June 24 2025 Fenway Park Boston, MA
Music fans may have turned away from 105 degree heat in some places, but not in the Hub of the Universe, Boston, Massachusetts. Irish singer songwriter played to a huge crowd despite record setting temperatures on his second night, added when the first night sold out in less than a day.
For me, it was a rare opportunity, being together with my wife and our three children, all five of us at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark (it says so right on the side of the park, so it must be true.) Finding an artist that turns us all on is quite the feat. With a slew of amazing songs, and a unique voice, Hozier is perfectly suited to the job.
We made it inside in time to catch the end of the first opener, Amble. They are an ensemble of handsome Irishmen singing in harmony and writing accessible folk tinged rock songs. They were animated despite the wilting heat and were taking full advantage of this opportunity to play in a place likely one hundred times their normal performances. They sounded good and likely will be packing bars and music halls soon.
Next up was Gigi Perez. My kids tell me she is a rising star that everyone noticed from Tik Tok in the last year. Her performance with a full band was no gimmick or fad though, she has talent and packs a powerful voice. Her band blended with her soulful and throaty voice and was a perfect pedestal to feature her developing vision. She also did not cower to the stifling heat that did not relent. Half way through the set she brought up her sister, Isabella Perez, to sing Sugar Water. Talent shines brightly on this family. The set was spirited and you can just tell that Gigi Perez is a name that you will hear often. She will certainly climb the ranks of touring and recording artists while sharpening her writing and performance skills. Those skills are currently innate but have all the signs of maturing well, too.
Gigi Perez Setlist:
Please Be Rude
Fable
Normalcy
At The Beach, In Every Life
Sugar Water (with Isabella Perez)
Twister
Chemistry
Sailor Song
Hozier came out with a big band, made up of what felt like a dozen players from guitars to keyboards, cello, vocalists, a drummer, and everyone apparently played the synth bass and percussion. They sounded great, a perfect representation of his studio sound in a live setting. You immediately felt how solid and rehearsed this band is, and they were in fine form to perform for Boston, a city that Hozier stated ‘has been very good to him. The Nobody’s Soldier opener was good but we really knew we were in for a good show when Jackie and Wilson was played second. Hozier wasn’t going to pace himself it seemed, he was coming out sprinting.
The show was an even split between easily recognizable songs from Hozier’s array of hits alternated with lesser known material. You were easily able to dig into his lesser known material because it was always immediately followed by a recognizable and comfortable song. Hozier’s voice is always front and center, and he brings forth his unique guitar style- a mixture of blues and finger picking that is both soothing and vibey. But like a good touring artist, he shares the sound with his very deft players, resulting in a feeling that you are getting to know them too as the show progresses.
From the video channel MAGS
I feel strongly that an artist must know who they are, what people like about them, and then give it out in large quantities. Hozier did that for more than two hours straight including the lengthy encore. Any time he asked us to take in something a little different, we were ready because of how many great songs were constantly being served to us. Midway through the show he announced that he would do a Van Morrison cover, and my favorite of Hozier’s countrymate followed, Sweet Thing. Hozier brought a slightly different perspective to the song, while retaining all the nuance of the original.
After exactly ninety minutes and at ten PM, the set closed. After a short time you could see a commotion near the stage and a team escorted Hozier through the floor to the back where a small stage was uncovered. He took to that stage and performed two songs getting up close and personal with the back of the audience, giving them a treat that was unexpected- proximity to the artist despite not being in the rich people seats! The third song of the encore Hozier performed from that b stage while his band accompanied him on the big stage. It was a cool interplay from across the ballpark and I can’t recall seeing anything quite like it in the thousands of shows I’ve seen. I love it when a performer comes up with a tiny innovation or unique perspective.
Hozier joined the rest of the band again, and gave a bit of a speech on his perspective on current events. I may not have agreed with every exact detail, but his respectful tone and passion made it feel not preachy, sincerely stating his desire for a better world. He spoke of the civil rights movement and Mavis Staples. He then followed up with the song Nina Cried Power, while images and names from the civil rights movement and singers and writers who contributed songs to that time scrolled on the screens.
The visual element of the show was nice- the screens on both sides and behind the drummer helped to relay the onstage action. There was also an interesting chain link / netting screen setup in front of the performers that allowed for projections that seemed to pop out of thin air. Those etheral ‘non screens’ also were segmented and on chains and were raised and lowed to allow for changing video landscapes to enhance the performances and the song presentations. They were used tastefully and did not detract from the performance at all, enhancing the vibe. There were certainly lights but the overall focus of the show was on the songs and the musicianship rather than special effects.
As we were drawing to a close of the night, Hozier made sure to thank dozens of people from his band to the crew, to the touring crew, to well everyone. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an artist so fully expressive of gratitude. He listed off so many people and he had such a generally sincere and caring vibe about him. You couldn’t help but love it.
For the show closer Hozier brought out Gigi Perez to lend vocals to Work Song, a soulful duet that brought the house down and sent the Fenway faithful into the hot and steamy night satisfied. As we were filing out the familiar strains of “Sweet Caroline” echoed through the stadium, after all it is Fenway Park, and this is Boston. So Good! So Good! So Good!
From the video channel MAGS
Setlist
Nobody’s Soldier
Jackie and Wilson
Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene
Dinner & Diatribes
Would That I
Eat Your Young
Like Real People Do
Sweet Thing (Van Morrison cover)
De Selby (Part 1)
De Selby (Part 2)
Someone New
Francesca
It Will Come Back
Too Sweet
Almost (Sweet Music)
Movement
Take Me to Church
Encore:
Cherry Wine (on b stage)
Unknown/Nth (on b stage)
Nina Cried Power
Work Song (with Gigi Perez)
To submit an article an article or review, or to just say hello hit us at [email protected]
Also- check out the search feature in the upper right hand corner and search for your favorite artist, event, venue or genre. You’ll be surprised at what you find!
Check out the Live Music News and Review.com Facebook page for updates and announcements.
