Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, Tennessee)
02/02/23
Noah Kahan performed at the fully packed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee for the first leg of his 2023 Stick Season Tour. His album is a love letter to New England and, even in Nashville, concertgoers felt connected to that meaning. The crowd was electric for the entire hour-and-a-half set and sang every word back to Noah at the top of their lungs. Kahan’s set featured almost every song from Stick Season, along with selections from his previous releases, including “Maine” from his 2020 Cape Elizabeth E.P. and “Young Blood” from his 2019 album, Busyhead.
Joy Oladokun, a Nashville resident who will be supporting Noah on his summer leg of the Stick Season Tour, surprised the crowd by joining Noah onstage to perform a cover of “If We Were Vampires” by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. A few songs later, the crowd was surprised with another Nashville resident, Briston Maroney, joining Noah on stage to sing “She Calls Me Back” from Noah’s 2022 album, Stick Season.
The evening wrapped up with an incredible encore, saving the title track of Noah’s latest album for the end of the night. During the chorus, Kahan let the crowd sing the lyrics while he stood back in awe, “And I love Vermont, but it’s the season of the sticks. And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed. And it’s half my fault, but I just like to play the victim. I’ll drink alcohol ’til my friends come home for Christmas. And I’ll dream each night of some version of you that I might not have, but I did not lose. Now you’re tire tracks and one pair of shoes. And I’m split in half, but that’ll have to do.” Needless to say, you definitely don’t want to miss out on the Stick Season Tour. Noah puts on a memorable show with his vulnerable songs and New England charm.
