It wasn’t your usual restrained evening at the San Francisco Symphony. Concertgoers on Tuesday were treated to soulful storytelling, a gospel choir and ample singalong opportunities — plus a dose of politics — during the first of John Legend’s two nights at Davies Symphony Hall. The singer-songwriter is in town to kick off his summer tour, “A Night of Songs and Stories.”
During the two-hour show, the 12-time Grammy Award winner recounted his journey from singing in his church choir to leading a “double life” as a management consultant trying to make it as a musician — before living up to his bold stage name and achieving superstardom.
He also expressed his wholehearted support for Kamala Harris, declaring, “It’s about time we elect a wonder woman to be president” before performing the song “Wonder Woman” from his 2022 album Legend.
That declaration was music to the ears of superfan Judy Romanenkov, who had dressed for the show in head-to-toe Democratic Party blue. She joked that, in her book, the endorsement of Harris elevated Legend “from god to mega-god status.”
While the first half of the performance focused on Legend’s childhood and teenage years, including the sudden death of his maternal grandmother and his mother’s subsequent slip into depression and addiction, the second half highlighted his journey to finding his voice.
That includes using his platform to fight for issues he cares about, such as criminal justice reform, reproductive rights and climate change.
“Some of the favorite parts of my career are when I channel my political beliefs into my music,” Legend told the crowd, noting that people often tell him to just “shut up and sing.” He joked, “How can I do both at once?”
Legend’s appearance with the SF Symphony — it’s his first time performing at the venue — attracted a younger, more diverse crowd than is typical for the symphony, which has struggled to bring in new audiences. Of the attendees, who traveled from as far as Gilroy and San Jose, 75% were first-time symphony ticket buyers (versus 20% for the core classical music performances).
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San Francisco residents Tej Kanani and fiancee Priyal Mehta were among the younger audience members. The couple — who often attend stadium concerts and have recently seen Ed Sheeran, Jason Mraz and John Mayer — said they were drawn to the unique opportunity to catch Legend in a small setting.
“It definitely feels way more intimate than what you get with most artists, and from that standpoint, we’re really excited for this in terms of what the location can bring,” said Mehta.
Matt Gonzalez attended with wife Tamyra and daughters Olivia and Kasey as part of a belated Father’s Day treat. Gonzalez said he wanted to introduce Legend’s music to his daughters, though Olivia, the eldest, maintained that she’s been a fan since kindergarten.
“I went around telling everyone, ‘John Legend is my favorite!’ And they were all saying Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, and I was like, ‘Nope, John Legend!’ ” she said. Kasey admitted that she prefers Olivia Rodrigo.
A number of attendees said they were excited to learn more about Legend’s life. The singer-songwriter opened up about why he changed his last name (he was born John R. Stephens), how he ended up working at the Boston Consulting Group after college and details about meeting his wife, Chrissy Teigen, whom he called “the fire to my ice.” The duo first crossed paths in 2006, when she was hired to play his love interest in a music video — and they quickly went from acting to the real thing.
Legend will perform again at the SF Symphony Wednesday night before taking his show to Los Angeles for two nights at the Greek Theatre and other U.S. performances into the fall.