Do you want to know what it feels like when Hozier lets out one of those raw, soul-shaking yells? For me, it was the moment he sang “Cherry Wine.” Rain poured on our faces. Thousands of flashlights lit up Historic Crew Stadium like stars. Despite delays and stormy weather, Hozier’s June 18, 2025, concert at Columbus, OH’s Historic Crew Stadium wasn’t just a show—it was magic!
Originally scheduled to start at 7:30 PM with opener Gigi Perez (known for “Sailor Song”), the night took an unexpected turn when severe weather forced everyone to shelter or return to their cars. As lightning lingered well past 10:00 PM, the crowd panicked that Mother Nature was going to spoil the concert entirely. But at 10:15, an announcement rang out: the show would start at 10:30. Fans rushed back inside just in time to hear Hozier open with “De Selby (Part 1),” live and in the rain—an ethereal moment I’ll never forget.
Though the delay forced Hozier to shorten his set, he and his band didn’t let anything dampen the experience. The 2025 Unreal Unearth Tour features a refreshed lineup, with Ryan Connors as music director and keyboardist. The band includes Kellen Michael Wenrich (violin/guitar), Melissa McMillan (keys/vocals), Larissa Maestro(cello/guitar/vocals), Joy Morales and Kristen Rogers (vocals/percussion), and Rory Doyle on drums. Together, they delivered a performance full of depth, emotion, and adaptability that matched the night’s intensity.
The visuals and on-stage production helped transform the atmosphere. During “Dinner & Diatribes,” a thunderstorm graphic mirrored the real one around us—proof that the rain was the show’s unofficial cast member. For “Francesca,” Hozier spoke about lovers enduring hell together, a message mirrored by haunting red-and-black forest visuals behind him.
But it was the crowd that made this night unforgettable. From dancing to “Too Sweet” and belting every lyric of “Work Song” to creating a stadium of stars during “Cherry Wine,” we met Hozier’s passion with our own. He ended the show with the anthemic “Take Me to Church” (the song that charted at #2 on the Billboard charts and introduced Hozier to mainstream success), as the crowd roared in gratitude.
Delayed? Yes. Cut short? Maybe. But ruined? Not even close. Tonight wasn’t just a concert—it was a shared storm, a celebration, and a testament to the power of music, rain or shine.
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