said. The audience didn’t mind the mistakes; in fact, it only made them cheer and sing along louder.
Hozier played a mix of his new music and his older music. He invited Russell onstage to sing their new song together, “Wildflower and Barley,” as well as “Work Song” at the end of the concert.
“Too Sweet” is Hozier’s first number one single on Billboard’s Hot 100. The single, which was released on March 22, is part of his EP titled “Unheard,” which is now an extension of his most recent album, “Unreal Unearth.” Fans have been ecstatic to hear an abundance of new music over the past year after a bit of a musical drought between 2019 and 2023.
It’s not hard to make Hozier laugh during his performance, as he did while singing “Too Sweet.” One fan brought a sign that said “Are you hungry?” along with a small silica gel packet, referencing a Tweet of his from 2012, in which he said, “Be quiet, Silica Gel, can’t you see I’m starving.” He then went on to talk about silica gel and how “embarrassed” he was that people still remember that Tweet before and after the next song he played.
Many members of the audience looked forward to hearing “Take Me To Church,” one of Hozier’s most popular songs, the most. The song is a dig at religion and the hypocrisy of the church in regards to sex and sexuality. The passion in Hozier’s performance of it was palpitating. When singing the line “this is hungry work,” he pointed down at the stage, implying that the music industry is intense but satiating. He then vigorously pointed at himself in the next line of the chorus, “take me to church.”
By the end of the song, members of the band were slamming on their instruments because of how passionate they were. He completed the song by unfurling a pride flag in front of his microphone stand. The crowd cheered louder for this song than any of his songs.
Hozier’s encore consisted of “Cherry Wine,” “Nina Cried Power” and “Work Song.” He sang “Cherry Wine” from a small platform in the center of the crowd as the audience waved their phone flashlights in the air.
Before he sang “Nina Cried Power,” which featured his backup singer Melissa McMillan in place of Mavis Staples, the artist on the original track, he delivered a poignant message about this history and legacy of protest. He acknowledged the conflicts in Russia and Ukraine and the Middle East as well as the fight to end antisemitism and Islamophobia, urging people to choose peace.
It’s clear how passionate Hozier is about his music and his activism work, and it shows in his lyrics and his fans’ appreciation of those lyrics. The fact that he sold out a venue that fits 23,000 people is beyond impressive. His music is unique; it defies genre boundaries. The musicality of his songs is so special, and the listener feels special when listening to it. This was one of the most phenomenal concerts I have been to in a long time. Click the link below for more photos.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/livefromthepitt/albums/72177720319299434/with/53898224850/
Live from the Pitt 