Tuesday, March 4, marked American producer, singer, and songwriter FINNEAS’ stop in San Francisco for a concert at the historic Masonic Auditorium. The ten-time Grammy-winning artist embarked on tour in January to promote his Oct. 2024 alternative/indie album For Cryin’ Out Loud, touring across Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and now throughout the US. FINNEAS’ set captivated audiences of all ages, displaying his immense vocal and instrumental talent while providing a much-needed midweek energy boost for fans.  

FINNEAS’ opener, Los Angeles-based indie-rock band Bad Suns, kicked off the show at 8 p.m. sharp, warming up the crowd with a variety of tracks from their five studio albums. With nearly 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, their 40-minute set flew by as they cracked jokes with fans, recorded videos for their social media, and earned themselves new listeners.

After a 35-minute intermission, FINNEAS’ nonchalant entrance surprised the crowd as he quietly walked over to his piano and opened with the first track of For Cryin’ Out Loud!, “Starf*cker.” His vocals immediately stood out as the song started off as a quiet ballad, sounding nearly identical to the song’s studio version. However, towards the bridge, the song took a turn, evolving as his band picked up the pace while the crowd screamed lines like “I was such an optimist” and “You’re a f*cking narcissist.”  

Immediately afterward, FINNEAS took to the front of the stage, picked up his drool-worthy electric guitar, and launched into the closing track from For Cryin’ Out Loud!, “Lotus Eater,” after asking the crowd “San Francisco, do you want to dance?” The sold-out crowd of over 3,000 fans head-bobbed and frat-flicked along as he moved through five songs in a row off For Cryin’ Out Loud, with FINNEAS also celebrating the year anniversary of beginning production on the album.

FINNEAS’ immensely talented band contains five musicians: Ricky Corbett on bass, Miles Morris on drums, Aaron Forbes and David Marinelli on guitar, and Lucy Healey as a keyboardist and partial vocalist. The band formed as the album was in the early stages of production and has performed together for the entirety of the tour.

Before launching into “Sweet Cherries,” which stood out as FINNEAS danced with his guitarists and nailed harmonies with Healey, he continued to express his gratitude for the crowd and San Francisco, sharing “I f*cking love this city man.” Quick transitions and changing spotlight colors gave every song a different feel, keeping fans attentive. 

FINNEAS took a nostalgic turn with his 2020 single, “Angel,” which once again demonstrated his hauntingly clear voice and confident vocal range. “The Kids Are All Dying,” from his 2022 album Optimist, served as a tasteful nod to current political tensions, with lyrics like “How can you sing about drugs? Politicians are lying,” and “How can you sing about sex when the school is on lockdown?” 

FINNEAS and his band members continued to entertain between songs, returning chirps, naming pet hamsters, filming a guitar solo on a fan’s phone, and even telling the story of their 150-dollar slot jackpot in Las Vegas the previous night. He further surprised fans by performing the first brand new, unreleased song of the tour towards the end of his set, which had almost every fan recording and on the edge of their seat.

Fan-favorite 2021 collaboration with Ashe, “Till Forever Falls Apart,” kept it fresh as FINNEAS performed with keyboardist and vocalist Lucy Healey, who covered some of Ashe’s original lyrics, allowing FINNEAS to crush some of her usual high notes. Audience members remained enraptured afterward with his performance of “Family Feud,” preluded by a touching tribute to New Zealand weather and his younger sister, nine-time Grammy-winning artist Billie Eilish.

“I Lost a Friend,” “Break My Heart Again,” and “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night” off his 2019 EP Blood Harmony served as fitting precursors to the end of the set, launching fans on a rollercoaster of emotions as FINNEAS masterfully manipulated energy levels. After donning some fitting Mardi Gras attire, he closed out the night with the lead single and title track “For Cryin’ Out Loud,” leaving some of the crowd crying out loud but mostly grooving along with catchy licks and riding the high of the dynamic performance. 

For his first concert back in San Francisco since 2021, FINNEAS met a doting crowd who he undoubtedly enchanted. Overall, FINNEAS’ performance didn’t dull for a second, and his musical prowess shined through, earning the show a five out of five feathers.