Angelic voice, incredible band “Take me to church” | Stepping Out

Hozier began his set with “De Selby (Part 1)”, a slower song about the blending of darkness and light that began the journey he would take concertgoers on. Hozier's thoughtful songwriting and artistry contrasts this theme, as he penned the lyrics in both Gaelic and English.

As on the album, “De Selby (Part 1)” merged with “De Selby (Part 2)”. The quiet fade of the first song developed as the percussion took over and, like Hozier's voice and the depth of the lyrics, was played at a crescendo and became more intense as the song progressed. While “De Selby (Part 1)” focuses on a more introspective mix of light and darkness, “De Selby (Part 2)” focuses on the fusion of two people, particularly in the sense of filling an emotional void through the search for new love.

At previous concerts, I felt like I was thrown headfirst into a performance. While I don't normally mind it—I'm a fan of high-energy intros at pop-punk or rock concerts—the slow intro was pleasant, especially because I had just arrived as Hozier began his performance, thanks to heavy traffic that forced many people stuck on the 101 southbound to exit their Ubers on foot. While my friends and I rushed to our seats, Hozier focused on creating the right atmosphere, slowly but surely letting the crowd sink into the set.

The singer from the small coastal town of Bray, Ireland, brought a powerful energy to each performance and an intimate atmosphere to each interaction with the crowd. Hozier, who has described himself in the past as a “lanky introvert,” checked in with the audience throughout the evening and thanked the crowd for being the largest audience of the three shows that were closest.

However, since Hozier was a true artist, his priority was clearly to give the audience a good performance. And he certainly did that.

“Francesca,” a song Hozier wrote that was inspired by Francesca da Rimini – a historical figure who appeared in the second level of Hell in “Dante's Inferno” – was one of my favorite performances of the night and made me cry. Damned to the level of Hell reserved for the lustful, da Rimini was murdered by her husband Giovanni.

Malatesta after he found out that she was having an affair with his

I believe in the idea that art is subjective and can be perceived and interpreted in a holistic way. Hozier has spoken about the influence of “Dante's Inferno” on his album “Unreal Unearth,” but I think Da Rimini and Paolo's love story was not the focus of the song, but rather the risk of their love and love of all kinds. Hozier's song is about how a tumultuous and ultimately “unsuccessful” love can still be meaningful and rewarding even after it ends. As Hozier sang, “Even though I know my heart would break / I'll tell them to put me back in / Darling, I'd do it again.”

Throughout the evening, Hozier wove together old and new songs, intertwining faster songs with slower tunes that kept the crowd engaged. From “Too Sweet,” which Hozier called his first number one hit, to familiar fan favorites from “Wasteland, Baby!” including “Would that I” and “Almost (Sweet Music),” the evening was full of crowd participation, brilliant vocals and inspiring instrumentation.

Hozier surprised me with one of the last songs of the night, the first song I'd ever heard from the singer-songwriter: “Take Me To Church,” released in 2013. Although I suspected it would be part of his set, I wasn't sure he would play it. When I heard the song's familiar piano chords, I almost lost my composure; I also nearly lost my voice from singing along so loudly with the rest of the audience. A haunting song in E minor that takes aim at homophobia in the Christian church, “Take Me To Church” fit my life pretty well when I first heard it, as I had just started my ninth year of Catholic school and was questioning many of the church's conservative beliefs.

My friends and I left the show right after Hozier finished his second to last song to avoid traffic, but I could have listened to him until sunrise. Hozier actually took me to church and I can only hope I get the chance to see him perform again.