Andrew John Hozier-Byrne graced the First Avenue mainstage on Wednesday, May 17, delivering a nostalgic tour of his music to a diehard crowd. The energy before the show was palpable. The day of the concert, he had just announced the name and release date of his next album, Unreal Unearth, completely changing the energy of his tour.

The exclusivity of the show — the Irish singer known as Hozier could’ve played to a much-larger venue — only made the crowd buzzier. The non-transferrable tickets were limited and sold out just minutes after they were released.

The new music shared in 2023 will be featured on Unreal Unearth, arriving August 18, a follow-up to 2019’s Wasteland, Baby! With his breakout EP in 2013, the singer made a name for himself as a reverent, timeless figure in indie music. (“Take Me to Church” has more than two billion streams, if that tells you anything.) His subsequent music has not disappointed, and the news of an upcoming album charged an already fervent crowd.

Lines of people waited outside of First Avenue, queuing up early to get good spots on the floor. An audience of primarily younger folks, perhaps those coming of age when the singer rose to popularity, made up most of the floor crowd.

The talented local singer-songwriter Mike Kota took the stage as the opener. With their soulful voice and thoughtful lyrics, they captivated an eager audience. Kota and their guitar made a powerful dynamic duo, providing excellent representation for the Minneapolis music scene. The contrast between Mike Kota’s intimate monthly Spotify listenership of roughly 30,000 compared to Hozier’s of nearly 27 million signified the thoughtfulness of both First Avenue and Hozier, using a massive platform to shed light on local talent.

When it was time for Hozier to play, he wasted no time. With a quick transition, he took to the stage with eight musicians. Essentially, a miniature orchestra accompanied him on stage — there was a violin, cello, and organ — what’s more, each of the respective players sang and played more than one instrument.

He started his set with “Eat Your Young,” a notably upbeat song with an abrupt energy that seemed almost shocking for the oft-stoic singer. The audience, moving as one powerful entity, proved itself as dedicated, singing the lyrics loudly, almost acting as another instrument in the band.

The entire show was characterized by audience engagement. Guided by the lead guitarist and background vocalists, each song was met by clapping or snapping, giving the show an undercurrent of community. He played now-nostalgic ultra-hits like “Cherry Wine,” “Someone New,” and “Would That I,” while mixing in his newer releases, which fostered a sense of intimacy and curiosity with the crowd.

Despite his loud and energetic start, Hozier’s quiet demeanor was readily apparent. He didn’t address the crowd until his fourth song, finally recognizing a crowd eager to hear him speak. His tendency for few words made everything he said feel more deliberate. When he did address the crowd, it was meaningful and appreciative. His humility was striking.

The crowd entirely lost it when he said, “I can’t tell you how good it feels to be back in Minneapolis,” and when he added “We haven’t played to a crowd like this in quite a while, so thank you,” the audience was deafening.

Still, with those few words, he managed to keep the crowd incredibly engaged. With the clarity of his voice and impassioned guitar playing, it was somewhat of a zealous experience. He almost had the demeanor of some kind of religious leader, singing his own version of gospel to the audience, and engaging his listeners in a kind of secular, indie, Irish church for one night. The organ feature on a multiple of his songs made it feel like an even holier experience, and his tendency to feature a choir of voices added something angelic.

Perhaps this was intentional, considering how he’s touched on religion in his work at least once or twice. Some contend that his latest release is inspired by Dante’s Inferno, and new album imagery that hints at the underworld and death only corroborates those theories.

Hozier has an ineffable quality that makes him seem almost immune to time, as though he’s from an ambiguous era. When he sang “Swan Upon Leda,” he introduced it as a song with historically Irish roots, paying homage to his heritage while cementing his timeless aura. All of these elements made the show feel like a mystical gift.

He played 15 songs, including high-energy crowd favorites like “Jackie and Wilson” and “Someone New,” but took the stage solo for “Cherry Wine,” taking the audience on an energetic journey through his catalog.

Ending his set with his most-beloved song – “Take Me To Church,” he solidified the concert’s religious energy, the audience singing the song to him in a call-and-response fashion, reminiscent of a preacher to his congregation.

They left the stage briefly, then quickly hopped back on for a mandatory encore. He introduced a new song, not yet played in the United States, called “Francesca,” an upbeat tune not too far from his other new releases. He officially ended the set with “Work Song,” but remained on stage to introduce and thank his bandmates and crew. He named upwards of 15 people, expressing gratitude, and then took his nine-person ensemble to the front of the stage for a bow. It felt especially earnest and genuine and unlike other shows.

He then mentioned that he’d be at the Electric Fetus on Thursday, meeting fans and talking about his latest release. Though he’d forgotten the time, his front-row fans reminded him.

After the show, the crowd filtered out in an excited haze, with a sense of excitement for what’s to come for the musician.

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Setlist

Eat Your Young

From Eden

Jackie and Wilson

Nobody

To Be Alone

Dinner & Diatribes

Swan Upon Leda

Cherry Wine

All Things End

Would That I

Someone New

Almost (Sweet Music)

Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene

Movement

Take Me to Church

Encore

Francesca – unreleased

Work Song