LANY performs at The Masonic in San Francisco on June 14, 2019. Photos: Steve Carlson.

SAN FRANCISCO —  LANY performed at The Masonic on Friday for the first of two nights in San Francisco. The sold-out show marked the home stretch of the Los Angeles trio’s 100-date world tour across five continents.

LANY performs at The Masonic in San Francisco on June 14, 2019.

LANY’s most recent release, Malibu Nights, was born out of frontman Paul Jason Klein’s intense but short-lived relationship with pop star Dua Lipa, which ended in January 2018. Lipa had gone back to her ex, inspiring the acoustic guitar jam “Run,” while Klein moved on with a new girlfriend. The new material, consisting of soft rock grooves about love and heartbreak, has only pushed the band’s popularity to new levels.

LANY came out to a packed room and opened with the instant dance-starter, “Thick and Thin.” Klein and his bandmates were full of energy, breaking out their onstage moves and appearing genuinely glad to be back in their home state. Midway through the set, Klein pointed out that San Francisco holds a special place in their hearts, as they signed their record deal after a gig at the Rickshaw Stop in 2015. The band has grown by leaps and bounds since those days, displaying a confidence and joy that only seems to increase with every visit, along with the size of audiences they’re playing.

The trio closed out with popular single “ILYSB,” off their 2017 self-titled album.

Sasha Sloan performs at The Masonic in San Francisco on June 14, 2019.

Opening the show was self-described “sad girl” Sasha Sloan, an up-and-coming pop artist out of L.A. Sloan’s music explored the anxieties and tribulations of early adulthood with a vulnerability that complimented LANY’s introspective style quite well. She introduced cuts like “Older” and “Thoughts” with the anecdotes that inspired her lyrics, and was met with cheers of support and solidarity from the audience.  Sloan’s excellent songwriting was on full display as she continued to perform tracks off her 2018 EPs sad girl and Loser, though she was often hidden by the moody, dark lighting.

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