review by Abbey with notes from Scott Roos
editor's note by Scott Roos
photos by Scott Roos/Scotty the Rooster Photography
(editor/photographer's note: Being at the very front of the venue with thousands of fans singing and shouting along to literally every word of every song was a thrill I won't soon forget. At this point in my career as an event photographer, I have shot many shows but this one HAS to be one of THE MOST memorable. The energy... The... Dare I say... Effervescence of the whole set from Kahan was familial between himself and the fans. It was a very young crowd. I say this because well... I'm 50 years old now. But it was mostly folks that were 20 something and younger enjoying the music in a clean and wholesome environment. I admit, I had never heard of Kahan before this show was mentioned. After this amazing night, I will say that I am a big fan of his now. The songwriting, singing, musicality of everyone on stage was top notch. It was a no nonsense, meat and potatoes, singer-songwriter, folk/roots type show for the most part but he was able to keep everyone engaged throughout. Apart from his full stage set-up, there was a "living room set", where he performed unplugged and sitting down with the members of his band and also a "B stage" where he came out to a smaller platform in a more intimate setting. The crowd lapped it up with loud cheers and ample bravado. Kudos to Kahan!)
On Saturday, March 30th, Noah Kahan performed a sold out show as part of his "We'll All Be Here Forever Tour" at Sasktel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This was the fourth Canadian stop on this tour for Kahan and it was an unforgettable experience to say the least.
Noah Kahan is well known for his songs, which are relatable and honest. For this particular show his setlist featured songs from his album Stick Season with favourites of mine like “Everywhere, Everything” and “All My Love”. Starting off strong with his hit “Dial Drunk '' the crowd's excitement was palpable in the air from start to finish, enthusiastically singing along with Kahan on every song from that point forward.
The staff at SaskTel Centre are always very friendly and willing to help, which just adds to the lively energy in the atmosphere. I really enjoyed Kahan's no gimmick, stripped down feel which heavily leaned into a just singing and playing approach. I felt like it really added to the predominantly folksy vibe of the show. It just made the talent of Noah Kahan and his band really shine through. When he performed his hit songs “Stick Season” and “Northern Attitude”, I felt goosebumps from the pure talent that he has. His ability to sing and play chords on the guitar so adeptly I could never even dream of doing and is a feat in itself, not to mention the fact that his stage presence was still on point throughout the whole show.
Kahan was very personable and was just a pleasure to watch. He mixed somber themes and more upbeat commentary to make for a fun and interesting concert. Kahan's humour really stuck out, as it made me and the people around me laugh out loud many times throughout the show, and he looked comfortable and like he was genuinely having fun on stage.
Noah Kahan is an amazing performer and musician, with a well defined aptitude for the stage. I really enjoyed his concert and will be eagerly awaiting to see what he does next. It was a wonderful experience, and I would definitely go back, despite the crowds and the fact it took me at least thirty minutes to get out of the busy parking lot after the show (just jokes of course).
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