Noah Kahan Brings Stick Season to London

New England’s Noah Kahan has been on a stratospheric rise this year. With a Grammy nomination for the album that changed everything, “Stick Season”, he’s been touring non-stop and collaborating with the likes of Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves and Hozier.

After several months of touring the US, he ended this year’s run of shows with two sold out nights at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town. Vermont is a long way from London, but November in the UK is definitely stick season with long dark nights and grey, rainy days.

The room is packed and warmed up by openers Tiny Habits. Noah and his band burst onto stage, diving straight into a fan favourite, “Northern Attitude”. The fans know every word, almost harmonising with him as he sings “You build a boat, you build a life / You lose your friends, you lose your wife / You settle into routine / Where are you? What does it mean?”. The track is a great opener for what will be an emotional show, encapsulating a lot of the deep emotional themes of Kahan’s work and his feelings towards his home state of Vermont - as well as giving him a chance to run around the stage and jump off the drum riser.

He pines after a lost love with “She Calls Me Back”, sings about decaying fingers and becoming worm food with the love of his life in “Everywhere Everything” while the lead guitarist shreds his way through a solo, and treats the crowd to some old favourites with “Maine” and “False Confidence”. His emotive and soul-bearing lyricism emanates with the audience deeply; a few tears were shed throughout the set, particularly during “Call Your Mom”, in which Kahan looks at mental health crises and being there for someone you love during their time of need. 

From making fun of the British calling Santa ‘Father Christmas’ (which he thinks is “so cute”), to roasting himself, Kahan sprinkles humour throughout his set, his personality shining through his crowd chats as much as it does in his music. He has his reflective moments too, commenting on how much better his life was after he learned to do things on his own before performing the much loved (and often cried over) “You’re Gonna Go Far”. 

Despite his songs focusing on topics such as shame, depression and alcoholism - “I’m gonna play some real sad songs” he truthfully jokes - the room is full of joy, the band having as much fun playing as the audience is having watching them. He ends the main set with “Dial Drunk”, a riotous and vivacious track that the band clearly have a blast playing.

The encore was a trio of fan favourites. Starting with stirring and transcendent “The View Between Villages” and then his latest album’s title track, “Stick Season”, which captures the restlessness and strange sensation of simultaneously belonging and being trapped. He ends the set with the song that changed everything after it went viral on TikTok earlier this year: “Homesick”. Electrified and impassioned, every person in the crowd knew every word, singing along to a song about the twisting feeling of loving your hometown but being desperate to get away - it’s a hit for a reason. With Kahan thrashing his guitar into the drum riser until it splits open, it’s an electrifying end to the night.

It’s been a whirlwind year for Noah Kahan, and his final show of the year reflects everything he’s achieved; exceptional, lyrical and honest folk rock music and a dedicated fan base that is as passionate about his music as he is. Kahan is ending the year on a high, and his fans mean it when they sing along with him, “we’ll all be here forever”. 
Noah Kahan will tour the EU and UK again in early 2024. Tickets are available here.