Folk at Fenway

Nora Geoghegan & Colleen Finn

Staff Writers

This summer, Fenway Park hosted many concerts, two of the most notable being Hozier and The Lumineers. The Lumineers played two sold out shows at Fenway. Both shows were full of unique elements.

For starters, fans were given lighted bracelets that illuminated the crowd during The Lumineers concert. Hippo Campus and Young the Giant opened for The Lumineers, with Young the Giant performing two unreleased songs in their set. Young the Giant frontman Sameer Gadhia ended up joining the band for fan favorite “Gale Song”. Josiah Leming also joined the band for a sentimental cover of Justin Bieber’s “Ghost”, a tribute to The Lumineers frontman Wesley Schultz’s late brother.

Hozier performed two sold out shows at Fenway Park this past June. Through his music, Hozier is able to tell compelling stories and address the political issues of the day through a sultry blend of folk, soul, and blues. Hozier has never shied away from politics and its place in art.

In an interview with the CBC back in 2018, the Irishman proclaimed this about the nature of music: “But I think music is political no matter what, no matter what it’s about. There’s so many negative connotations when we talk about things being political. If something concerns the experience of people, and if it concerns some political dimension.” His show lived up to this statement when during ‘Eat Your Young’ graphics on the screen displayed unnecessary government spending, and the net worths of the top one percent.

Hozier dedicated a section of the show to speak to the audience directly about the injustices of the world and the dangers of the current wars going on. All in all, Hozier’s shows in Boston displayed true artistry and craftsmanship rarely seen in music today.