Hozier was just another struggling musician when he wrote “Take Me to Church” in the attic of his parents’ home in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. The track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and scored a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. More than a decade later, the same shimmering harmonies and socially conscious songwriting still permeates the “Too Sweet” belter’s work. Unfortunately, the elements recently deprived a crowd of hearing “Take Me To Church” live at the Minnesota Yacht Club music fest.
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Lightning Prematurely Ends Day 1 of Minnesota Music Festival
Taking the stage Friday (July 18) at Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul, Minnesota, Hozier made it through hits like “Nobody’s Soldier” and “Jackie and Wilson” before Mother Nature had other plans.
Of course, it takes more than a little moisture to stop a musical force like Hozier (real name: Andrew Hozier-Byrne.) The Irish forest deity (until proven otherwise) played “Cherry Wine” and “Too Sweet” in the face of pouring rain. Unfortunately, lightning had the final say, and the CMA-nominated blues-folk artist had to abandon his set with about 20 minutes to go.
“Nope, no Take Me to Church tonight,” one X/Twitter user wrote.
Fans left in droves and in a deluge as Hozier was forced to cut his set short due to lightning warnings. Nope, no Take Me to Church tonight. #MNYachtClub pic.twitter.com/cyIePzAoKD
— C. Riemenschneider (@ChrisRstrib) July 19, 2025
As The Minnesota Star-Tribune pointed out, not many artists could keep a captive audience in such inclement weather. “It’s a testament to his performance that a good chunk of the crowd hadn’t already left,” it wrote.
The festival headliner “apologized profusely to the crowd before exiting the stage.
Although rain brought the curtain down early on its first day, the second annual Minnesota Yacht Club festival will continue through the weekend. Alabama Shakes, Father John Misty, and Sheryl Crow were also among the Day 1 performers.
Fall Out Boy and Weezer will co-headline Saturday’s lineup, with Green Day and Sublime taking over on Sunday, July 20.
Featured image by Barry Brecheisen/WireImage
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