Hozier took fans to church with his Unreal Unearth tour stop at the Mann Center

“I see a thousand [expletive] faces with their mouths [expletive] shut. Let’s try that again.”

In his soft Irish accent, Hozier playfully scolded the 14,000-strong audience and encouraged them to sing along to the first notes of his 2014 hit “To Be Alone,” getting the crowd ready for the incredibly fun, soulful, two-hour-long night at the Mann Center about to play out.

The crowd eagerly complied with every audience member from the lawn to the pit riffing with the Irish singer standing on stage in a comfortable sweater-and-trouser ensemble.

Following opening act folk-rock singer, songwriter Madison Cunningham, who warmed up the crowd with seven songs, Hozier strolled onto the stage with his eight-man band at 9:05 p.m., on the dot. He welcomed wildly excited fans with a soft smile and a haunting rendition of “De Selby (Part 1),” captivating the audience with Irish Gaelic words exploring love in light and darkness as the first track from his recently released Unreal Unearth album filled the chilly night air.

“I know it’s cold out there,” Hozier said to the audience. “I commend you for braving the gentle mists, but I’d love to hear you all the way at the back there.”

The tall Irishman, born Andrew Hozier-Byrne, with his mass of curls illuminated in the spotlight, graced the TD Pavilion at the Mann stage for the first time on Friday. The Mann show follows his 90-minute pop-up show at World Cafe Live in May, a series of underlay shows preceding the North American leg of his tour, which began in September in St. Louis. It supports his third album Unreal Unearth, which was released Aug. 18, offering a glimpse of Hozier’s pandemic experience through the lens of poet Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno.”

In the Fairmount Park venue, Hozier shifted from soulful rock to delicate ballads with impressive vocals and instrumentals from the backing band and the sometimes wild, sometimes soft strings of his guitar.

With 18 songs and three encores, he played popular hits from albums past and favorites from Unreal Unearth, keeping casual and longtime fans alike on their feet for the full two hours. From the lawn to the pit, the crowd’s energy was palpable, flowing with the mood of each song just as the lights, which illuminated Hozier, his band, and even the crowd at times in all their glory, waxed and waned.

Three large screens, one in the middle and two on each side of the stage, offered close-ups of Hozier and his band for those on the lawn and the terrace, incorporating elements of stage design and lighting, music videos, and creative visuals that brought an intimate recording session vibe to the show.

The multigenerational gathering of devoted fans didn’t shy away from letting the singer know how much he means to them, exploding with cheers as the first notes of each song began. And when popular hit “Take Me to Church” began, a spiritual energy seemed to ripple through the audience — folks raised their hands in the air and belted “amen” along with Hozier, who walked near the edge of the stage shaking the outstretched hands reaching for him.

I thought of the meme someone in the crowd airdropped before the show with Hozier in robes and a note that read “I’m gonna tell my kids this is Jesus.”

When Hozier walked off the stage after his soulful rendition of “Take Me to Church,” chants and cries for an encore brought him back to the mic to belt out a powerful performance of “Nina Cried Power,” followed by a fiery “Unknown/Nth.”

After thanking his band and all 52 people who made the show possible, Hozier brought Cunningham back onstage to sing the final song of the night, “Work Song.”

A chorus of “No grave can hold my body down, I’ll crawl home to her,” rang out into the night with the two singers, band and crowd harmonizing for the last time.

Hozier, Cunningham, and the band took a final bow and a selfie with the packed amphitheater. As the others left the stage, the beloved Irishman walked out with a wink and smile, mouthing many thank yous to his fans.

“De Selby (Part 1)”

“De Selby (Part 2)”

“Jackie and Wilson”

“From Eden”

“Francesca”

“To Be Alone”

“Dinner & Diatribes”

“Movement”

“Cherry Wine”

“To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe)”

“Like Real People Do”

“Abstract (Psychopomp)”

“Would That I”

“Damage Gets Done”

“Almost (Sweet Music)”

“Eat Your Young”

“First Light”

“Take Me to Church”

Encore

“Nina Cried Power”

“Unknown/Nth”

“Work Song” with Madison Cunningham