Sam Smith and Hozier Turn 'Take Me to Church' Into a Spine-Tingling Confession During Castro Theatre Residency

Sam Smith’s San Francisco residency reached a fever pitch when a surprise guest joined the stage: Hozier. The unexpected duet of "Take Me to Church" on night six of a 20-show run at the Castro Theatre transformed an already electric night into something described as nearly religious, leaving listeners with a lingering, almost physical reaction.

Sam Smith and Hozier's reimagined Take Me to Church

The duet began with a warm embrace and a wave to an enthusiastic crowd. Hozier launched into the unmistakable opening of his 2013 breakout anthem, and Sam Smith stayed onstage, moving beside him and slipping into verses and harmonies. The pairing of voices—one characterized in the moment as smoky and aching, the other deep and soulful—wrapped around the song’s structure, reshaping the familiar into a moodier, more sensual rendition.

As the performance progressed, the two artists harmonized in close proximity, microphones raised face-to-face during the final chorus. That intimate staging amplified the emotional intensity, rendering the song less like a cover and more like a shared confession. When the final note lingered, the moment ended with Hozier pulling Smith into one last embrace before departing backstage.

What happened at the Castro Theatre and why it mattered

The setting helped shape the reaction. The Castro Theatre’s vintage walls absorbed and reflected the roar that greeted Hozier’s arrival; the crowd’s energy shifted from buzzing to reverent as the performance unfolded. The residency context—one night in a 20-show engagement—made the guest appearance feel like a rare, unrepeatable event within an already special run.

• Night: night six of the 20-show San Francisco residency at the Castro Theatre.
• Guest: Hozier joined the bill as a surprise special guest.
• Song: a reimagined performance of "Take Me to Church, " described as sensual, moodier, and intimate.
• Closing: the set ended with a lingering final note and a backstage embrace.

The combination of staging, vocal chemistry, and the choice of material created an experience that audience members and observers described as altering their physical and emotional state. The pairing turned a well-known anthem into something more intimate and confessional, demonstrating the power of live collaboration within a curated residency environment.

Immediate reaction and lingering impact

Responses to the duet emphasized how the performance felt transformative in real time. The intimate harmonies and theatrical proximity of the two singers left an impression that outlasted the final chord, and the shared moment onstage provided a striking highlight of the residency so far. Sam Smith’s onstage introduction of Hozier and the subsequent embrace at the song’s end framed the appearance as both a musical and an emotional high point.

While this duet represents a single moment within a multi-show residency, it underscores how special-guest appearances and bold reinterpretations can reshape audience expectations and memory. For attendees that night, the reimagined "Take Me to Church" became a defining moment of the evening—an intersection of voice, space, and shared intensity that lingered long after the theatre lights came up.