Back in 2022, Noah Kahan tweeted at fans to wear flannels to his shows and St. Paul, Minnesota delivered. Almost everywhere I looked, there was someone wearing a flannel or walking around with one tied around their waist.
After a sudden rise to fame thanks to TikTok, the album cycle for Stick Season by Noah Kahan has lasted nearly two years. In those two years, Kahan has performed at countless music festivals, been nominated for a Grammy, and is now doing his first arena tour. Kahan brought his We’ll All Be Here Forever Tour to Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota for two sold out shows on June 7-8, 2024. I was lucky enough to attend the first night of his two shows.
Kahan’s stage had several knotted ropes hanging from the ceiling complimented by what I interpreted as mountains that had visuals projected on them for each song throughout the show. His band consisted of a drummer, guitarists, bassist, and fiddle player.
Noah Kahan knew how to open the show starting with one of his most well-known songs, “Dial Drunk” which the crowd immediately screamed along with him. Right away, Kahan mentioned loving Minnesota and brought up playing at a few of the smaller venues in the Twin Cities like 7th St. Entry and First Avenue. He made it clear how incredibly insane it was to jump from a smaller venue like those to arenas.
Being at that Noah Kahan show meant there was never a dull moment. He’s an entertainer through and through and would talk to the crowd while changing up the stage and in between songs. He even had a segment where he read a bunch of signs he saw in the crowd and poked fun at himself for looking like a youth pastor onstage. His wit and sarcasm brought so much charm to the show. It felt like I was having a conversation with a friend.
One of my favorite parts of the show was when he made the stage look like his mother’s living room complete with couches, chairs, and giant photos of Kahan growing up that dangled over the stage. He spoke of homesickness, growing up, divorce, and mental health. All of which resonated deeply. During that part of the show, he played “Godlight” and “Come Over”. Other highlights from the setlist for me were “Paul Revere”, “All My Love”, and “Growing Sideways”. He also included two unreleased songs, “Pain Is Cold Water” and “The Great Divide”.
In an effort to recreate the feeling of being back in a smaller venue, Kahan walked to a B-stage at the back of the floor and sang three songs. Fans rushed the stage and tried to get as close as possible. They even jumped over and stood on top of chairs to get the best view.
Kahan’s energy was infectious the whole night and his genuine love for writing and performing shined through. The last few songs were some of the most emotional for me. Kahan mentioned he switches up a few of his songs in the setlist for cities he plays two shows in. For ours, he played his touching tribute, “Carlo’s Song”, to honor his friend who passed away seven years ago. He encouraged fans to think of someone they knew who had passed away and think of a happy memory with them as a way to keep them alive. This was especially cathartic for me because one of my best friends passed away seven years ago, so it was a good opportunity for self-reflection and bittersweet happiness. After that moment, we jumped right into “Orange Juice” and “Northern Attitude”.
Kahan closed out the night with a two-song encore and finished with “Stick Season”. The idea to book-end his show with “Dial Drunk” and “Stick Season” was a brilliant move on his part. Not only did it get the crowd excited to start, but it brought back the energy at the end of the night and gave Kahan the rousing finish his show deserved.
After the show, Kahan tweeted “God I love minnesota”, and I could feel his love for the crowd and the state while in the arena that night.
That show was one for the books for me. I’d highly recommend going even if you are just a casual listener. I promise you’ll come away with more love for music than when you came in based on how carefully crafted Kahan’s show was and how talented his entire band is onstage. To experience the joy and bright light that is a Noah Kahan show, you can find tickets here to his remaining shows.
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