Irish musician Andrew Hozier-Byrne, who goes by the stage name Hozier, was welcomed to Seattle with a bit of rain in the middle of an otherwise fair-weather week. While many would be disappointed to be in town for the only poor weather day, Hozier felt Seattle had to offer him a piece of his home while on tour. Through sharing sentiments such as the aforementioned feelings of home, Hozier supplemented his music with bits of vulnerability, offering a masterclass in generating an intimate environment with a large crowd.
Hozier’s set was carefully crafted, balancing dualities on many fronts. His transitions sounded seamlessly natural, yet shifts in tone and mood could still be felt. His presence was grand, yet personal; he was serious, yet cracked a joke here and there when appropriate; he tended to play and sing accurately to his studio recordings, but knew just the right moments for flawless execution of an altered vocal or guitar run.
The highlights of the night were strategically placed throughout the set, and varied in form and feature. One such highlight came early on in the set, when Hozier engaged the crowd in a call and response to introduce “To Be Alone.” He is perhaps the only musician who could get a crowd of thousands to sing an G#5 and a E♭3 within seconds of each other. His solo performance of “Cherry Wine” was certainly among the top moments for his own performance, displaying his virtuosic talent that transcends a listening experience and can be felt on the level of the soul. Towards the end of the set in the outro of “Almost (Sweet Music)” many of his backing musicians were given a few moments of a solo to display their individual talents. Lastly, in the final song of the encore, Hozier brought back out the opening act Madison Cunningham, who he described as “one of the most uniquely talented, creative minds of [his] generation,” for a duet performance of “Work Song.”
Hozier’s Unreal Unearth Tour is certainly one for the books, and none of it could be possible without his crew of fifty-two, had their names displayed one-by-one on the venue screens after the show’s end. Between that and stopping his performance three times for medical emergencies in the crowd, Hozier proved he is not only an expert musician, but also an expert showman.
The Unreal Unearth Tour continues for a few more sold out shows in the United States before going back to Europe where there are still some available tickets. If you were unable to catch him on this run, make sure his next tour is at the top of your list. It will be an experience unlike any other.
