To be completely honest, going into this show, I only knew one Noah Kahan song, Young Blood. However, this song is SO good, that I knew I had to be there when he played in Austin.
In this midst of a chaotic shift in my personal life, I had almost missed my opportunity to attend this show, but luckily, I made it just in time. I was completely unsure of what to expect, I knew his song Young Blood inside and out, having it on almost all of my playlists since I first heard it on KGSR (rip) back when they allowed the DJs to play whatever they wanted for an hour each day a few years ago, but other than that, I was going in blind.
The line wrapped around the building when I arrived caught me off guard, but let me know that I was in for something special, everyone was very clearly excited to be there and talking about which part of the set they were the most ready for.
I met a group of girls in the front of the line who were talking about his show the previous night, they had traveled to Austin from Houston and were planning on attending even more shows after. I asked them all about their favorite songs, which ones I should listen out for ,and heard all about what each one meant to them. By the time the doors opened, I was just as ready as they were, feeling as if I were about to see my favorite band for the first time.
The opening band, The Brook & The Bluff, was the perfect way to start the evening. I enjoyed every minute of their set and they've made their way into a few of my playlists. The crowd completely picked up on their energy and by the end of their set the excitement was seemingly tangible.
Noah Kahan’s set was completely unlike how I imagined it to be, in the best way. Even with a more relaxed setlist, the performance was full of energy and Noah was electric.
My favorite part of the entire experience were the little moments in between songs where Noah would tell short anecdotes about what the songs were written about, or take a moment to crack a joke with the crowd, it made the show feel more intimate and gave everyone a glimpse into his life, allowing the audience to make a deeper connection with the music, even if they were first time listeners like me.
I noticed that even when singing along to songs with overwhelmingly melancholy lyrics, the crowd couldn’t help but smile and sing even louder, as if everyone came together to overcome whatever place their hurt was coming from, one of the things that I love about live music seemingly amplified by the way that Noah encouraged total transparency and allowing yourself to be vulnerable.
After a hectic week, this show was all of the catharsis I needed and more, and Noah Kahan has quickly become one of my new favorites, I can’t wait until he makes his way back to Austin.
