On April 28th Irish singer-songwriter, Andrew John Hoizer-Byrne, known professionally as Hoizer, performed at the Dos Equis Pavillion in Dallas, Texas in his sixth concert of the Unreal Unearth Tour.
Parking was a challenge for many, due to the large number of people attending the concert. Many nearby residents gave up their front yards for others to park in — for a price of course. Multiple traffic cops were needed to keep the large number of concert goers from causing an accident.
Upon entering the venue, fans were treated to many food and drink options along with merchandise. Fans could purchase vinyls, t-shirts, hoodies and even mugs featuring Hoizer’s likeness. The merchandise was expensive. However, this did not stop fans from crowding around the stand.
Attendees squeezed into the stadium to find their seats. The opening act, Allison Russel and three other musicians, sang songs about fighting against racism and sexism. They told the audience to stand together and unite. The band played as more and more fans crowded into the audience excitedly waiting for the featured act.
After Allison Russel’s band left the stage, many stagehands began to set up various musical instruments including a piano, keyboard, multiple guitars, a drum set, a bass drum, a timpani, and multiple microphones.
After many minutes passed, the lights dimmed and turned off. The excitement in the crowd grew, as Hoizer was only seconds away. A single beam of light lit up the singer, and the crowd screamed. Slowly the lights began to flicker back on to reveal the large trees hanging from the ceiling of the stage. Hoizer’s first song was “Unreal Unearth ”, the same name as the album.
As he played, a screen behind him began to show the song’s music video. As the song began to pick up, more members of the band began to play and sing. By the end of the song, all instruments on stage were occupied. He then thanked the audience for attending the performance, and mentioned how excited he was to be in Texas.
Each song he performed had a dedicated series of images and videos on the screen behind him, including trees, fire, and various live shots of Hozier and his band. At the beginning of the concert, most of his songs were from his latest album, but as the night progressed he began to play his biggest hits. Later in the night, Allison Russel rejoined Hoizer onstage to provide backup vocals for various songs.
The audience knew the lyrics to every song Hoizer played. He often pointed the microphone at the audience and let them sing with him. During one emotional moment, Hozier waded into the middle of the crowd to the surprise and excitement of many fans.
Near the end of the concert Hoizer took the time to thank each individual member of his band multiple times for their performance. He and the audience even sang “Happy Birthday” to a band member and one of his managers.
At the end of the concert, Hoizer once more told his fans how much he appreciated them for coming and that he loved playing for them. The concert ended just like it began: the lights fading to black.
