Hozier and band (pictured above) performed after opening act Angie McMahon in the Rochester Auditorium on Sunday, Nov. 10. Hozier played several songs from his latest album, Wasteland, Baby! (Courtesy of Madelyn Dewey).
There’s this recurring joke that pops up on social media from time to time about how whenever Irish singer-songwriter Andrew Hozier-Byrne isn’t releasing new music, he’s in some bog or mystical wooded cove recouping his earthy aesthetic before reemerging into the public eye.
While I can’t explicitly refute these claims, I do know that on Sunday Nov. 10 the singer wasn’t hiding in a secluded forest. Instead, Hozier was giving an electric performance to a sold-out crowd of more than 2,000 people at Rochester’s Auditorium Theatre.
Before getting to the headlining performance, however, it’d be remiss of me to not talk about the show’s powerhouse of an opening act: Australian singer-songwriter Angie McMahon. The theatre was dark, and the crowd still trickled in as a slight woman took to the stage with nothing but a guitar, a mic stand and a wooden sign propped up behind her that read “Angie McMahon” in messy scrawl.
McMahon seemed right at home in concert with the politically conscious Irish sad-boy. Before beginning the set, she thanked the area’s indigenous populations for the use of the land and the work those people have done for hundreds of years to help protect our beautiful planet.
It was a touching and thoughtful start to the bruising, introspective performance that followed. Every song performed was off the singer’s debut album, Salt, and McMahon’s roaring, raspy voice spoke of a surprising level of pain and honesty—illustrated by songs like “Pasta,” “Missing Me” and “Slow Mover.”
The performance was intimate, with welcomed quirky stage banter breaking up the raw honesty inherent in each of her songs. Download the album, stream Angie McMahon’s songs and support an up-and-coming female artist that eloquently speaks for what it’s like to be a woman in 2019.
Raucous applause as McMahon exited the stage was followed by stunned silence; it was like that scene in A Star is Born when Allie performed with Jackson Maine for the first time—everyone knew they had just witnessed the beginning of something special.
The stage was dark as the crew prepared for the headlining performance, when suddenly the lights came up and Hozier, backed by his seven-piece touring band, emerged like a man out of myth to the backdrop of the intense guitar intro for his song, “Dinner & Diatribes.”
It was refreshing, but not surprising, to see that the socially aware singer’s accompanying band was composed of male and female musicians in equal parts. It may seem trivial, but after attending a plethora of concerts featuring male-heavy lineups the female representation felt notable and important.
In addition to the value in representation, the diversity in Hozier’s backing group lead to a multi-faceted set that was host to plenty of unique and masterful musical moments.
The concert heavily featured songs from Hozier’s sophomore album, Wasteland, Baby!, which the singer regularly describes as “love songs for the end of the world.” The album represents a kind of duality that was evident throughout the concert, as the songs’ melancholic nature were regularly contrasted by the performers’ palpable joy and passion for what they were doing. A notable example was “Shrike,” easily the album’s saddest song, yet Hozier and his band performed it with smiles on their faces.
Resulting from this duality was almost two hours of music and love that pervaded the room and touched everyone in the audience. When Hozier and co. exited the stage after playing “Take Me to Church,” the audience gave a standing ovation that lasted at least five minutes. The band obliged the crowd’s loud request, returning for two encore songs.
After a beautiful rendition of the haunting song “Cherry Wine,” the night’s best moment was its last—when Hozier and his band were joined by Angie McMahon to conclude the night with what might be the most beautiful live performance I’ve experienced.
The pair’s voices intertwined for a moving, tear-jerking final song, Hozier’s “Work Song.” As people exited the theatre, they were left feeling united and now always have a reminder that even in trying times, there is always love in the world.