A pianist in a white jacket plays while looking upwards on stage beside a grand piano. A conductor in a black suit directs an orchestra in the background.

John Legend performs with the SF Symphony at Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco on Tuesday, Jul. 23, 2024. | Source:Colin Peck for The Standard

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.”

A joyful woman in a light blue dress and matching blue boots poses inside a well-lit, elegant venue with marble floors, raising one arm gracefully while smiling broadly.

Judy Romanenkov, a symphony subscriber and Legend superfan, shows off her blue ensemble in support of Kamala Harris. | Source:Sophie Bearman/The Standard

A man in a white suit jacket with a black bow tie sings passionately into a microphone. He has a beard and is standing on stage, illuminated under a spotlight.

Legend gets personal in his show, dubbed “A Night of Songs and Stories.” | Source:Colin Peck for The Standard

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).

A man in a plaid jacket and black pants stands with a woman in a colorful floral dress on a grand red carpeted staircase, both smiling at the camera.

Three women stand together on carpeted stairs, smiling. They wear a red dress, light blue dress, and brown polka dot dress, creating a vibrant mix of colors.

Two women stand side by side, smiling. One wears an off-shoulder white dress, while the other wears a green coat over a colorful shirt and black skirt, holding a black clutch.

Payman Khodabandeh and Felicia Carroll made the trek from Gilroy, dropping $500 each on tickets. They dressed up for the occasion, with Khodabandeh sporting a custom jacket by Tailors’ Keep. | Source:Colin Peck for The Standard
From left, Katharine Mahaffey, Ally Sinclair and Julia Law had box seats at the symphony courtesy of Ally’s grandmother. Two of the three were first-timers to the venue. | Source:Colin Peck for The Standard
Alex Cervantes, left, came from San Jose for her first visit to the symphony, alongside Anjali Thakur. | Source:Colin Peck for The Standard
Jamedra Brown Fleischman, right, attended the symphony for the first time on an invitation from colleague Judy Tsang. “John Legend can’t make a bad song, in my opinion,” said Fleischman. “Everything he makes is honest.” | Source:Colin Peck for The Standard

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.

Four people stand on red-carpeted stairs, smiling. They are stylishly dressed: two men in black jackets and two women in elegant outfits, one holding a white purse.

Aashish Gullanki, Ria Kanani, Priyal Mehta and Tej Kanani attend the John Legend performance with the SF Symphony at Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco on Tuesday, Jul. 23, 2024. | Source:Colin Peck for The Standard

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 family of four stands smiling in front of red-carpeted stairs. The two girls wear casual outfits while the parents are dressed in semi-casual attire.

The Gonzalez family — from left, Olivia, Matt, Kasey and Tamyra — make a night of it. Kasey is wearing Target and Aeropostale. | Source:Colin Peck for The Standard

A man in a white jacket performs on stage, singing into a microphone, with two women in black dresses as backup singers, accompanied by an orchestra in the background.

In addition to performing his own hits, including “All of Me” and “Ordinary People,” Legend sang renditions of Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky” and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” along with church and gospel numbers. | Source:Colin Peck for The Standard

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.