Noah Kahan‘s music is a soul-stirring blend of folk-pop and introspective storytelling.
Hailing from Vermont, his small-town roots infuse authenticity into his songs, while his emotive vocals take listeners on an emotional rollercoaster. With lyrics that delve into themes of love, growth, and self-discovery, Noah’s music becomes a heartfelt journey through the human experience. His ability to craft relatable narratives, coupled with his soothing melodies, creates a connection that’s as genuine as it is entrancing. As a rising star, Noah Kahan’s music resonates with a universal longing for connection and meaning.
Over the past several months, Kahan’s popularity has skyrocketed thanks to social media apps like Tik Tok and Twitter, where the artist connects with fans in a casual and approachable way. He is currently on tour for his third studio album, Stick Season. Hitting major cities, music festivals such as Lollapalooza and Outside Lands, he has even added extended dates for his European/UK tour.
ListenSD had the pleasure of attending Noah Kahan’s Wednesday night show at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theater.
The Set
Noah Kahan’s live performance packs just as big of a punch as it does singing alone in your car. He manages to craft such meaningful, introspective lyrics with catchy, stomp-and-holler like rhythms. Most of the music was from Stick Season, which was to be expected but it was a special treat when he sprinkled in older songs. Production for this show absolutely exceeded my expectations, the stage had mesmerizing lighting, great visuals and incredible chemistry with his bandmates.
The Setting
Talk about good vibes, Noah Kahan fans on Wednesday night were cheerful, enthusiastic, yet respectful and focused on the music. At this point Kahan seems to have fans in corners everywhere, as his authenticity is hard to not fall for. The crowd sang along to just about every song, even when he performed his early songs from 2018, like “I’m a Mess” and “False Confidence”. In addition to the music, Kahan interjected anecdotes of his well-known self-deprecating humor, calling himself a “San Diego 3” and a “Vermont 8”. Kahan is also a well-known mental health advocate, and uses his platform to raise awareness. “The happiest person at this show right now should be in therapy, I believe everyone should be in therapy”, Kahan says in between songs, going on to perform songs like “Growing Sideways” and “No Complaints” which talk about his experience battling with his mental health.
