A night of magical entertainment Irish singer-songwriter Hozier’s vocals impress By: Eva Wasney Posted: 11:28 PM CDT Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 Last Modified: 10:10 AM CDT Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024 Updates

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/08/2024 (651 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeggers flocked to Canada Life Centre to worship at the altar of Irish singer-songwriter Hozier on Tuesday night — with some queuing as early as 9 a.m., according to venue staff, in order to snag concert merch and a coveted spot in front of the stage.

By the time the doors opened, a line thousands-of-fans-deep snaked around the block. Inside, the arena was filled with an excited din and waves of occasional cheers well before the opening act took the stage. The anticipation was palpable.

Hozier had to do little more than amble up to the mic and run a hand through his auburn locks to set off an eruption of piercing cheers.

He performed on a stage made to look like a dry, cracked riverbed with bandmates and backup vocalists perched atop rocky risers. Partway through the show, the stage transformed to an underground cavern with sparkly tree roots sprouting from the ceiling.

Hozier — given name Andrew Hozier-Byrne — ebbed and flowed through his anthemic catalogue; opening with heavier tracks, such as Eat Your Young and Nobody’s Soldier, before moving into more romantic territory with songs such as Like Real People Do and Sweet Music.

Unfortunately, the artist’s energy didn’t match the power of his music. Early on, he admitted to “feeling under the weather” and it showed. Wearing a cardigan over a white button-up shirt, he appeared tired and performed with little expression.

Despite the low-energy stage presence, his rising vocals still managed to impress.

The crowd also didn’t seem to mind, singing along to catchy songs and shouting “We love you” supportively during lulls. Many in the sold-out audience were wearing flowy skirts and done up to look like woodland creatures, an apparent nod to the artist’s musical association with TikTok’s cottagecore community.

Hozier has experienced many rounds of virality during his decade-long career, including with his debut 2013 single Take Me to Church — an epic ballad about religious hypocrisy that became a rallying cry for LGBTTQ+ fans and remains one of the most played songs on Spotify. The headliner perked up slightly for an impassioned rendition of the song, backed by the original black-and-white music video.

Hozier has released three studio albums and several EPs since then (including last week’s Unaired EP) and has endeared himself to a new generation of listeners through political advocacy, nice guy likeability and hits new and old magnified by social media.

His latest album, Unreal Unearth, released last year, features Irish language lyrics and leans into the artist’s love of mythology with a narrative structure inspired by Dante’s Inferno.

Tuesday was an evening of ups and downs, thematically and literally as the opening and headlining performances each had to be paused several times to attend to audience members needing medical attention. The performers recovered quickly after each event.

Allison Russell and her three-piece band kicked off their 50-minute opening set with a hands-in cheer before launching into The Returner, the jammy heart-wrenching title track off the artist’s 2023 Polaris Music Prize shortlisted album.

Wearing a bright pink floor-length dress and alternating between the banjo and clarinet, the Montreal-born singer-songwriter eased the audience into the evening with a fitting mix of poetry and hand-clapping folk rock.

Between songs, Russell spoke about how excited she was to play in Winnipeg (her planned March visit was cancelled due to weather) and took time to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Both sentiments were met with enthusiastic cheers.

Russell, who has opened for the Unreal Unearth Tour 33 times and counting, returned to the stage later for a duet with Hozier of their collaborative song, Wildflower and Barley.

After a brief encore, Hozier closed his 90-minute appearance with an acoustic version of Cherry Wine, commentary about political engagement and a lengthy list of thank-yous. Finally, he brought Russell back up for Work Song, which started falteringly but salvaged the flow of the show.

Strangely, the star never made it to the secondary stage set up in the middle of the floor.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

X: @evawasney