Photo Story: Hozier Cries Power in Boston on his 2018 North American Tour

News · October 7, 2018

Hozier cries power at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts on his 2018 North American Tour on Oct. 01, 2018.

I read a YouTube comment on a Hozier video the other day that said, “Damn. I forgot this guy existed.”

Well, he’s back.

Hozier performed a sold out show at the House of Blues in Boston on his North American Tour following the release of his latest 2018 release Nina Cried Power – EP.

Hozier at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts on his 2018 North American Tour on Oct. 01, 2018. Photo by Brittany Chang.

I have a longstanding relationship with Andrew Hozier-Byrne’s music. I’ve been listening to him since 2015, a little bit before Take Me to Church exploded on the charts. His self titled 2014 record Hozier was spinning on repeat religiously for many weeks, and I still frequently go and listen to it on loop. I consider it one of the most impressive first full length album releases of any artist. Lyrically, every song is outstanding. The production is clean and a mood is set right from the beginning and continues throughout the record.

Whenever I go to Joshua Tree National Park, I always make an effort to listen to Hozier. I truly think the perfect place to listen to the record is in the middle of a desert.

Nina Cried Power – EP does the same justice to Hozier’s legacy. The release is such a massive deviation from the Top 50 Billboard charts where it seems like every artist uses the same producer and songwriter/ghostwriter. Hozier did an excellent job of sticking to his indie rock, blues soul whilst making room for new vocal developments (I mean, have you HEARD Nina Cried Power?!).

Hozier at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts on his 2018 North American Tour on Oct. 01, 2018. Photo by Brittany Chang.

“It’s not always you come face to face with a crowd like a Boston crowd,” grinned Hozier during his set.

Listening to the EP made me realize I take poetic songwriting for granted. Right from the start, Nina Cried Power (feat. Mavis Staples) packs a punch that many opening EP songs fail to do. The battle cry song cries of social justice and the role that music has played throughout the journey for the championship of equality.

This was the perfect song for Hozier to open his set up with. By opening with the gospel-esque cry, it instantly set a fervor and energy that isn’t always present Hozier songs. He instantly followed it with the high impact Jackie and Wilson, which maintains the same vitality as Nina Cried Power without the emotional zeal. It also happens to be my favorite Hozier song!

Hozier at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts on his 2018 North American Tour on Oct. 01, 2018. Photo by Brittany Chang.

A definite show highlight was Someone New, which he jammed to towards the end of his set. “Jam to?” you might be thinking. “How could he be jamming to his own song?!” Much to the crowd’s pleasant surprise, Hozier and his band did a funk twist on the classic Hozier song. Halfway through the song, the guitarist threw up a couple riffs (no pun intended) from Cissy Strut by The Meters.

It was in this moment that I realized the versatility of Hozier and how passionate he is about music. Let’s be real, Ireland-born Hozier physically looks like the King of the Forest who probably Snow White-like serenades squirrels whilst he walks around his lush woodland kingdom. Very rarely does he deviate away from this wholesome folk look and tone in his music. But the moment he threw some funk into Someone New, head bobbing and jamming with his band, I finally truly understood he is more than his aesthetic leads him on to be.

I’ll never forget the first funky riff of the song. There was an audible, passionate “wooOOoaahh” from the very surprised crowd (me included).

Hozier at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts on his 2018 North American Tour on Oct. 01, 2018. Photo by Brittany Chang.

I’ve been countless shows in Boston, but very rarely do I hear a reaction from the crowd for Hozier. It really seemed like more than half of the crowd new every word to every song. I know it’s a bit overused to say that a concert felt like “an intimate living room jam sesh” but truly, it seemed like every every person in the crowd was emotionally invested in the concert. Not many artists have the ability to illicit that kind of passionate response during shows.