By Claire Lareau

“Does anyone know why he’s playing at a bougie Country Club?” asked Reddit user BocephusMidnight after hearing about Noah Kahan’s upcoming concert. They continued, “I’m not complaining … But it makes no sense to me LOL.” Many Richmonders asked themselves the same question when they realized Kahan would be playing at a small venue, for an affordable price, so close to their homes.

On Fri., October 20, the Dominion Energy Center Classic (DECC) golf tournament hosted American singer-songwriter Kahan to perform following the first round of competition. The concert took place at The Country Club of Virginia’s James River Golf Course.

In past years, DECC concerts have included artists Lauren Alaina, Chase Rice, and Chris Lane with special guest Kylie Morgan. This year, the Tournament “raised the bar” with Kahan, a Best New Artist Grammy nominee. 

Kahan Singing “Stick Season” at the DECC Golf Tournament Concert. Photo credit: Claire Lareau.

26-year-old Kahan started his singing career when he signed to Republic Records in 2017. He broke through with the single, “Hurt Somebody,” a collaboration with Julia Michaels, that charted in both the U.S. and internationally. His 2019 debut album Busyhead includes ten songs and is available on both Spotify and Apple Music.

After a teaser of Kahan’s song “Stick Season” went viral on TikTok in early summer 2022, he released another album in late July 2022. This album, also named Stick Season, quickly soared to the top of the Billboard 200 charts, reaching spot number 3 in June 2023 after Kahan released the deluxe version of the album, Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever.) “Stick Season” the song currently has 265 million streams on Spotify, and Kahan has over 20 million monthly listeners.

Kahan toured North America earlier this year on his Stick Season Summer Tour. His largest concert, in Saratoga Springs, New York, attracted over 24,000 fans. He also played in other major cities, including shows in Los Angeles, Toronto, and New York City. Almost all of his venues sold out, and he continued his tour with additional shows in early fall. He is currently touring Europe on his Stick Season Tour, and he will return to North America in 2024 with his We’ll All Be Here Forever Tour.

This golf tournament concert was not Kahan’s first visit to the greater Richmond area. In late August, Kahan headlined at Richmond’s Iron Blossom Music Festival, along with Lord Huron and Hozier. He performed on the first night of the festival and made a surprise appearance with Hozier during “Work Song” on the second night.

Collegiate student Madison Lewis (‘25), who saw Kahan at Iron Blossom in August, says that she was “skeptical” that the concert would happen: “I had been to the James River course a few times, and I didn’t know where Noah Kahan would possibly perform. It was also insane to me that someone so popular would be playing so close to Collegiate, and for so much cheaper than any of his other concerts.” On August 28, DECC announced Kahan’s upcoming feature, and fans quickly sold it out by September 13. Tickets retailed for $50 each, including a day pass to watch the tournament. If accompanied by a ticketed adult, youth could enter for free. The tournament also provided complimentary tickets for first responders, healthcare professionals, and military personnel. An average ticket to Kahan’s concerts on tour costs $346, according to SeatGeek, so local fans were happily shocked by the more affordable prices. Reddit user ChicagoVT says, “That is a steal of a price for someone of his popularity.”

After school on that rainy Friday, my friends and I got an early start to the concert to secure a spot close to the stage. Dominion provided parking on both West Creek Parkway and River Road. When we arrived at the venue at 3:30, many fans had already flooded the area in front of the stage, but we found a place to stand a few rows back, and we committed to working our way closer as space opened up. Near the stage were food trucks, including Jadean’s Smokin’ Six O BBQ and Kristen’s Kitchen, but we could not risk our spots by buying snacks.

Concert attendees waiting for Kahan after the rain stopped. Photo credit: Madison Lewis.

At 4 p.m., the day’s drizzle picked up to a steady shower. Without umbrellas or substantial coats, my friends and I accepted our fate. Elle Oliver (‘25) says, “At that point, I realized I should have chosen to wear a raincoat instead of a fleece. I had hoped it wouldn’t rain. It seemed like a lot of the people around us also weren’t prepared for how hard the rain would hit us.” At around 4:30 p.m., the venue announced that there would be a 90-minute weather delay. The concert would begin at 6:45 instead of 5:15. 

So, without food, water, cell service, or dry clothes, concert attendees had to find creative ways to pass the time. Elizabeth Seward (‘25) shared her experience before the concert with The Match: “We played rock-paper-scissors about 50 times, and I also considered leaving about 50 times. I love Noah Kahan, but I also love being inside. Everyone was just completely soaked. Our hands were wrinkling, and honestly, it seemed like the concert would get canceled altogether.” For the concert to begin, the golfers needed to complete all 18 holes. At 5:15 p.m., when the concert was originally scheduled, the golfers were on hole nine.

At 6 p.m., the sun finally came out, accompanied by a rainbow. The crowd’s spirits began to rise. Kahan’s crew started to uncover the drumset, and at 6:30, Strata Clean Energy, the concert’s sponsor, presented a pre-concert military appreciation ceremony.

Kahan singing “Retrograde” at the DECC Golf Tournament Concert. Photo credit: Claire Lareau.

At 6:45, Richmond Times Dispatch reporter Kelli Lemon introduced Kahan, and he walked onto the stage accompanied by his band: Noah Levine (guitar), Alex Bachari (bass), and Marco Valles (drums). The crowd went wild. He began with “Northern Attitude” and then “New Perspective.” Kahan brought out his younger brother Spencer Kahan to sing “New Perspective” with him. Britton Berson (‘25) says, “It was so cool that he brought his brother on stage. It felt sorta’ intimate being so close to the stage, meeting his brother, and having a perfect view of such a popular artist.”

Kahan continued with almost the rest of his original Stick Season album, playing 10 out of the album’s 14 songs. He also played one song, “Dial Drunk,” from his new album. Some of the highlights of the show included, “Stick Season,” “Growing Sideways,” and “Everywhere, Everything,” Kahan ended the night with “Homesick,” an ode to his hometown of Stafford, Vermont. Here is a clip of a video I took of Kahan singing another of his most popular songs, “The View Between Villages,” at the concert.

The crowd was engaged throughout the entire concert, screaming the lyrics back to Kahan and his band. At times, Kahan would stop singing and let his fans recite the lyrics for him. When the concert ended, the crowd begged for an encore, but Kahan and his band did not give in. Although Kahan only played for one hour of what was meant to be a two-hour-long concert, his beautiful performance of 11 of his most popular songs left the crowd overwhelmingly satisfied.

Kahan singing “The View Between Villages” at the DECC Golf Tournament Concert.  Photo credit: Claire Lareau.

Among others, Lewis had a somewhat uncomfortable after-concert experience. She says, “I could barely feel my legs as we walked away. We had stood there for probably five hours without moving more than a foot to the right or the left.” But even with barely working legs, Lewis commented that the concert was life-changing. She says, “That was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Noah Kahan will continue to get even more popular, and I guarantee we will look back at that concert and be in awe of how perfect it was.”

At home, I recapped the concert to my parents, who told me they could hear it at our house. My mom, Katie Lareau, said, “We could hear the words pretty clearly. Your dad and I went outside and listened, and we both decided that he was pretty good.” My parents listened to Kahan’s music the rest of the night from our front porch and told me that they became “instant fans.”

Although the concert had a rough start, it turned out to be one of the best concerts I have attended. Kahan has been an artist that many people idolize. To see him walking distance from home was nothing less than amazing. I am glad that I could see him surrounded by my friends and so many other Collegiate students, and I agree with Lewis that this concert was an undeniably memorable experience.

Featured image credit: Claire Lareau.