Hopscotch Music Festival featuring Bark Culture, Built to Spill, Earl Sweatshirt, Friendship, Frog, Merce Lemon, Pink Beds, Starcleaner Reunion, Triathalon, villagerrr, Wombo, Yeule, YHWH Nailgun, The Belair Lip Bombs, claire rousay, Frank Hurricane, Fust, Geese, Iceblink, Little Mazarn, William Tyler, Florry, Les Savy Fav, Superchunk, and This Is Lorelei in Raleigh, NC September 4 - 6, 2025. All photos taken by Maddie Barkocy.
Noah Kahan brought JP Saxe as the opener for his show at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, North Carolina on September 29th. This tour celebrates the release of his debut album Busyhead. His stage setup brought his music to life with a backdrop resembling the mountains in some of his previous album art.
My experience at his show was very unique. I believe that fans have a special connection with his music because it is vulnerably honest. The audience was completely engaged. I go to a lot of concerts and it is rare to see fans who are truly living in the moment, undistracted by technology and appreciating the concert experience. Fans sang along and said things like “this is a happy place” and “wow, I’m so excited that I’m going to cry.”
Noah draws lyrical inspiration from his life experiences. If he had to choose his “truest” lyric it would be “they tell me grief is just love letting go” — part of his song titled “Carlo’s Song”. Music has been stabilizing throughout his life when nothing else was. He finds it very comforting that “there is nothing too frightening to write about.” He also finds creativity from aspects of life that he admires. “I use art, literature, and my interactions with people in my life as a source of inspiration. I’ve lived on a farm in Vermont for many years as well, so nature is a major factor in the way I see the world.”
He has had a lot of practice crafting words that tell stories worth listening to. Technically speaking, Noah likes to “use metaphors and personification to describe complicated experiences in a tangible way.” After many years of experience in trying and failing in songwriting, Noah has valuable wisdom to offer. He encourages other aspiring musicians to “give yourself the room to do shitty writing. Write every day, be it awful or brilliant, because eventually that muscle allows you to be great will flex again and you’ll be glad you didn’t stop.”
Experiencing musical success has been a process for Noah that has shaped him into the person he is today. “I think, for better or for worse, that my experience chasing my dream as a musician has had the greatest impact on my music. It has completely altered the way I see the world, the way I listen to music, and the way I understand myself.”
Noah has been learning and continuing to grow personally and as an artist throughout the process of releasing his album and touring. On a personal level he says, “I am working towards being more open to failure and being easier on myself.” Noah’s 20 date tour with James Bay earlier this year was a highlight in his career. “It was really incredible and I’ll never forget that. He was such kind person, and, being someone I’ve looked up to so much, becoming close with him was an unforgettable experience.”
Noah’s tour will continue along the west coast over the next few weeks. I am looking forward to following his journey as he continues to refine and develop his songwriting skills and his musical abilities.
Photos and words by Katy Allen.
