It was no surprise that the Hozier/Little Green Cars double-feature concert began and ended in harmonized hums.
Last night, Tuesday, Oct. 20, Irish indie band Little Green Cars and Irish singer-songwriter Andrew Hozier-Byrne, who goes by the stage name Hozier, took the stage at the Moda Center’s Theatre of the Clouds in Portland and left a crowded house grinning ear to ear.
The severely under-appreciated Little Green Cars hit the stage promptly at 8 p.m. The group began the show with an a cappella rendition of “Red.” The band is heavy on harmonies and this song set the tone for what would be a vocally outstanding performance.
You have probably heard of Hozier after the massive radio hit “Take Me to Church.” In 2014, you would have heard it on the radio every half-hour and on two stations at once. Like most Top 40 hits played ad infinitum, just about everyone in the human race was burnt out on this song before long, but nearly everyone in the crowd had their phone in the air to record his most popular or infamous song. Nonetheless, Hozier’s self-titled album is contagious with its blues-rock sound.
Most artists that play shows in arenas like the Moda Center, are too self-inflated for my taste. It’s much easier to enjoy and support artists who are genuine, interact with their audience and put on a good show. Surprisingly, Hozier did exactly that.
He humbly recognized every member of the band, from the back-up singers to the cellist, as well as his tech and backstage crew. He even took the time to introduce “In A Week” by telling the audience about his hometown, Wicklow. He painted a picture of two lovers lying on the Wicklow Hills together. Hozier turned an arena into a coffee house with a cup of tea in hand.
As the show came to a close and Hozier returned to the stage for an encore, we all anticipated he would finish the night with “Work Song.” But Hozier said “Now Portland, I know you’re too smart for this and this next one is decidedly, not my song.” Suddenly, he began playing his own unique rendition of Ariana Grande’s “Problem.” The radio hit was hardly recognizable on Hozier’s voice, but arguably superior to the original.
Listening to Hozier’s eponymous album on CD is simply not a comparable experience to seeing the man live on stage. The songs didn’t sound as varied or in-depth, and it seemed clouded in comparison to the live performance.
Hozier’s set was stunning because each song was imperfect. During the show, you could hear the genuine sounds that become buried in production, but it made the show better. It was raw and that cannot be beat.