Review and Photos by Katrina Gelety

Hozier brought his Unreal Unearth Tour to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 29, 2024. I was excited to catch the opening set from Allison Russell because I have a friend that raves about her and told me I needed to give her a listen, and Russell did not disappoint whatsoever. I was captivated by her angelic vocals and the runs she is able to do with her voice. She jumps around her vocal range with astonishing ease. Her smooth and sultry lower register is one of the best I’ve heard. It also made the former marching band nerd in my heart happy to see Russell incorporating a clarinet into her music and live performance.

My favorite moment of the set was when Russell let the audience in on the struggles she had to overcome to make it where she is. She let everyone know that if things were able to get better for her then there is a light at the end of the tunnel for anyone going through hard times. When she finished speaking, an audience member shouted “Life is beautiful,” and Russell responded, “Yes it is,” with the biggest smile on her face. It was a beautiful moment that resonated with many in the crowd. I overheard several people after the show talking about how happy they were to have arrived at the show early enough to catch her set and how they were inspired by her words and her music.

Shortly before 9:00 p.m., Hozier took the stage in front of a sold-out crowd. The cheers were deafening as he began his set with “De Selby (Part 1)” followed by “De Selby (Part 2).” The last time I saw Hozier was when he headlined High Water Festival in North Charleston, South Carolina this past April; however, he didn’t sing “De Selby (Part 1)” at that show, so it was at the top of the list for songs I was ecstatic to hear. Hozier switching from English to Irish in Part 1 supported with harmonies from each of the band members was breathtaking. Part 1 seamlessly flows into Part 2, and it was a phenomenal way to start off the show. Two more highlights of the setlist were getting to hear “I, Carrion” and “Abstract (Psychopomp)” which were also two songs he did not sing at High Water Fest. Unreal Unearth is one of my favorite albums, so I take it as a win anytime I get to hear songs from that album performed that I haven’t heard live before.

I also loved getting to hear “Wildflower and Barley” which Allison Russell came onstage to sing with Hozier since she is featured on the original song. The back and forth lyrics Hozier and Russell sing in the chorus are my favorite part of the song and feel magical live. The seats for the show that I previously purchased for me and my friends were situated right behind the sound and lighting crew. While singing our hearts out to “Take Me to Church,” we happened to notice the crew members were taking a cover off of what appeared to be a B stage. All 3 of us had mouths dropped when we realized Hozier was going to be singing a couple of songs just a few feet in front of us. Hozier came to the B stage for part of his encore and sang both “Cherry Wine” and “Unknown / Nth” to the back half of the audience.

After those two songs, he made his way back to the main stage where he gave an impassioned speech which touched on topics like women’s rights, equal rights for people of color, and asking audience members to call their representatives about the violence occurring in Gaza and advocating for a ceasefire. Following this speech, Hozier sang one of my favorite songs, “Nina Cried Power.” Melissa McMillan, one of Hozier’s background singers, flawlessly sang Mavis Staples’s parts of the song. It was such a commanding performance from the whole band, especially placed after Hozier’s moving speech.

I’ve heard many people comparing Hozier’s live performance to attending church, and I can understand how they would come to that conclusion. Not only are Hozier’s vocals heavenly, but every member of his band plays multiple instruments while providing rich harmonies to every song. You can tell that each person working on this tour does everything in their power to make the night an absolute EXPERIENCE. The evening ended with “Work Song” in which Hozier brought out the beautiful Allison Russell one more time to enhance the song with her awe-inspiring vocals. It felt like the icing on the cake of what was a night I will never forget. I’m counting down the days until I get to see Hozier again at All Things Go Music Festival in September. 

Be sure to check out our gallery of photos below, and I highly encourage you to get tickets to see Hozier on the Unreal Unearth Tour if you are able to.