Noah Kahan – soundtrack of the seasons 

WINTER 

It’s a cold and frosty winter evening as thousands of fans make their way to Wembley Arena to see Kahan take the stage. (In reality, it was an unseasonably warm 16 degrees in London in February but it reads better if you pretend.)

He’s aware of the emotions his songs evoke, admitting “If anyone leaves this place happy, then I haven’t done my job”. He sets this tone from the offset, opening with ‘Northern Attitude’ and bringing a chill to the furnace-like arena. 

It should be noted that we were in attendance like proud mothers watching their kid’s sports day. Noah (we act like we’re on a first name basis) has been the invisible member of our friendship group for around 5 years now. He’s been there through the bad times and the good. Break up? Noah. Best friends moving across the world? Noah. Travelling Europe and having the best summer of your life? Noah. 

He’s been on this journey with us whilst also going through his own journey to stardom. Going back to his roots, he welcomed James Bay, whom Noah toured with back in 2019, for a hauntingly beautiful rendition of ‘No Complaints’. 

SPRING 

The snow begins to thaw, as even week-old songs like ‘Forever’ are recited word for word by the choir of loyal fans. It’s hard not to notice Noah’s own amazement at the sheer magnitude of this show. 

The paisley-clad new-Englander is almost bashful, questioning whether his outfit was too ‘flashy’ and surprising himself every time he looked up at the screens behind him, “Sorry I can’t stop looking at myself up there”. It’s easy to see why, his first London show comprised of just 77 people compared to the now 12,000-strong assembly hypnotised by his every move. What he lacks in experience in such large venues, he makes up for with sheer talent and charisma. 

SUMMER

With the audience fully warmed up, the seasoned Noah veterans were rewarded with some more upbeat throwbacks. The pre-Tik-Tok-Era hits ‘Mess’ and ‘’False Confidence’ threw the swaying crowd into a frenzy of stomping and (shoulder shimmying?). 

The one exception to the thunderous congregation was the unreleased ‘Pain Is Like Cold Water’ in which you could hear a pin drop as the arena hung onto every word of the enchanting number.  For those who were there for the Instagram lives during lockdown, it was mesmerising to see how the unpolished pieces are now works of art being appreciated by the masses. ‘Orange Juice’ provided us with the collaboration we didn’t know we needed as Ben Howard joined on stage for the melancholic lullaby. 

STICK SEASON 

“Who’s ready to get sticky?” It’s not something you usually want to hear at a concert except on this occasion. We’re reclaiming the fall and being transported to Vermont with ’Stick Season’. With one note, chaos ensues. The kind of disarray that is too risky to film with your phone but that you’ll have an unforgettable time in the moment. The chants escalate until an almighty “until my friends come home for Christmas” emanates from the crowd. 

As arms are flung around each other, tears are streaming, and lyrics are screamed in faces it’s clear that every person there has their own relationship with Noah, there as an invisible but very poignant member. His relatability, epic storytelling and all-around likability plant him firmly in the spotlight and it is just the start for this GRAMMY (soon-to-be) winner.

After all this, he, unfortunately, just didn’t do his job properly. I left far too happy.