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On the audio recording of Noah Kahan’s “We’ll All Be Here Forever” tour, nearly 38,000 fans cheer as he energetically opens his set with “Dial Drunk.” After his dreams of selling out the classic Boston venue came true, Kahan announced on Aug. 21 he would commemorate the moment with a live album, “Live from Fenway Park.”

“The shows at Fenway Park were transcendent and magical and hard to describe,” Kahan said in an Instagram post when the live album was released.

“Live from Fenway Park” is an hour-and-a-half long selection of songs from Kahan’s July 18 and 19 shows. The album transported listeners and loyal fans to those nights inside what Kahan called “the church of New England.” Kahan, originally from New England, has said he feels connected to the 112-year-old venue.

“Boston, thank you so much, you guys are the greatest city on this planet,” Kahan told the sold-out crowd.

Throughout the album, Kahan jokes with the audience and gives sentimental reflections, which further connect listeners to the music. Listening to the live album provided an experience comparable to attending the concert in-person because of the raw and natural moments that remain on the live recording. Listeners who couldn’t attend the concert for technical or financial reasons still got a taste of Kahan’s tour.

Kahan said on social media he never expected the show to sell out. Contrary to his belief, the show sold out in minutes because of the hometown appeal for New Englanders, similar to Bruce Springsteen and his bond with fans in the Meadowlands of New Jersey.

Throughout the live album, the vivid emotion in Kahan’s voice while singing, both acoustically and alongside his band, is prominent. His original studio album “Stick Season” couldn’t capture the unfiltered, natural talent Kahan displays in the live recordings.

Going to a concert, there is a certain excitement about hearing music live on a stage, especially when an artist changes the expression and adds elements that differ from the studio recording. In the recording of “Forever,” if one listens close enough, you can hear the crowd singing the lyrics at the top of their lungs – something that couldn’t be organically featured in a normal studio recording.

The live album takes listeners directly into the moment it was recorded on stage with Kahan. Fans can experience his personality shining through in a way that studio recordings can’t capture.

The album starts with some of the most popular songs from Kahan’s album, “Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever),” including “New Perspective” and “Everywhere, Everything,” featuring Gracie Abrams.

Before the crowd could react, Abrams joined Kahan onstage and began the second verse of “Everywhere, Everything.” The unexpected collaboration on stage was entirely unique to the live show, making it even more special to hear Abrams as part of the live album.

Although the album includes many hits, some fan-favorite tracks were left off the tracklist. Kahan performed at Fenway over two nights, allowing him to pick and choose what songs made it into the selection for the live album. To many fans’ dismay, songs including “Call Your Mom” and “False Confidence” were left off.

However, changing the setlist each night created a wide selection of tracks for the album. With a varying handful of songs on each setlist, listeners who may have gone to a completely different concert got a new experience with the live album.

Throughout his shows, Kahan has a history of playing some of his unreleased songs. Before going to Boston, he teased “Pain is Cold Water” on social media. The song became a fan favorite during his tour. Listeners have anticipated the unofficial release date but did not expect a live version.

Typically, a regular studio version is released before a live one, but in this case, Kahan reversed it. As Kahan sings, his voice is filled with sadness, connecting with many listeners. Because he performed a song with such emotional gravity for the first time, the crowd went silent, a sharp contrast to the typical noise level of his concerts.

Kahan closed his performance with “Stick Season,” the song that started it all for him that has now amassed over one billion streams on Spotify. As he returned to his New England roots at Fenway Park, Kahan created a bond with fans that can be heard all throughout “Live from Fenway Park.”

Published on September 16, 2024 at 11:14 pm

mstone07@syr.edu