Noah Kahan Brings The Great Divide Tour to Phoenix – and a Dust Storm Too!
On Wednesday, August 19th, Noah Kahan brought The Great Divide to Chase Field. Despite fear online that he’d cancel the show due to being under the weather, Noah pushed through and gave us a performance we wouldn’t forget.
Ever since my sister scored us tickets, I have been counting down the days to the concert. When I saw people were worried he would cancel, I got worried, but hours before the show, he tweeted,
“It’ll be a hard show for me to get through vocally tonight please sing loud for me insects.”
The show must go on… and indeed it did.
Opening Acts: Annabelle Dinda & Gigi Perez
Noah brought Annabelle Dinda and Gigi Perez as his openers, and they were both excellent. Annabelle opened the show with her most popular songs, “Whatever You Wanna,” “The Hand,” and my personal favorite, “Gunpoint, Headlock.” Her lyricism is very admirable and shouldn’t be overlooked, and not to mention her amazing voice. To me, she sounded even better live than in her released versions of the songs.
Gigi Perez’s performance shortly after was even more powerful than I expected. She of course performed her biggest song “Sailor Song,” as well as “Sleeping,” “Fable,” and even a cover of Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness.” Gigi’s stage presence and the power she brought to her set blew me away. I also loved hearing “Sugar Water” where Gigi brings her sister Bella up on stage to sing the song with her. I never realized her and her sister wrote it together, and seeing that sweet moment between them as they sing the song is such a delight, especially right before “Fable,” the song she wrote about and for her late sister.
The Main Event: Noah Kahan Hits the Stage
After a little wait, here comes the main attraction—Noah Kahan takes the stage with “American Cars.” At this point, I’m screaming my head off and mentally preparing myself for the songs of doom and despair coming up later in the show.
Even though Noah Kahan was sick, he still sounded so amazing. Something that inspires me about him is that he has such an honorable worth ethic. He could have easily taken the night off to get better, but he decided one day in between his shows was enough to get back on his feet. I could tell it was hard for him to do, but ultimately, he loves to perform, and he belongs on the stage.
Although he cut a few songs from the usual setlist due to being sick, I felt completely satisfied by the end. He sings some of my favorites from the new album: “Orbiter,” “End of August,” “Downfall,” and even the fan favorite, “Willing and Able.” I can’t lie, I started crying when we got to the bridge when he sang “And I’ll say, ‘I love you,’ and mean it this time / Say, ‘I’m sorry for everything else’” and he added, “And I did.” in between the lines. Those little moments were what made the songs feel even more special than the recorded and released versions.
Another moment that felt entirely special and made me tear up was when he sang his song “Dan,” the closing track from the album. Ever since I listened to this song for the first time, it was one of my favorites, if not my favorite. The song is about a friend he’s had since childhood who has stuck with him during the changes through fame and grief.
The lyric “Think I stood right here back when Carlo died” reminds me of a moment in my life where I had just lost a best friend. The transition from this verse discussing his loss to the chorus where he says, “I’m with my best friend Dan now” reminds me that as life goes on, it’s important to have a friend you can be vulnerable with who isn’t necessarily replacing that friend you lost.
Hearing this song live was nothing short of magical for me, especially since I didn’t think he’d perform it at my show in the first place. Noah knows how to make a song personal and make it feel like he’s singing it directly to you.
Noah ends the show with “Stick Season,” the first song that brought him this fame. The end of the show, when an artist sings their biggest hit and slowly exits stage, is bittersweet but incredibly satisfying to watch.
Post-Concert Chaos: Monsoons and Uber Shortages
The show was absolutely incredible, and I was satisfied and happy. Even when we walked outside and I saw it had just rained, I was euphoric. I didn’t really consider that it might continue to rain, and that everyone’s Ubers would cancel on them.
I assume it was the fact that there was not only our concert at Chase Field, but another concert happening down the road at Mortgage Matchup Center, PLUS the emergency dust storm warnings going out during our concert that made all the promised transportation cancel. My group and people around us tried to get another Uber or Lyft, but after a few minutes, the request would disappear and we would have to look again. It seemed like even the rides that were astronomical prices weren’t even accepting. It seemed like we would all be here forever.
After maybe an hour or so of panic and problem solving, we eventually got a ride from a relative and made it home safe. I hope all those people sitting out there in the rain finally got home.
Despite Noah Kahan being sick and a dust storm conveniently happening the night of, the concert was still incredible. He even hopped on Twitter to reassure fans he loved the show and had a great time. I know I would 100% do it all again! If you ever get the chance to see him, you really should. He is an amazing performer, hilarious guy and one of the best songwriters I know and look up to.
