Allison Russell • Hozier • August 31, 2024 • Utah First Amphitheatre
Reviewed and Photographed by Josilyn Wakkuri Lybbert
I had the privilege of covering Allison Russell’s set as she joined Hozier for his sold-out stop on the Unreal Earth Tour at Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater on August 31st. This highly sought-after show had thousands of eager fans lined up throughout the expansive parking lot and there was even a huge line at the less popular south entrance! With people queued up like that, one couldn’t help but expect that the show was going to be great if that many fans were coming to spend their Saturday night there!
Allison Russell
Grammy award winner, activist, and musical extraordinaire Allison Russell took the stage with her all-female band, which is something you don’t see every day! She opened her set with, “Snakelife.” It’s the type of song that draws you in immediately by the sound of it, and then the lyrics draw you in even more! The song is all about taking hardships and using what’s learned from them to conjure up strength and resilience. Everyone can use that reminder!
Allison’s voice was stunning and sweet, but was also packed full of power, and I feel like that’s a rare combination to come across. She also proved to be easily multitalented as she shifted back and forth from singing to playing the clarinet.
The crowd adored Allison! They cheered her on from start and kept up their enthusiastic support throughout her entire set! I could tell that there were several groups of people who came especially to see her and they sang along to every song with passion!
Allison favored the crowd with songs like one of Grammy award winning songs like, “Even Was Black,” as well as, “Demons,” and, “Superlover.”
She also shared the story behind her debut album Outside Child, which was written from a standpoint of survival and resilience, as well as the healing and new life that came from the abuse she suffered at the hand of her stepfather who was old enough to be her grandfather.
Fans were sad to see Allison go after she sang, “Nightflyer,” at the conclusion of her set. Little did they know, we’d get the joy of seeing her again later in the evening! I think it’s safe to say that Allison Russell was adored by the sea of fans at Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater not only for her musical talent, but also for heart and passion!
Coming off a two show break after battling illness for weeks, Hozier took to the dimly lit stage as the screens behind him glowed with flickering stars. He began the show with, “De Selby (Part 1),” and, “De Selby (Part 2).” I’m not very deep into the Hozier fandom, but from what I’ve seen of him prior to the concert, it seemed like he’d almost been portrayed as a magical myth of a man. I can confirm that between the entrancing stage set up in the first songs, a portion of, “De Selby (Part 2),” being sung in Irish Gaelic, Hozier towering at a stance of 6’6”, and his moving, rich voice, he is quite a wonder!
Things really picked up with the fun, “Jackie and Wilson!” The crowd was jumping and singing along, singing to each other, and just were overjoyed to be there! After that song, Hozier said, “It’s a big deal for me to come to Utah and be met with a crowd like this. It’s just insane and magical!” He also shared that he felt the need to warn everyone that if he sounded like he was “slapped with puberty for a second time,” it was because he was still recovering from a virus. But he said it was the best he’d felt in weeks, and that it must be the Utah air! To further compliment our state he said, “It’s a beautiful part of the world you have here in Utah!”
Hozier
Hozier was joined by an awesome band! It was clear that each one loved being up there bringing his music to life! From my view of the stage, the backup singers were right in my line of sight and noticed how much fun they were having! Their singing was full of facial expressions and they even threw in some fun dance moves throughout the songs!
Hozier played through many popular favorites like, “Would That I,” “Take Me To Church,” featuring a fan project which allowed for cell phone lights to be illuminated in rainbow colors, and an intimate acoustic performance of, “Cherry Wine.” He dedicated the endearing, “Like Real People Do,” to a fan named Charlie that he’d met prior to the show, as Charlie said it was the song they were most looking forward to from the setlist. Even though Hozier was still recovering from being sick, I couldn’t tell! His voice was still strong and delivered the songs in beautiful ways that only Hozier can do!
My most anticipated of the night was, “Too Sweet.” This song captivated not only me when it came out earlier in the year, but also millions of others around the world. Hozier thanked fans for loving it this year, and because of that, it resulted in his first number one single ever! It was awesome to sing along to it in person with tens of thousands of other fans!
I noticed that it didn’t matter whether or not the song was upbeat or slow, Hozier fans would scream in excitement for each one! I don’t think I’ve ever been in a louder crowd, even with ear plugs on! After the hauntingly, heartbreakingly beautiful, “I, Carrion (Icarian),” fans showed their support for the performance by barking, which made Hozier laugh. He said, “Is that an Utah thing? Cool, cool, cool.” And when someone said it was an inside joke, he said, “I get it, too. I’m on the inside of this joke!” The crowd started up with that form of cheering a few songs later, and he jokingly suggested that they record a track with it and take it on the road!
Allison joined Hozier on stage for a song they’d recorded together called, “Wildflowers and Barley.” Fans were thrilled to have Allison back on stage! It was a lovely song, and I loved the blend of their voices together!
As the night started to draw to a close, Hozier thoughtfully expressed how grateful he was for the turn out for the show. He almost seemed speechless as he relayed that it was the biggest crowd he’d ever played for in Utah, and that he felt very blessed to be welcomed like he was. He also thanked all in attendance for spending hard earned money to buy a ticket to his show!
The night ended with, “Work Song,” and the previously rowdy crowd fell silent to listen to one last pretty song by Hozier. That was until the chorus came along, everyone joined in with singing that part!
Hozier and Allison Russell brought a wonderful night of enthralling musical performances! By the enthusiasm for each artist and the numbers they drew in, I have no doubt that the next time either of these two make it back to Utah (Allison will be back in November!) can’t come soon enough!