Hozier’s lusty lyrics spinning in the background.On June 8, that was my reality when my friend and I caught Hozier’s final New York City show on this leg of his ‘Unreal Unearth Tour’ at Queen’s iconic Forest Hills Stadium.The folksy Irish-born “Take Me To Church” singer has all the bravado in the world, and we’d practically been prepping for this concert since we started jamming along to his tunes during middle school morning carpool sessions.Before he took the stage though, his opener, Allison Russell, grounded the already mellowed-out crowd with a handful of her earthy Americana hits: “Springtime,” “Ever Was Black,” and the spirited, singalong “Night Flyer,” which garnered no shortage of twinkling gazes (mine included).The soft-spoken Grammy-winner has been forging her path since releasing her first solo album three years ago.
She has an effortless, enviable, heartwarming aura around her, and her performance was just as much an opportunity to draw attention to social causes and religious conflicts as it was to entertain. “Gen Z and the Alphas give me hope,” she told the audience before encouraging everyone to register to vote, especially at the local level.
Teary eyes followed as she brought her ten-year-old daughter onstage to duet “Demons” and fill in for Brandi Carlile for their “You’re Not Alone” collaboration.
The singing genes are clearly at work — her father is Russell’s former bandmate.Russell’s departure provided just enough time for my friend and I to trot over to the concession stands for our caffeinated cocktails and Tacos Al Pastor.
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