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Does Hozier have soul?

It’s unlikely anyone was asking that question Saturday night at a packed Rogers Place for the Edmonton stop of the Irish folk-pop superstar’s Unreal Unearth tour. Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, but he has made it into the upper echelon of musicians who have only one name. Hozier’s folk-rock pop with a bluesy touch has been a staple on contemporary rock radio worldwide for more than 10 years. Some criticize his music as being too intrusive and trying too hard at the same time, which raises the question: does Hozier have soul?

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What Hozier had that night, however, was the remnants of a cold. As he strolled onto the stage with his band and began the first song, he appeared listless and looked out at the noisy crowd with tired eyes. He sheepishly admitted that he was still battling the remnants of a virus that had previously struck the band, and joked that he might sound like he had been “hit by puberty for the second time.”

The band opened the set with a trio of high-energy songs, sending the crowd into a frenzy. While his music often sounds sterile and sometimes soulless on record, Hozier’s songs took on a looser, more fluid form when performed live. Jackie and Wilson hummed like a garage band warming up, while driving new song Nobody’s Solider sounded like the next James Bond theme song. Early highlight Eat Your Young was heavenly, catapulted into the skies by the divine backing vocalists.

Hozier’s backing band was in good spirits throughout, juggling the various musical styles with aplomb, including blistering violin solos and even a touch of vocoder. The majority of the set consisted of the usual rock styles, but was complemented by the occasional string section, keyboards and female backing vocals, creating a huge, reverberating sound in the old hockey arena that the technicians struggled to tame. The stage was sparsely equipped, with the necessary lighting and projections lending the music a fitting atmosphere.

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The star of the show was undoubtedly Hozier’s magnificent voice. He hit every high and low note and could be heard above the sometimes overwhelming guitar roar of his band. While his talent is usually best displayed in a smaller, more intimate venue, he was able to stretch himself to the max. He apologized for his strained voice throughout the concert, but his singing still towered over many rock acts that had previously graced the Rogers Place stage.

Halfway through the show, Hozier got into his stride, taking his hands out of his pockets and starting to strike poses more befitting a rock star. The band cranked up the volume on Francesca, which came across as a fun, grungy throwback to The Cranberries, while It Will Come Back had a swampy, bluesy feel. Hozier especially cranked up the volume on Would That I, gesturing to the crowd during the “oh, oh” chorus.

Hozier was joined on two songs by opener Allison Russell, who she called “one of the greatest freedom singers of our time.” Russell’s early performance was marked by the exuberant energy she brought to the stage, dancing barefoot and alternating singing and playing banjo and clarinet. Canadian Grammy winner Russell likely won new fans with her songs finding new funky sounds within the roots genre. She sang the delicate Wildflower and Barley and the Work Song, which closed the concert, with Hozier, bringing a soulful vocal style to the songs.

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As Russell previously announced, Hozier became the first Irish artist since Sinead O’Connor to have a number one hit in America, in the form of 2024’s Too Sweet. As the sinewy bass licks were played at Rogers Place, thousands of phones were whipped out to document the hit. It might shock you that Too Sweet is Hozier’s first and only chart-topping song, thanks to the TikTok effect, but that didn’t matter to the legion of loyal fans, some of whom were dressed as pointy-eared fairies, who sang along to even the non-radio-played singles and swapped friendship bracelets in the venue.

The inevitable Take Me to Church closed the set, culminating in a sing-along so loud that Hozier was able to put down his microphone for much of the song and let the crowd do the rest. The massive song, which was most audience members’ first introduction to Hozier years ago, was thankfully less bombastic live than the recorded version. Stripped of its contemporary rock radio sheen, it became more of a gospel song, giving a strong push to its themes of acceptance and support for the LGBTQ+ community, which Hozier showed by draping a Pride flag over his mic stand. Truly soulful.

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After a short break, Hozier strolled back onstage alone for the encore, playing the delicate Cherry Wine with just his acoustic guitar picking and voice. Thankfully, there seemed to be no public marriage proposals during the song at this tour stop. The encore ended with Unknown/Nth, Nina Cried Power and Work Song, after which the band exited and Russell returned. In between, Hozier launched into an impassioned call for social justice, addressing women’s reproductive rights and a ceasefire for Palestine, among other things, that would send any online comment section into a frenzy.

Perhaps in a first for a major rock band touring at Rogers Place, Hozier not only took the time to do his usual band introductions, but also made sure to thank almost everyone on his touring team by name, right down to security, lighting, sound, etc. The list of names could probably rival the shout-outs at the end of a first-time Fringe production, but it was born out of gratitude rather than a sense of duty.

Although hampered by his illness, Hozier delivered an admirable performance on Saturday night. Towards the end of the show, he was able to shake off the shackles of the disease (or the medication finally kicked in) and open up to the audience, telling, among other things, a story about how he released some butterflies in Edmonton that he had found in Oklahoma. It was tantalizing anecdotes like these that showed a little of Hozier’s soul.

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