Hozier’s Return to the Greek

A soft spotlight brings to life Hozier’s shadow as he walks through the smoke.

Hozier’s performance at the Greek was like a loud and bright yet sweet and intimate serenade. Despite the hundreds of people, each person felt like he was singing directly to them. The stage enhanced by ever-changing lights reflecting the mood of each song had an enormous screen that hypnotized the audience with striking images and flowing lyrics.

Hozier’s powerful voice captivated the Greek. It seemed like everyone held their breath in fear of disrupting him or his band. It was only after the reverb of the last strum of his guitar ended that the entire audience collectively exhaled and then cheered in excitement. The silence following the end of each set seemed particularly out of place, heavily contrasting the vivacity of “Nina Cried Power,” the power of “Take Me to Church,” or the soulfulness of “As It Was.”

In the middle of the concert, Hozier introduced a surprise. After asking his fans to put away their phones, he played a preview of his new album. The new music, received with much enthusiasm, preserved Hozier’s signature earthly and gospel style, but remained as gentle as tracks such as “Cherry Wine” and “Movement.” Though it is hard to tell what direction Hozier plans to take in future projects, the preview suggests his new music will be less despairing, deeply contrasting his tracks in Wasteland, Baby! (2019) which have been described as apocalyptic love songs.

While Hozier’s intensity energized the crowd throughout the night, another essential element to the concert’s success was his multi-talented band. Violin, keyboard, backup vocals, drums, bass, all played harmoniously to Hozier’s voice, creating an otherworldly feeling making Hozier’s return to the Greek magnificent enough to leave us all with post-concert depression.