Review: Josh Groban's 'Harmony' Tour is a Dazzling Evening of Songs & Stories

As anyone who has had a pulse for the last 20+ years will tell you, there's very little that Josh Groban can't do. And, generally speaking, he's the only true showman working in the business today, except for maybe Hugh Jackman. I've long thought that Groban can do anything, and I have yet to be convinced otherwise, particularly after catching his latest tour.

Running through August 2, Groban's Harmony tour is in support of his latest album by the same name, which he released in the dead of the pandemic, something he joked he doesn't recommend doing. Harmony is Groban's ninth tour and his ninth album, and in the roughly twenty years that he's been a household name, he has continued to outdo himself year after year. He's a Tony, Emmy, and Grammy-nominated renaissance man who has sold more than 35 million albums and sold out arenas in four continents, so I guess you could say that seeing him live is a pretty great experience.

And it isn't only his voice that makes his concerts so delightful; it's his entire damn personality. Endlessly likable and funny, it's no wonder that Groban regularly finds himself co-hosting TV shows, making guest appearances, and even hosting his own variety show at Radio City Music Hall. In short, he's much more than a pretty voice, and he's spent his career finding different ways to become a vital part of the fabric of American entertainment.

"I'm gonna talk a little tonight because I haven't seen people in two years," he joked near the top of the show. And talk he did, from rich anecdotes between songs to effortless banter with the audience, Groban makes sure that the evening sticks to your ribs in a way that it wouldn't if it was simply about the music.

Kicking off the evening with covers of Frank Sinatra's "The World We Knew (Over and Over)," Sting's "Shape of My Heart," and Robbie Williams' "Angels," Groban demonstrates the breadth of his musical influences while showing us that his covers aren't just covers he can sing, but rather covers he needs to sing. As gay Twitter might say these days, he throws his entire Grussy into these songs, and the result is electrifying. He told a particularly charming story about Robbie Williams sending him flowers once he found out that Groban had covered his 1997 hit "Angels." "I'm as straight as an arrow, but I would! I would!" he joked.

With "February Song," he revealed that he wrote the song while having an existential crisis at the age of 23, wondering if his career was running out of steam; and with "Granted," he spoke about how access to the arts as a child helped him exorcise his demons and helped him find his light. You actually get to know Josh Groban a little more through this tour, and that's one of the things that makes it so memorable.

In terms of his special guests, Groban was backed by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, which added a nice sound to the otherwise strictly symphonic sound his concerts usually have. He also brought out violinist Lucia Micarelli, who brought the house down with a fierce solo before accompanying Groban on "Cinema Paradiso," one of the most gorgeous pieces of music ever composed for the screen. Then there's singer Eleri Ward, whose interpretation of Sondheim caught Groban's attention in New York City nightclubs, who duets with him on "Not While I'm Around" from "Sweeney Todd."

The rest of Groban's covers included Peter Gabriel's "The Book of Love," Kenny Loggins' "Celebrate Me Home," and Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now," all of which felt new and vital thanks to his interpretations. "Alla luce del sole" and "Aléjate" are always hair-raising Groban staples, as is – of course – "You Raise Me Up," the song that cemented the then 22-year-old's place as an icon. Amusingly, he shared that he first heard the song while drunk in a taxi in Dublin.

Groban didn't get political. He tries hard not to go there on stage, as I recall him saying the last time I saw him perform four years ago. But it's no coincidence that the album he released during the hellish turmoil of Trump's term was called "Bridges," or that his next album, released eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, was called "Harmony." It also wasn't a coincidence that he chose to end this tour with a stirring performance of "The Impossible Dream," sending everyone home with a reminder to continue to strive in the face of adversity and to keep fighting the good fight.

As always, Josh, the pleasure is ours.

Christopher Ehlers can be reached at [email protected], or on Twitter or Instagram at @_ChrisEhlers.