Review: Noah Kahan At Blackweir
As we arrived at Blackweir Fields the air was thick with anticipation, and not just for Noah Kahan’s headlining set. This brand‑new riverside venue was hosting its very first concert, and the excitement was in the air.
London‑based singer‑songwriter Sebastian Schub kicked things off at around 6 pm. Singing gentle fingerpicking melodies through songs like “Blue Skies” and “Home Again,” which set the perfect mood before Joe Keery’s turn as DJO, whose laid‑back charisma and sun‑soaked grooves on ‘End of Beginning’ had everyone bobbing along in unison.
By 8:45 pm the stage lights dimmed, and Noah Kahan appeared, beaming as he took in the unfamiliar but enthusiastic sea of faces. He opened with “All My Love,” immediately teasing the audience by pointing out fans deep at the back (“I can see you back there!”). His band’s tight, banjo‑driven arrangements sounded remarkably full-bodied for such a large outdoor show, which we thought was a testament to the venue’s top‑notch sound design.
Our mid‑set highlights include “She Calls Me” and the anthemic ‘Dial Drunk’. He even paused between songs to joke about the local wildlife (and by wildlife we mean seagulls), spotting them flying overhead had him quipping, “Are we near water?”, and dedicated “Northern Attitude” to a fan who confessed they’d travelled from Boston.
After a brief break, he returned for an encore, shouting “We tricked you. You idiots, we’ve got two more songs for ya’ll Cardiff!” which began with “View Between Villages”, before launching into the fan favourite “Stick Season”.
Exiting the fields, we joined the familiar post‑gig shuffle: It was slow going, yes, but that’s always expected after any gig right? and to us, after a night as special as this, the journey felt like the perfect bookend to an unforgettable night.
