The Forest Hills Stadium is settled comfortably in the neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, New York. If you drive by quickly down any of the side streets, you might miss the legendary arena that held the U.S. Open tennis matches. Despite the old venue being for sports, it has held its fair share of concerts as The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and Tom Petty have all called Forest Hills home at one point. The venue throughout the summer has a stacked lineup of artists that usually sell out the 13,000-person venue. Some of the top names for this year are Pitbull, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Kings of Leon. But, Hozier has taken up a four-night residency at the stadium for the first week of June on his “Unreal Unearth” tour.
When Hozier graced the stage for the first show on Tuesday, Forest Hills Stadium announced that he was the first person ever to have a four-show run in 101 years. By Thursday night – the third night of the run – fans ran through the gate and into their seats to witness history. After a missed turn on the way to the venue, I entered the gate for the first time and noticed the energy. The excitement for Hozier was palpable as fans filed in to find their seats.
By the time 6:45 p.m. rolled around, Allison Russell and her band jumped on stage to once again greet New York City. Russell has been on Hozier’s tour the entire time entering the evening. Russell, who hails from Montreal, Canada, wowed the audience with her voice, stage prowess and compassion for peace on Earth. Despite only playing for a half hour, Russell and her band impacted the crowd. At one point during her set, Russell paused in between songs to preach peace and love for everyone. It was so moving that she teared up and was close to fully crying. Her dedication to her mission of music and activism left a noticeable impression on the audience.
The band’s six songs were a great way to open the show and get the audience in the mood for Hozier. Russel played three tunes from her newest release, 2023’s The Returner. “Demons,” “Eve Was Black” and the title track were some of the standout songs from her set. By the time 7:30 p.m. rolled around, the wind picked up and Russell left the stage, but it would not be the last time the audience saw Russell.
Allison Russel’s touring band is:
Allison Russel – Vocals/Guitar/Banjo/Clarinet
Elenna Canlas – Keyboards/Melodica/Backing Vocals
Ganessa James – Bass/Acoustic Guitar/Backing Vocals
Yissy Garcia – Drums/Percussion/Backing Vocals
Caoimhe Hopkinson – Guitars/Bass/Backing Vocals
Caoi de Barra – Drums/Percussion
Setlist:
1. Hy-Brasil
2. 4th Day Prayer
3. Unknown
4. The Returner
5. Demons
6. Eve Was Black
After a minor setback due to the weather and unexpected wind, Hozier’s band members calmly walked out on stage, grabbed their gear and waited for Hozier to plug in for the first song of the evening, “Eat Your Young,” off of 2023’s Unreal Unearth: Unheard. Hozier – whose real name is Andrew John Hozier-Byrne – is the true definition of a star. The entire night, he was calm, cool and collected. He took time to address some of the fans who made signs in the general admission area. The lead singer and guitarist sported a denim jacket and long pants and took his rightful spot at the microphone as all eyes in the stadium were on him for the next two hours.
Hozier’s music, no matter what song it was, resonated with almost every fan in the area. At the beginning of each song, the deafening audience would cheer at the top of their lungs for the tune. Some fans next to me even started to cry when they heard “Francesca” and “Cherry Wine.”
With the band of nine band members comfortably in a tight groove, Hozier called out singer-songwriter, Lucy Dacus from Boygenius for a rendition of “I, Carrion (Icarian).” The fans drowned out the sound of the commercial airplanes flying overhead at the announcement. Dacus’ beautiful lyrics serenaded the audience who all took out their phones to snag a video of the moment. It took two more songs for Hozier to reintroduce Russell for “Wildflower and Barley.” Russell and Hozier’s harmonies gelled beautifully with each other and were one of my favorite moments from the evening.
As the band plowed through their 20-song set, the energy in the building continued to grow and grow. While the stage was rather plain, the light show and video screens behind the band were state-of-the-art as the audience was dazzled by the high-quality theatrical performance that coincided with the music. Each song had its unique light show and it made the performance much more enjoyable and memorable.
The last song of the set was the famous “Take Me to Church.” Hozier then ran to the back of the arena on the B stage for two encore songs. The first encore consisted of the previously mentioned “Cherry Wine” and “Unknown/Nth.” During the second song, Hozier stopped the song abruptly to point out a fan who needed medical attention. It was respectable for Hozier to do that for a fan. He then proceeded to thank his fans for coming to see him as tickets aren’t so cheap anymore.
With the second encore underway, Hozier wanted to acknowledge a member of the crew, Kevin, who was celebrating a birthday. After the wishes, the band jumped into their last song of the evening, “Work Song.”
After the conclusion, the band waved goodbye and fans filed out of the arena with smiles on their faces. They were in such awe of the performance that some made plans to return for the final show on June 8. Hozier’s show is one that everyone must see before it ends. He has quickly become one of the biggest touring acts of the summer. Hozier third show on Thursday, June 7 in “The Big Apple” further helps him cement his ever-growing legacy.
Hozier’s touring band is:
Hozier – Guitar/Lead Vocals
Alex Ryan – Bass/Backing Vocals
Kellen Michael Wenrich – Guitar/Violin/Backing Vocals
Larissa Maestro – Cello/Backing Vocals
Ryan Connors – Piano
Rory Doyle – Drums/Backing Vocals
Joy Morales – Piano / Backing Vocals
Kamilah Marshall – Backing Vocals
Setlist:
1. Eat Your Young
2. Jackie and Wilson
3. From Eden
4. To Be Alone
5. Dinner & Diatribes
6. Francesca
7. It Will Come Back
8. I, Carrion (Icarian) (W/ Lucy Dacus)
9. Like Real People Do
10. Wildflower and Barley (W/ Allison Russel)
11. De Selby 1
12. De Selby 2
13. Would That I
14. Too Sweet
15. Almost
16. Movement
17. Take Me to Church
18. Cherry Wine
19. Unknown/Nth
20. Nina Cried Power
21. Work Song (W/ Allison Russel)
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My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and I am always looking for the next concert to attend.
