There are concerts, and then there are religious experiences! On night six of their 20-show San Francisco residency at the iconic Castro Theatre, Sam Smith decided to blur that line completely. The crowd was already buzzing, but when Smith introduced their first special guest of the residency, the atmosphere shifted from electric to holy. Enter Hozier — tall, brooding and greeted by a roar loud enough to shake the theatre’s vintage walls.
After a warm embrace and a wave to the screaming audience, he launched into the unmistakable opening of his 2013 breakout anthem, Take Me to Church.
During their performance at Castro Theatre
Smith stayed onstage, swaying beside Hozier, slipping into verses and harmonies as if the song belonged to both of them all along. Their voices — one smoky and aching, the other deep and soulful, wrapped around each other in a way that made the performance feel intimate, almost conspiratorial. When they reached the final chorus, they turned toward each other, microphones raised face-to-face, harmonizing like two choirs colliding. The result? A sensual, moodier, entirely reimagined Take Me to Church that like a shared confession.
Smith later called Hozier “one of the greatest voices and songwriters that we have in the world right now,” and honestly, in that moment, it was hard to disagree. As the final note lingered, Hozier pulled Smith into one last embrace before waving goodbye and disappearing backstage.
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