SAN FRANCISCO — The lights were dim, the crowd was ready and the mood was set. A percussionist began hitting his beat pad, turning the stage into an off-purple cloud of light with every other beat. Moments later, Shy Girls emerged from the foggy background and greeted the sold-out crowd at The Independent with his pacifying vocals.

Shy Girls, a solo artist whose name is Dan Vidmar, is currently on tour supporting recently released debut, Salt. The Pennsylvania native moved to Portland several years ago. Since then, he has made a name for himself in the newly popular alternative R&B scene, joining the likes of PARTYNEXTDOOR and The Weeknd, who found mainstream success in the genre. Shy Girls’ rise in popularity has led to collaborations with ODESZA and opening stints for Little Dragon and HAIM.

“Why I Love,” the first song of Vidmar’s set, demonstrated exactly why he has garnered such a sizable following. Soft lighting paired with hip hop beats, haunting synths and pleading vocals make for an environment that feels like the climax of some prolific drama—the part where the lovers run in slow motion toward each other. This theme was a constant throughout the set. However, Shy Girls was able to successfully switch up the pace throughout his set. He threw in melodic keyboard progressions, satisfying guitar riffs and even a couple of saxophone solos courtesy of his supporting cast.

Later in the set, Vidmar proclaimed his love for the Bay Area.“[San Francisco] was the first place we played at outside of Portland, so it feels almost like a second home to us,” he said between songs. The setting very possibly could have contributed to this exceptional performance. But if crowd size equates to terrific shows for Shy Girls, Friday’s gig shouldn’t have been much different from his others, all of which had sold out.

It’s easy to see why so many have been flocking to catch Shy Girls live. Although he reaches vocal highs capable of carrying and elevating tracks, he chooses to spread the wealth with the instrumentation. His reserved stage presence, coupled with the dark and intimate setting, make for a captivating show.

Follow reporter Hector Aguilar at Twitter.com/HectorJ_Aguilar.