Prateek Kuhad performs at The Fillmore in San Francisco on June 8, 2022. Irene Chen/STAFF.

SAN FRANCISCO — Jaipur, India folk artist Prateek Kuhad played at the Fillmore on Wednesday night for the first of two back to back shows. Kuhad, who was the first Indian to be signed by Elektra Records, in 2020, played the majority of his songs from his latest album, The Way That Lovers Do, which were more pop-focused. His gentle vocals were heartfelt and alluring as he seamlessly weaved between singing in English and Hindi, with lyrics about love and heartbreak.

Kuhad came out on stage wearing a plain red shirt and slacks and his guitar, and was joined by a bassist and drummer. He began with the upbeat and catchy “All I Need” before jumping into “Tere Hi Hum,” a playful Hindi track. He then transitioned into “Favorite Peeps,” a vibrant, emotional song about a particularly low point in his life.

Kuhad wasted no time in his set. Next up was “Drown,” another yearning, mournful song about a past lover. He switched out his guitar for a piano for another lighthearted Hindi song, “Tum Jab Paas,” followed by “did you/fall apart,” an ambient, melancholy number that seemed to echo throughout the auditorium. 

Kuhad ventured outside of his genre for the country-influenced “Co2” and the jazzy “Bloom” with a trumpet backing track. He returned to folk for the sentimental “Pause,” and “100 words,” a softer, stripped-down track. He almost sounded shy as he was singing it. 

Prateek Kuhad performs at The Fillmore in San Francisco on June 8, 2022.

Kuhad and his band picked up the pace with the bolder and energetic “Face” and “For Your Time,” and the poppy, yet still vulnerable “Just A Word.” The other Hindi songs interspersed through his set included “Yeh Pal” and “Tune Kaha.”

He ended his set with “The Last Time” and “Kasoor,” a poetic Hindi love song. The encore included the intimate and soulful “cold/mess,” a favorite of former President Barack Obama’s, on which his simple yet soothing vocals faded in and out, and meshed perfectly with the building intensity of the instrumentals.

Kuhad’s complex and romantic acoustics would kindle a downright cozy feeling akin to being in a cafe or bookstore on a rainy day.

New York singer-songwriter Laura Elliott opened the concert with a raw performance. that included mostly songs from her debut album, People Pleaser. The album takes listeners through the various stages of her relationship, with the comforting takeaway being not to try so hard to people please that you forget to love yourself.

“I’m freaking out,” Elliott yelled as she sang the entrancing “Grass Stains,” during which her voice soared and seemed to reach every part of the auditorium. Next was “Stages,” which she said was her mom’s favorite song, followed by “For Now,” the first song she ever released, in 2020. 

Laura Elliott performs at The Fillmore in San Francisco on June 8, 2022.

Other highlights included “Fever Dreams,” which started out soft and melodic before transitioning to a smooth crescendo, and “Grinding My Teeth.”

“These titles are crazy. I’m OK. I swear I’m not that sad,” Elliot said, laughing, before the latter vivid and poignant track.

She also showcased her vocals during the coy “Middleman,” which she wrote because, “I’m a big chicken and I can’t tell people I like them when I like them, so I tell my friends instead.”

Elliot also performed a cover of the Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” and ended her set on a grieving and slightly wistful note by playing “Blue” on request from someone in the crowd.

Follow photographer Irene Chen at Instagram.com/irenechenphoto.