Josh Radnor performs at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on April 27, 2025. Vanessa Solis/STAFF.

SAN FRANCISCO — Folk musician (and actor, filmaker and author) Josh Radnor made his way to Great American Music Hall on Sunday, performing his first solo concert in the Bay Area. The singer-guitarist’s 75-minute set, the third of a 13-show run on his Eulogy II Tour, showcased his emerging soulful vocals and intricate guitar playing with an established sense of storytelling and humor.

Although he mentioned he was battling sinus and respiratory infections, it didn’t stop him from having a good time.

Radnor opened with a comedic, fourth-wall-breaking song that welcomed the audience to the show, a la Grand Funk Railroad’s “We’re An American Band” but with the testosterone replaced with good-natured quips.

He was then joined by guitarist-bassist Jeremiah Dunlap and keyboardist-percussionist Cory Quintard, who helped him make his Eulogy records. The two also provided background harmonies for most of the night, adding depth and layers to Radnor’s melodious lyrics.

Josh Radnor performs at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on April 27, 2025.

“Red” had Radnor drawing out his vowels to personify the feelings of the lyrics. The song abruptly ended, with no musical closure, but transitioned into “Pretty Angel,” a moody ballad on which Radnor slowed the pace from the uptempo show start.

Radnor described “Apocalyptic Love Song” as a song “about pathological destruction.” He displayed his feathery fingerpicking. He then followed with piano-tinged ballad “The High Road,” which he said was about “forgiving our enemies.”

“To show you how hard it is, the person who I wrote that song about – I’m still mad,” he quipped.

Inviting opening artist Ari Tibi onto the stage, Radnor had her sing accompaniment and harmonies on a couple of songs, starting with “You Can Sleep Alone Tonight,” about letting go a relationship. His goal in writing it, he explained, was to create the opposite of “creepy” attraction songs a la “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”

The duo then performed “Real Good House,” a love song dedicated to his former home of 14 years. He shared the anecdote of it being a bittersweet song because this house is in the midst of an eight-year legal battle with a former neighbor over an easement on his patio.

After his bandmates temporarily left he stage, Radnor told a story venturing to upstate New York for a psychedelic music ritual while recording Eulogy, where he coincidentally met his wife. The story led up to “This Is It,” a love song that he started on his honeymoon.

Throughout the show, Radnor told stories. Whether it was about how he felt while writing his songs or what was going on his life at the time, this dialogue made you want to know more while adding keeping the mood light-hearted and fun.

He looped back into the show with “Come Close To Me (Not Too Close),” a song he described as incredibly dramatic, even while was about a completely normal breakup. He stumbled a bit on the lyrics and chord progression, but powered through.

Rejoined by Dunlap and Quintard, Radnor and co. played  “The Actor,” a cheeky-yet-sincere song by “How I Met Your Mother” fan Jason Kimmel. He sang the lyrics by reading them from his phone. The trio continued with “Learning,” a mellow ballad powered by Quintard’s keyboard playing for the melody.

Radnor then had the audience sing some of the harmonies on up-tempo tune “New York City.” For the closer, he picked up his guitar for “Down in the Dirt,” a meditative song about resilience he wrote with friend and musical mentor Ben Lee.

Radnor has shown that folk music is for him. His lively real-life lyricism complemented his soothing voice. He showed a sense of vulnerability regarding his life experiences while translating them into relatable songs.

Ari Tibi performs at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on April 27, 2025.

Los Angeles native Ari Tibi opened the concert. The artist said they have strong ties to San Francisco and then proceeded to leave a lasting impression over a 30-minute set.

Tibi opened with an a cappella rendition of “La Vie en Rose” –sung in in French – getting the crowd to snap along, creating a rhythm. On the next song Tibi continued blending French and English.

Other songs included “The Witch,” about finding faith in yourself, and “Don’t Look Back,” about focusing on the present. Both showcased Tibi’s soulful singing.

Tibi also delivered an emotional performance during “Shelter,” which she dedicated to a friend she’d met in college who had passed away. Tibi touched on their own struggles with addiction but shared a positive note of strength that she’s five years sober.

The artist also invited a friend, Jules Indelicato, onto the stage to sing a couple of San-Francisco-specific covers; Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker” and Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee.” She closed out their set “A Heart Inside a Heart,” which they co-wrote with Josh Radnor.

Follow photographer Vanessa Solis at Instagram.com/vadephotography.