Hozier's Unreal Unearth Tour Was Indeed UNREAL

Show Lineup: Hozier

Genre: Indie Rock

Venue: Tucson Convention Center

Date: 9/13/2024

Description: I went to Hozier’s show at the Tucson Convention Center and it was incredible. His voice is so angelic and I could hardly believe how good he was in person. He's so outspoken and always tries to give representation to groups who face oppression, even at his shows, which has given me so much more respect for him.

Oh. My. God. I don’t know how else to start. First of all, Allison Russell (the opener) was incredible. I didn’t know much about her before the concert except that she is a feature on Hozier’s Wildflower and Barley which is a song I really enjoy and I looked forward to hearing at the concert. Usually, I find openers to be a bit forgetful unless I know them beforehand, but Allison is a completely different story. She emanates passion and her voice is almost spiritual.

She began her set with her song The Returner and it really had me hooked for the rest of the show. Something about the way this song builds up into the chorus is so beautiful that it almost brought me to tears. It almost sounds gospel-like and that makes it feel so uplifting and empowering just like all of her other songs. I had never heard this song before the concert and I actually had to track down the title so I could listen to it again because I loved it so much.

Allison continued her set and she spoke on her own childhood story and how that shaped her into who she is today, the passing of the famous ballerina Michaela DePrince, and then she dedicated a song to an audience member. The fan requested she sing Everything I Wanted by Billie Eilish and Allison went on to tell us that Billie actually helped her and her daughter get through Covid so it was very personal to her. She then proceeded to do the most beautiful cover of the song you would ever hear and even sang part of it in French which was so angelic. Soon after she concluded her set and the shift to Hozier began.

I have always been a fan of Hozier since his first hit Take Me to Church and I have tried to keep up with him ever since. You would never think that his voice could get any better than the recordings, but WOW. That is so wrong. I always hear people say things like “OMG I saw ____ and they were even better in person!” Obviously I thought this was so cliche and never really had experienced that at a live performance - that was until I saw Hozier. I know it’s oversaid, but I can truly say that his live voice is even better than his voice in any recording you’ve ever heard.

He began his set with De Selby Part 1 and then transitioned into De Selby Part 2. Both parts are incredible, but when the bassline of Part 2 came in, all the feelings hit me (and I was unashamedly screaming my head off). The bass is one of the leading roles of the song and it's what really started up the crowd. The visuals throughout the whole concert were amazing and during this segment specifically, he put the music video up behind him which really helped to set a certain tone. It was such a perfect opening sequence and set the stage well for the rest of his set.

One song I have to talk about is Francesca. I was beyond excited to hear this song live because it is probably one of my favorites of his if not my absolute favorite. Like I said before, his vocals were unreal, but during this song specifically, I could not believe what I was hearing. It’s such a beautiful song and the chorus is so perfect for a concert setting because it has a sort of call-and-response aspect to it that everyone in the crowd was singing along to. In that moment I felt so connected to everyone there and I had chills the entire song because it was such a surreal experience.

The thing that really stuck out to me the most at this concert compared to others I’ve been to before was a long sort of motivational speech that he gave before he sang Nina Cried Power. Hozier has always been outspoken on politics whether it is directly or through his songs (especially this one specifically) so this speech didn’t exactly come as a surprise to me, but something about hearing him talk on today’s issues in person was so moving. He always attempts to give voices to people who aren't in the spotlight like him whether that's people of color, people of the LGBTQ+ community, or any other people facing oppression. It’s so amazing to see such a big artist actually have opinions on things that matter because I find that most artists are too scared to speak out due to the fear of losing fans or getting caught in the news. Hozier has always known his target audience and has stuck by them throughout his whole career which is so important to me and I think that’s what really makes him stand out from the rest of today’s artists. Him giving this speech and then transitioning into such an empowering protest song was so beautiful and I felt so at peace in that moment.

I could go on and on forever about this concert, but I eventually have to stop. It was such an incredible experience and I am eternally grateful that I was able to actually see and hear Hozier with my own two eyes and ears (I still don’t think I have properly processed what happened). The whole thing was so perfect from the way everyone dressed up, to the way everyone was complimenting each other while taking their cute little photos, to Hoziers “unreal-ness”. This was easily one of the best concerts I’ve been to and I will forever hope to be able to go to another. I am so thankful to both my friends and Hozier for making this such an unforgettable experience.

Reviewer Name: Madisen Hively

Date of Review: 9/17/2024