I don’t consider myself a traveler, but every once in a while an opportunity presents itself that I simply can’t refuse. This is how I found myself in the car on my way to Saratoga Springs, New York, getting ready to see Hozier. I had missed the Boston dates of his tour in September of 2023, and had resigned myself to not having the chance to catch a Hozier gig until his next album cycle in God-knows-when, since the last time he had been in New England was in 2019. I knew I couldn’t miss it, so I sat in the Ticketmaster queue on the clock with a friend. I ended up with GA pit tickets, she ended up with lawn. The gods smiled upon me.

Jeremiah and I hadn’t taken a trip in a while so we made a thing of it. We had fancy dinners, we went to all the cute stores, and we waited until Sunday for the Hozier show. It was quiet; it was quaint; it was relaxing. We strode up to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and waited in a line of the most diverse people I had seen at a show in while, it was refreshing. We ended up closer to the stage than I could’ve dreamed and it was picture perfect.

Alison Russell was the opener, fresh off a Grammy win for Best American Roots Performance for “Eve Was Black”, and a feature on Hozier’s Unheard EP, “Wildflower and Barley”, my personal favorite from the EP. She played a short but electric set, and her band was phenomenal. She used her time to speak about loving others and being a part of the “Beloved Community” as she called it. She was not only talented musically but lyrically and poetically. She provided a perfect amuse bouche to the Hozier set; you could tell they fall in the same vein of thought and creativity. It was a great fit.

I’m used to a three or four band bill, but Hozier started right after Alison Russell and a quick set change. He opened with both parts of “De Selby”, the opening tracks of Unreal Unearth, my personal favorite album of 2023. Just him and his band on a mostly dark stage, backlit with a starry night effect (that was probably more effective a bit further back). The transition between the two tracks is peak for live performances, since “De Selby (Part 2)” is explosive and has a driving bass line that is wild stuff.

Hozier played a great mix of new and old stuff that was totally crowd-pleasing for experienced fans and those who only listen to “Too Sweet”. Is that too much shade? I don’t mean there to be any shade, but the fact that “Too Sweet” went #1 and not “Francesca” is a crime and I will never get over it. Hozier deserves way more than he gets and we should say it!

His band was huge and extremely talented. I’ve never seen a person switch between guitar and violin as effortlessly as his guitarist did. He had a cellist on stage, multiple keyboards; it was just wild. And the best part is, all of them were having fun. He did his badn intro during “Almost (Sweet Music)” and everyone got their own little solo, it was adorable. He couldn’t stop thanking his band and everyone who helped produce the show. He actually introduced the band twice, first sonically, then at the end again just in case we weren’t appreciating them enough.

His encore was a three track ensemble of “I, Carrion (Icarian)”, “Nina Cried Power”, and “Work Song”, the final track featuring Alison Russell one last time. He used the time before “Nina Cried Power” to really emphasize the importance of standing up for what is right, and he drew parallels between the Civil Rights Movement here in the U.S. to the protests that eventually caused a ton of positive change in Ireland. It was a bold speech and one that is necessary in our time, and after the show we were walking behind a couple and they were talking about how much they appreciate artists who use their platform to point others toward social justice reforms. If I ever get the chance to see Hozier live again I will 100% take it. His showmanship, humility, and all around chillness really shone through and he really made all of us feel like we were a part of the band.

by Nadia Alves

Nadia Alves has been a music enthusiast since she can remember. Going to shows is her main pastime. The other is being upset when she can’t go to shows. This is her first official venture into writing about music. You can follow her on Twitter.