Noah Kahan ate the call center out of the palm of his hand

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Viral TikTok star and folksinger aren't words that usually go together, but Noah Kahan does.

The Vermont native is the overnight sensation of today's social media moment. Two years ago, relatively few people knew who he was. On Saturday night, he held court in front of 15,000 crazy young fans at the Bell Centre, a prelude to his return to our city in August as the headliner for this summer's Osheaga Music Festival.

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So, if the question is, “How much do people get Noah Kahan? The answer seems to be: a lot.

Kahan released two albums and two mini-albums between 2018 and 2021, but the pop-flavored offerings didn't bring him much. In 2020, he began teasing clips from a folk rocker called Stick Season on TikTok. Viral rage. The song and album were released two years later, and he has been riding a wave of success ever since (the video for The Stick Season has 16 million views on YouTube).

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A new version of the album, Stick Season (Forever), was released earlier this year, featuring bonus versions of tracks featuring guest appearances from a host of big names including Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves, Hozier, Gracie Abrams and Brandi Carlyle.

Kahan made little effort to delve into his back catalog Saturday night. The set list features virtually every song from Stick Season to the delights of everyone involved.

Representing Kahan's young fanbase, 18-year-old Yuxuan Wu and Juliette Cardinal were taking selfies in the stands before the singer took the stage.

“I like his music,” Wu said, wearing a white denim jacket and a white cowboy hat. “He's a new artist I recently discovered. It's interesting that he's not very popular, but you can see that his whole fan base has grown. Like, “Wow.”

They first heard Kahan on the radio. They appreciate that his music is unlike most other mainstream acts.

“I like that it's sad, but it also has a nice kick to it,” Wu said. “This is some country, some people. It's different from rap and other things we hear.”

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The lights dimmed. When Kahan came on stage and greeted the crowd, a deafening roar was heard in the arena. Dressed in a brown shirt and brown pants, with her long brown hair tied back, she opened with Dial Drunk, a carefree anthem about getting arrested and calling your ex but not getting through.

The singalong began immediately – the crowd cheered. Pure joy.

Kahan's songs have a foot-stomping, anthemic quality reminiscent of Mumford & Sons, with whom he sang. He infuses his evocative odes to love, loss and the passage of time with small-town energy and wit.

“I'm back from the dead,” Kahan said. “I am recovering from this disease.”

He expressed relief at being so close to his home state and took a second to absorb his popularity.

“It's a great opportunity,” he said. “I can't believe I'm going to be playing in front of so many people.”

He introduced the love jam Everywhere Everything as a song about worms and decaying bodies to roaring approval. It's a tune with a galvanized swing beat, screaming from the swing roofs.

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“Would we survive a horror movie?” go to the lyrics. “I doubt it, we move too slow / We trust everyone we meet / Two bodies covered in teenage scars / Intertwined in the dirty backseat of a car.”

When the drums hit halfway through False Faith, the party really started.

“Raise your hands,” Kahan called, and the crowd complied. Then came: “Give me all your money.”

Cell phone lights came on for the timeless ballad.

He sat down and pounded his bleeding heart out, flanked by three bandmates (on guitar, banjo and fiddle) for an acoustic one-two punch of Come Over and Godlight, the latter a song about touring and longing.

“Enough of this sad shit,” Kahan said with a smile as he stood up. “Sitting sad shit, standing sadness.”

Amazed again by the large crowd, he said: “I get up in the morning and rub my eyes. I can't believe this is my life.”

Get used to it, man. Kahan ate the Bell Center audience out of the palm of his hand, He was kind, mischievous and sang like his life depended on it. It wasn't hard to imagine a similar performance winning over the crowd at the end of a long, hot day in Oshega. He may be a novelty for now, but Kahan gives the impression that he will be around for a while.

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The second half featured hits including Paul Revere, “Call Me Back,” “Orange Juice,” “Northern Vision” and the triumphant “Season of the Sticks.”

LA singer-songwriter Jensen McRae was a revelation in the opening slot. The African-American folk pop artist captivated with his cool humor, big voice and fun, soulful songs. Remember his name too.

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