If you’ve ever wondered what Hozier has been up to since he released “Take Me to Church” 10 years ago, it’s selling out arenas. On Wednesday, September 20th, I had the difficult task of choosing between Janelle Monáe at MTELUS, Duran Duran at Bell Centre, or Hozier at Place Bell, and I really wanted to see all of them. After listening to “Unreal Unearth,” Hozier’s 3rd studio album released in August, I made my decision.
When I got to Place Bell around 7:30, I thought I was early, but so did all the other fans who crowded the entrance. Luckily, the lines moved quickly, and I made it in time to get to my seat (which was very close) and catch the full set of the remarkably talented Madison Cunningham.
She began around 7:50, opening with “All I’ve Ever Known.” There was no grand entrance or announcement; she calmly walked across the stage and began strumming her guitar. Her voice slowly got louder, filling up the half-empty arena as latecomers trickled down the aisles. She reminded me of KT Tunstall in the best possible way. Singer-songwriter, guitar player, telling stories in her own voice at her own pace. She was folksy and bluesy and even a little punk. It was my first time seeing her live, and her versatility and skill left me speechless.
Halfway through her short but impactful set, the lights came on, and Madison humbly addressed the crowd, exclaiming, “This is easily one of the biggest rooms that I’ve ever played in my whole life.” After introducing the band, she described the next song as being about losing someone who was very special to her. And then, she casually picked up her acoustic guitar and began to sing “Life According to Raechel.” As her angelic voice floated through the venue, we all lit our phone flashlights and began to sing along. It was at that magical moment when a crowd of strangers in a cold, dark arena became a group of warm, lovely souls sharing their hearts.
(Everyone except for the douchey guy with the man bun, who accused me of being in his seat, which I was not, and he almost killed my vibe. If you’re going to be late to a show, make sure you know where your seat is before you disturb people. Luckily, I was seated next to a very sweet girl and ended up having a great chat in between sets.)
“All I’ve Ever Known
Hospital
Pin it Down
Life According to Raechel
I don’t know
In From Japan”
There was a large gap of time until Hozier came out, and the crowd began to get restless. Around 9 o’clock, paramedics appeared with a stretcher and parted the thick crowd surrounding the stage. They emerged, wheeling a young woman with a pale complexion and closed eyes. I felt terrible that she would miss the show and wondered if she was going to be OK. And that was not the only time that someone needed attention during the night. Around midway through Hozier’s set, during “Would That I,” he stopped playing and lifted up his hand to signal the techs to turn on all the lights. He actually stopped his performance to ask a fan if they were OK.
There was a strange intensity at Place Bell that I have not felt at other shows. It was something beyond music, a deep, spiritual, emotional phenomenon. People were visibly moved, and it was not drug or alcohol-induced.
I don’t know how to describe Hozier without sounding creepy or immature, but I know I’m not the only one who fell in love with him that night. From the shrieking young girls sitting behind me to the delightfully mixed bag of LGBTQ fans, it was clear that Hozier’s multidimensional appeal was genuine and universal.
Opening with “De Selby (Part 1),” the first track from his latest album, he eased us gently into the night with his tender tone and soft playing of his acoustic guitar. (I noticed that he never used a pick, even when he used an electric guitar, and he changed his guitar after every single song. I always loved his vocals but did not know what a gifted guitarist he was. His long, agile fingers were both delicate and strong.)
He stood alone, his long, lanky frame against a dark screen, and then the appearance of thousands of tiny stars created a magical backdrop. He continued with “De Selby (Part 2),” which showcased his tremendous vocal range. The band joined in, and as the screen lightened, I could see that in addition to a bass player, a drummer, and two backup vocalists, there was a keyboard player and a piano player, a violinist, and a cellist. He introduced each member more than once, as he was obviously and rightfully in awe of them, as were we.
Hozier is one of the most unusually creative and interesting artists that I’ve ever seen. Standing at 6’6″, with long, dark, curly hair falling onto his perfectly chiselled face, he’s an enigma who doesn’t fit into any box. In his understated grey trousers and jacket, sheepishly admitting to being a member of the Icarus fan club, he appeared more like a professor of Greek mythology than a rockstar. The more he explained the backstory of “I, Carrion,” the more charming he became. And he wasn’t even trying. He was simply himself, intelligent, quirky, and ridiculously talented.
He even educated us on Gaelic etymology before singing “To Someone From a Warm Climate” (Uiscefhuaraithe). With a slow and gentle delivery, his voice almost a whisper, he turned an obscure and unpronounceable word into something sensual.
His falsetto in “Eat Your Young” sounded as good as the record. It’s my favourite track on the new album and one of the highlights of the night.
“And, of course, he ended his set with the anthemic “Take Me to Church,” which brought the house down. As I gazed across the arena, I saw 10,000 people not just singing every word but feeling every word. At one point in the evening, fans had thrown some rainbow flags at the stage, and Hozier hung them on his microphone. It was a safe space where everyone was welcome, where everyone could be themselves, and it was powerful.
When he sang “Unknown” for his encore, I knew I had made the right choice. I got to witness a very rare and special artist whose lyrics read like poetry with words that hold weight and meaning. And for them to be shared and sung with such power and grace was a great privilege.
“Do you know, I could break
beneath the weight
Of the goodness, love I
still carry for you”
He played till 11:00, giving us everything he had. I felt spent and wondered how he was capable of doing this night after night. He didn’t dance, strut across the stage, or even shred his guitar, but stood perfectly still and simply allowed the power of his words to transcend through the healing vibrations of his voice. He took us to church.
As the crowd dispersed, I saw wide-eyed expressions of pure joy. We all left with a new heightened sense of harmony. Amongst all the buzzing words of praise, I overheard a young woman tell her friend, “That was a religious experience.” She wasn’t wrong.
Setlist:
- De Selby (Part 1)
- De Selby (Part 2)
- Jackie and Wilson
- From Eden
- Francesca
- To Be Alone
- Dinner & Diatribes
- I, Carrion (Icarian)
- Cherry Wine
- To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe)
- Would That I
- Damage Gets Done
- Almost (Sweet Music)
- Nina Cried Power
- First Time
- Someone New
- Eat Your Young
- Take Me to Church
Encore:
- Unknown/Nth
- First Light
- Work Song
Review – Annette Aghazarian
Photos – Serena Yang
