“Man, I’ve been watching these since I was a kid,” Noah Kahan remarked after his first Austin City Limits filming. “I never thought I’d get a chance to be here.” The Vermont native made the most of his newfound status. Kahan performed virtually every song from his breakout album Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever) while dressed in a beige jumpsuit (“I don’t have the muscle definition for a tanktop, so what am I supposed to do?”) and accompanied by his five-piece band. Clearly a fan of both the quiet and the loud, Kahan moved effortlessly between the banjo-driven folk of “All My Love” and “Orange Juice” and the overt rock anthemry of “She Calls Me Back” and “Northern Attitude.” “Your Needs, My Needs” alternated between the two (and back). Despite the fact that he was renowned for baring his soul in his songs, he was quick to lighten the atmosphere with a lighthearted joke or two – occasionally even during the song (“Put your hands up, Austin! I don’t care, I don’t like it!”).
At times, Kahan used the chance to become personal and connect with his supporters. When he was alone onstage, Kahan launched his song “Growing Sideways,” which addressed his mental health difficulties throughout his childhood, saying that he began counselling at the age of eight and reached a point of clarity years later. “I was 22 when I started telling the truth,” he said, “and I was much happier.” Honesty had the crowd in his grip, pushing them to chant a crucial phrase – evidently, Kahan isn’t the only one who hears an artist speaking frankly about personal problems and feels seen. Still putting his emotions on his sleeve, he cried up during the encore of “The View Between Villages,” an homage to his birthplace.
Kahan’s performance was driven as much by his emotion and personal connection as by his brilliance. “I’m coming down to say hello to this man and his family,” Kahan said, leaving the stage to shake hands with the whole front row as his band played the build-up to “Northern Attitude,” during which the audience chanted one full song. He gave himself the same creative licence on “Everywhere, Everything,” “Orange Juice,” and “False Confidence,” a fan favourite and the only song from an album other than Stick Season. Fans and the singer collaborated on “Dial Drunk,” his first success, and “Stick Season,” the tune that “changed my life” and elicited the loudest audience singalong yet. The event closed with the rollicking “Homesick” with the crowd grooving out, highlighting Kahan’s masterful combination of cathartic explosion and fervent sincerity to full effect.
Noah Kahan – vocals, guitar, mandolin
Noah Levine – guitar, banjo, vocals
Dylan Jones – keyboards, banjo, mandolin, vocals
Alex Bachari – bass, vocals
Marcos Valles – drums, vocals
Setlist:
All My Love – Stick Season
She Calls Me Back – Stick Season
New Perspective – Stick Season
Everywhere, Everything – Stick Season
Your Needs, My Needs – Stick Season
Growing Sideways – Stick Season
Paul Revere – Stick Season
Northern Attitude – Stick Season
False Confidence – Busyhead
Call Your Mom – Stick Season
You’re Gonna Go Far – Stick Season
Orange Juice – Stick Season
Dial Drunk – Stick Season
Encore:
The View Between Villages – Stick Season
Stick Season – Stick Season
Homesick – Stick Season
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Photo Credits: https://commons.wikimedia.org/