Noah Kahan Ends Tour with Back-to-Back Fenway Spectacles [Show Review]

Noah Kahan ended his lengthy We’ll All Be Here Forever 2024 tour with two back-to-back spectacles at Fenway Park on July 18 & 19th. With openers James Bay and Mt. Joy and it being Kahan’s “hometown” ballpark, it was bound to be a couple of unforgettable nights of music. I was lucky to catch night one with some incredibly special guests and unbelievable talent.

James Bay and Mt. Joy set the indie folk vibe for the night. As the ballpark filled, James Bay serenaded the crowd with hits “Let It Go” and “Hold Back the River.” Quickly following, Mt. Joy took the stage to sing crowd-pleasers like “Strangers,” “Astrovan,” “Sheep,” and my personal favorite, “Julia.” In preparation for Kahan’s appearance, LED bracelets had been placed on every seat. I knew instantly what they were and it made me infinitely more excited for what was to come. The bracelets synchronize and glow with the music, using the crowd as a lighting tool to add to the beautiful atmosphere a Kahan show has to offer. By the time the sun went down, the crowd was writhing in anticipation for the Vermont native, speculating in whispers about what special guests may appear.

Kahan entered the stage in a custom Red Sox-inspired jersey with his initials on the front and “FOREVER” on the back. He came out the gate strong with the radio hit “Dial Drunk,” and immediately, the audience of 35,000 lit up. Literally, thanks to the bracelets. I can imagine this was the most hyped crowd of the tour. All of Kahan’s songs reference growing up in New England, having spent time in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts himself. They refer to the struggle of hometown living in the frigid cold and dead winters while dealing with depression and loneliness. It is so clear that Kahan is humble; he genuinely does not believe he deserves the following he has.

And as much as I love his music, I don’t believe it’s the only reason he has made it this big. For folks around here, he is as relatable as an artist can get. He understands, and he isn’t afraid to talk about it. A child of divorce, he quipped, “If your parents are divorced, just know it’s not your fault. It’s your dad’s fault.” Being someone who struggles with depression, he said his music was depressing, and he wants “everyone to leave a little worse than when [they] came in.” Despite admitting he doesn’t understand the attention he’s getting, he joked, “If one person looks at that sunset instead of me, I’ll have the security guards beat you within an inch of your life.” It’s his personality that separates him from every other folk artist out there.

Despite enjoying Noah Kahan’s amazing attitude and witty comments, one cannot ignore his musical talent. Almost all of his Stick Season songs are popular, and with the screaming of the crowd echoing off the ballpark walls, it’s easy to tell. For my favorite song off the album, “Everywhere, Everything,” he brought out Gracie Abrams, who joined him on stage to sing her verse as she does on the extended version of the album. The crowd went crazy.

At one point in the show, Kahan disappeared for what I thought was perhaps a costume change. It wasn’t. He reappeared atop the historic Green Monster at Fenway to sing “Growing Sideways” before The Lumineers revealed themselves to join in on a rendition of Jason Isabel and the 400 Unit’s “If We Were Vampires.” Aside from amazing guests, the Fenway show also got some rare songs like “Maine” and “Mess” from Kahan that he usually doesn’t play.

Kahan ended the night with none other than “Stick Season,” with all of his guests and openers entering the stage to chime in. After the song ended, a lengthy fireworks display blew from the top of the park as Red Sox-adopted theme “Sweet Caroline” played in the background. As a Sox fan and New England native, I couldn’t ask for a better or more relatable show. I had the time of my life and cannot wait to catch him again soon at OSHEAGA music festival.

Noah Kahan has grown exponentially in popularity these last couple of years, and with his punchy personality and sympathetic lyrics, I don’t see that changing anytime soon.