From opening note to final bow, last night the Shoreline Amphitheater was ablaze in musicianship, gratitude and love to give. If you came expecting to hear one of the finest living vocalists in the world, you got that. If you came to hear some next-level New Orleans brass, you got that as well. If you came simply to enjoy a full string section and chorale arrange Joni Mitchell and Stephen Sondheim, you got that too. But if you came because you wanted something to believe in during these especially difficult times, something inspirational and miraculous, something to make you dream again, Josh Groban has got you, big time. Backed by guitarist/arranger Tariqh Akoni, percussionist Daniel Sadownick, Bay Area organist Mark Stephens, bassist Andre Manga and drummer Kaz Rodriguez, the San Jose State Choraliers and a 14-piece string/reed section, the multi-platinum, multi-octave, multi-instrumental artist (imagine our shock when Groban jumped behind a full drum-set for the rambunctious Italian song, “Alla Luce Del Sole”) Groban is a water-strider whom just as expertly can handle older standards or contemporary jazz, broadway musical or pop, Frank Sinatra or Kenny Loggins, all while presenting wholly unique “Grobanized” covers, such as Robbie Williams’ “Angels”, Sting’s “Shape Of My Heart”, The Magnetic Fields’ “Book Of Love”, a Spanish-language version of Celine Dion’s “Just Walk Away” (titled “Aléjete”, which Groban translates more as, “Get the hell out of my house!”), Ol’ Blue Eyes’ “Over And Over”, a duet with Eleri Ward of “Not While I’m Around” from Sweeny Todd, and a duet with master violinist/singer Lucia Mircarelli of Joni Mitchell’s, “Both Sides Now”. His deeply-insightful original works like “February Song”, “Granted” or newly minted “The Fullest” (on his 2020 release of Harmony) are suffused with lyrics which speak directly to a soul tarnished, but never vanquished. All around affable, self-effacing and genuinely funny (with theater-kid references to the indie-film Waiting For Guffman; a few personal stories about his professional history with the Bay Area and how his dad went to San Jose State; and cracking wise with an audience member whom, mid-set, insisted Groban autograph several of her detached license plates, Groban later indicating to security, “next time I’m getting an alligator and a moat”), he helped heal the little part of us that strives for something better, as well as implored activism with his campaign to provide arts education opportunities to vulnerable communities, the Find Your Light Foundation. Humbled by the enormous worldwide positive response he garners, he mused about how privileged he was to have parents whom supported his “plunking at the keys” and teachers whom propelled him into greatness, telling the audience, “I know it’s creepy, but if you had a teacher who made a difference in your life, stalk them on Facebook and say thank you. They don’t know. They send you off, but they don’t know.” Truly a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-all-of-them-too, Groban is a force for light and magic. Be sure to find and stream Harmony wherever you find your music. Viva el Groban!