After constantly hearing “Stick Season” on my TikTok “For You” page this past summer, I was incredibly excited to find out that Noah Kahan would be playing at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton on Oct. 21. As a singer-songwriter from Vermont, most of Kahan’s songs share the experience of growing up and living in New England. I love the glamorized New England references in his songs, especially as I am experiencing one of my first New England autumns.
Before the show began fans gathered in the mezzanine of the Calvin Theatre, anxiously awaiting the start of the show. Kahan had originally planned to play in Northampton in 2021 but had to cancel the show as he lost his voice. You could feel the anticipation in the audience for this long awaited performance.
Adam Melchor opened for Kahan, beginning with a beautiful cover of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow.’ Melchor wore a t-shirt stating “Enjoy Vagina” in Coca-Cola lettering, which he proudly announced he thrifted in Northampton that afternoon. He played several songs from his new album “Here Goes Nothing,” which was released earlier that day. After Melchor’s 30-minute set, Kahan came on stage.
“This album is my love letter to New England,” Kahan told the audience, before launching into his song “Everywhere, Everything.” While the single “Stick Season” was released in July, the other 13 songs in the album were released on Oct. 14. Despite the album only being days old, the audience had no problem shouting every lyric along with Noah and the band.
The album invokes shared feelings about the melancholy time of year between seasons when it isn’t quite winter yet but the trees have lost their leaves, leaving only “sticks”.
Kahan’s music is nostalgic in nature and beautifully captures the spirit of homesickness. As the lead singer, Kahan still acknowledged and appreciated the immense role his band played in promoting the energy and stamina of the show. I spoke with Kahan’s lead guitarist Noah Levine, who explained that while interning at the studio where Kahan recorded “Stick Season,” he was asked to play guitar on “Homesick,” a song with an epic guitar solo outro. After his performance on the recording, Levine was asked to tour with the band. “He called me up and was like ‘Hey, do you wanna go on tour?’ I said yes and dropped out of college. And here I am,” said Levine.
Kahan played some older songs, including “Animal” and “Young Blood,” but the majority of his songs came from “Stick Season.” The Northampton crowd especially liked the song “Homesick”, during which concert-goers belted the line, “I’m mean because I grew up in New England!”
Kahan also shared his vulnerable side and explained the meaning behind some of the newer songs. Before launching into “Growing Sideways,” Kahan explained that he has been in therapy for most of his life but has not always actively put the work into bettering himself; therefore, he was growing sideways. After Kahan began speaking up and working in his therapy, he began to see the benefits. He told the audience that he believes each and every one of them should go to therapy and work on themselves, with the caveat that mental health services are not always available for everyone. “If you have the ability to go to therapy, I really suggest you do, no matter how well you think you are,” said Kahan.
The energy Kahan invoked in the crowd was incredible, audience members were belting the lyrics to almost all of his songs, even tearing up at some of the more emotional songs such as “Orange Juice” or “Carlo’s Song”.
Kahan ended the show with three of his most popular songs, “The View Between Villages,” “Mess” and of course, “Stick Season.” Hearing the entire Calvin Theater sing along to this nostalgic but also relatable song about the change of seasons in New England was a surreal experience. Kahan will continue his tour throughout the United States and finish in the United Kingdom in the spring of next year.
