Noah Kahan

An Unforgettable Night with Noah Kahan: Authenticity and Emotion in Every Note

I have never been at a loss for words when writing a review. So many feelings, so many thoughts, and no way to articulate them. I will try my best to encompass just how outstanding of a performer Noah Kahan is, but for you to truly understand what I mean, you have to see him yourself.

A down-to-earth guy with a talent that he wants to share with everyone is the best way I can describe Noah Kahan. He is humble, funny, and so authentically himself—a refreshing change in a world that has become so obsessed with others' opinions. Kahan’s ability to stay true to himself is, in my opinion, what makes his music so good. In his music, he talks about often-avoided topics like loss, love, and growing up different—something most of us can relate to. Prior to the show at Blossom Music Center, I had never had the chance to see him live. However, I have loved his music since "Stick Seasons" was on TikTok back in 2020. I was absolutely blown away at just how amazing he sounds live. His recorded discography is one of my favorites, but live… wow. His range was fantastic, holding notes during his acoustic set that were nothing short of incredible. Speaking of his acoustic set, he added it in because his show “isn’t lowkey enough.” Kahan invited us back to his childhood living room, showing a backdrop of pictures with kids playing outside while he sang "Come Over" and "Godlight," accompanied by all of the strings. Violins, banjos, and acoustic guitars really made it feel like we were sitting around an intimate campfire, just with Noah Kahan and 23,000 of our closest friends. I will say one of my favorite parts of the whole show was before he played "False Confidence" when he spoke about how he felt awkward and different growing up, and how he thought fame would make him feel “cool.” He then went on to mention how even though he has made some hits, he is still the same person that he always was; he just gained confidence in being himself.

Moving through the night, I think something else special about his set was that he incorporated a B stage close to the lawn of the venue in order to play from a vantage point where those with less desirable seats could see him up close. After concluding "Homesick," Kahan jumped from the stage to the pit and made his way up to the B stage, where he sang "Growing Sideways" and "Strawberry Wine." Fans in the lawn chanted for him to turn around after the songs concluded so they could get up-close photos of him as if they were in the pit.

Kahan made his way back up to the stage, where he finished out his set, playing "She Calls Me Back," "Northern Attitude," "Orange Juice," and "Call Your Mom." I think a really beautiful thing about music is the emotions it evokes, and let me make a PSA that you may want to come prepared with tissues if you plan to attend a Noah Kahan concert. I have never been moved to tears before at a concert, but this night, I had tears streaming down my face as he sang "Call Your Mom." I’m not sure whether to attribute it to the adorable mom with her young son in front of me swaying together to the music, how heartfelt the lyrics are, or how Noah puts his all into performing, but it was something I will always remember. Wrapping up the set, Kahan played "Northern Attitude," another one of my personal favorites. Just when I thought no more could be done to make this night any more perfect, snow fell during the last chorus.

Lights on the stage flashed shortly after Kahan left, and no sooner was he back out to perform an encore. "The View Between Villages" and "Stick Season" truly concluded the show. All night, the crowd was heartily singing along, but they truly erupted when "Stick Season" began to play. Which is truly understandable, even non-Kahan fans know this one. It has almost 1 billion streams on Spotify for a reason—it's amazing!

Overall, the night was more than worth the hours sitting in traffic and the early day at work the next morning. Kahan has such a unique perspective for an artist of his caliber; he is someone that truly seems like he enjoys what he is doing and is such an inspiration to me and so many others. I am so happy that I had the chance to do a review of his show, and I will do all that I can to see him again in the future. If you have yet to go to a Noah Kahan concert, you should put him in the number one position for artists to see.

As that sign said in the pit, sometimes all you need is a greasy man from Vermont, which could not be more true.