Noah Kahan - ‘Stick Season’ Tour
After first seeing Noah Kahan supporting Dermot Kennedy in April 2023, it has been incredible to witness his career soar as quickly as it has but it’s not surprising in the slightest, considering the immense talent he possesses. On 20th August 2024, Birmingham’s Utilita Arena was packed to the brim as fans rapidly filled the arena to see the folk-pop musician live in the flesh, and what an exceptional night his fans were in for!
Supporting the American singer-songwriter was 24-year-old English singer-songwriter, Maisie Peters. In addition to joining Noah on his summer UK tour, the talented vocalist had also supported Taylor Swift, the very day before this show, at Wembley Stadium. What a whirlwind experience the young pop artist is deservedly living as of late! This was my first time hearing of Maisie and I thoroughly enjoyed her 30-minute set, consisting of various original songs as well as an incredible cover of the iconic “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, which had the entire arena singing at the top of their lungs. I could sense an 80s-inspired sound from Maisie’s songs performed on the night, and the three-piece band accompanying her vibed immensely alongside her and were fantastically gifted in their own individual right.
Noah’s performance was nothing short of spectacular on the night as fans got to experience a two hour long set, which included a two-song encore ending the night on an enormous high. I don’t recall attending a concert this long in a while and I appreciate the extent to which Noah and his phenomenal band played that night. Kahan was joined on stage by a five-piece ensemble which consisted of Noah Levine (guitar and banjo), Alex Bachari (bass), Marco Valles (drums), Dylan Jones (keyboard) and Nina de Vitry (multi instrumentalist); each member of the band respectively brought their A-game and enchantingly contributed to a night of magical music. I was kindly invited along to the show and it was fantastic to attend a concert where I was able to fully immerse myself in the moment, as usually I am not afforded this opportunity when I photograph an artist or a band at the beginning of their set, so I am extremely grateful to have been provided with this unforgettable experience.
Noah interacted with fans close to the front barrier after performing a few songs, taking the time to read the handwritten signs that were held, playing games that the placards displayed and also signing a beverage that was handed to him. The beloved folk-pop artist hilariously told his fans that being on stage that night felt like the start of an awful comedic Netflix special, as he had to awkwardly speak to the crowd for longer periods when his team transformed the stage to display three framed photos. The photographs seemed to depict Noah’s childhood memories and were placed alongside parallel chairs and cosy lighting as he and his band played a captivating acoustic set together.
A particularly poignant moment during the evening was when Noah asked the audience if anyone was attending the concert on their own; this moment stood out for me personally as I almost always go to gigs alone and, whilst it certainly initially took a lot of guts to do so, I no longer mind because I would rather do this than miss seeing my favourite artists and bands live. Noah delivered an inspiring speech on the topic and told fans that it’s so rewarding when you’re finally able to embrace doing things alone, and his heartfelt acoustic love-letter, “You’re Gonna Go Far”, accordingly followed this motivational speech.
Across the entire evening, mesmerising stage visuals and backdrops accompanied the setlist in an aesthetically pleasing manner and fitted each of his songs perfectly. Just over an hour into Noah’s performance, he vacated the main stage and shortly thereafter appeared on a B-stage, located within the centre of the standing area, next to the soundboard. He performed a few more acoustic tracks here by himself and also interacted with a few lucky fans, who happened to be close to the area surrounding him on the smaller stage. During his incredible performance of “Northern Attitude”, confetti fell like snow onto the front half of the standing crowd, closest to the stage. The lighting for the entire night was breathtaking, so huge credit must be given to the brilliant lighting technicians for making an audibly spectacular experience visually stunning too. Like all good things, the night eventually came to an end as Noah closed the concert with his fabled fan favourite “Stick Season”, before the musician and his band collectively bowed and thanked the crowd for such a memorable night in Birmingham.
If you ever get the chance to catch Noah Kahan on tour or at a festival, please do so! His concert was a spellbinding, otherworldly experience which awakened all of my senses, and it was such a peaceful experience to hear these first-class folk songs performed live by a stellar quintet of musicians, led by the spectacular soloist who carefully crafted each thoughtful lyric. Without a doubt, this show has instantly landed highly on the list of my all-time favourite concerts.
No photo gallery, review only due to not being able to acquire a photo pass.
