There is something magical about the New York subway system. Maybe it’s the dirt that covers every subway tile in sight. Maybe it’s seeing the rats crawling in-between the rails looking for scraps that people may have dropped. Or maybe its the whooshing sound of the metal trains flying by as you wait an extra 10 minutes because you were on your phone and missed a train. While all of these things sound lovely we all know the real reason people are excited to ride the subway in NYC.
The NYC Subways is known for dirt, yes, but it is also known for its performers!
Really, only tourists “love” the subway. One cool thing, however, about it is the variety of people that you get a chance to encounter. Some of those potential encounters include running into subway performers. A subway performer is someone who is performing a musical piece, instrumental piece, or anything else the mind could dream up. If you visit the tunnels enough, you are sure to encounter some of these performers.
What you don’t expect to see is the famous people of the world.
keanu reeves riding the subway pic.twitter.com/k4vr00vVxv
— keanu doing things (@keanuthings) July 9, 2018
Because of the aforementioned dirt, famous people are few and far between on the train (unless you are Keyanu Reeves who is famous for riding the Subway each day). Thankfully, one individual braved the rats and decided to give us a performance like no other.
Hozier did a rendition of one of his songs in the NYC subway.
Hozier is now quite famous. The Irish-born singer decided to release his first hit as a free download. During the initial release, he was still a struggling musician who recorded the song in his parent attic. He released the song called “Take Me to Church” that topped charts soon after the recording. Using religious wording to explain a love interest and their relationship, the song was felt deeply by many people across the world.
For a song that was released in an attic by a struggling musician, what better spot to get back to the roots than a performance in the NYC subway?
The opening of the song has Hozier with a small, stripped-down, band on the concrete outside a stop. The pallid white subway tiles give proof to their location. As Hozier starts to sing you immediately feel at home in his now familiar and powerful voice.
With the piano strikes being the only real instrument, it is a barebones performance that is still moving.
Background voices accompany Hozier’s vocals as he continues with the song. It is almost haunting with the nature of the lyrics as well as the lilting vocals bouncing off the walls of the subway. The real magic, however, happens when he hits the chorus.
Looking back before he sings the chorus, he knows he sounds good.
The stripped performance is incredible to see. When the all too familiar chorus hits, we all can’t help but want to sing along. The only thing holding us back is the reality that we might break the spell if we intrude upon the moment. Regardless, we sit and let the song ring out and the gravel in his voice makes a gritty performance even more wonderful than it already was.
If you are a Hozier (or a music fan), you need to check out the performance.
In one of the best impromptu songs in the NYC subway, this one may be the best. The power in his vocals and the slow, steady, and entrancing performance is a sight to see.
Check out the video below!
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