Concerts Reviews
He’s Here to Make You Miserable: Noah Kahan Sells Out Two Nights at Denver’s Coors Field
Don’t be fooled by the upbeat sound of most Noah Kahan songs. Take a closer look at the lyrics and you’ll find that they are quite the opposite— and he makes sure that you know it. “My name is Noah Kahan, and I’m here to make you miserable” was the first thing he said to Denver’s sold out crowd Saturday night. At the start of June, Kahan embarked on a sold out tour of baseball and football stadiums across the United States, and Saturday was the first of two shows at the Colorado Rockies’ Coors Field. With a setlist heavily featuring tracks from his new album, The Great Divide, and hits from the album that rocketed him into the spotlight, Stick Season, Kahan managed to both shatter and heal over 55,000 fans in the span of two and a half hours.
Indie folk artist Annabelle Dinda kicked off the night with music built on her background in poetry and creative writing. She played her breakout single “The Hand” and treated the crowd to an unreleased song titled “Learn Something Baby”. She handed the evening off to singer-songwriter Gigi Perez, whose emotional lyrics warmed up the crowd for what emotional turmoil lay ahead.
The voice of Perez’s late older sister, Celene, opened her set. A voicemail left by Celene wishing Perez luck on her performance echoed through the stadium before she and her band dove into “Please Be Rude”, off of her debut album At the Beach, in Every Life. “Fable”, an emotionally charged song about her sister followed, along with a cover of Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness”. Perez closed out her time on stage with her viral hit “Sailor Song”, adding the host city into the lyrics “I can be the cat, baby, Denver you can be the mouse”.
A countdown appeared on the large screen at the back of the stage, along with sketches of ants and ladybugs, a motif present throughout Kahan’s new album and accompanying tour. Members of the stage crew began constructing a life sized cabin on stage, and as the countdown hit zero, a roof descended from the rafters completing the set.
“American Cars,” a tribute to Kahan’s older sister, kicked off his set, and the band was met with roaring cheers as Kahan entered the stage through the front door of the cabin. The first act of Kahan’s set highlighted new releases from The Great Divide, with Stick Season’s “All My Love” woven in. After assuring the crowd that he was going to wipe the smiles off of their faces with his set, Kahan joked that this was his first show without falling or injuring himself. A still-healing cut above his eye from hitting himself with his guitar at his stop in St. Louis was visible, which drew a large laugh from the ballpark.
Act Two of the show brought him to the B Stage, where he played new hits including “Haircut” and “Downfall.” Before heading back to the main stage for Act Three, Kahan hopped off of the stage down to a ringing phone booth. “Vail Resorts? Go fuck yourselves,” was the short and sweet answer to the mock phone call. Coloradans immediately understood the reference and a loud roar ripped through Coors Field. The song “Paul Revere,” off of his album Stick Season, includes the line “Vail bought the mountains, and nothing was the same” in reference to Vail Resorts’ acquisition of several Vermont ski resorts. The song was notably not on the setlist for night one, but Kahan made sure to play it the next night, saying he loves playing the song in Colorado because of his hatred for Vail.
He then brought Perez out to sing “She Calls Me Back” with him on the main stage to begin Act Three. The LED bracelets that were handed out as concert goers entered the venue began to flash red and blue, and sirens echoed in the stadium. Kahan was shoved against a Vermont State Police car by a police officer, arrested, and loaded into the vehicle, and sang “Dial Drunk” from the car.
To start Act Four, Kahan took to the roof of the cabin to perform “Willing and Able,” a song widely interpreted by fans to be about a strained relationship between siblings and a wish to reconcile. The atmosphere quickly shifted to the somber one he promised at the beginning, and it remained through Act 5. The C Stage is where he introduced the song “Orbiter,” telling the crowd about his 2025 Grammy loss, which the song references. Kahan recounted his time at the award show, which included his mom making friends with singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile, while he sat at the table alone and ripped the label off of his beer can.
Throughout the tour, Kahan has been posting on X the day of each show the title of a surprise song for the night followed by “queen?”, referencing a popular meme template that has been making its rounds on the internet since 2021. His first night in Denver broke the pattern and he posted the day before in no uncertain terms— “Young blood tomorrow. Queen.” The song that followed “Orbiter” was just that.
“Young Blood” was the first song that Kahan released off of his debut album Busyhead, and it was the first time he played the song on this tour. The name of Kahan’s mental health non-profit, The Busyhead Project, stems from this album. He has always been outspoken about his own mental health journey, and The Busyhead Project aims to end the stigma around mental health and improve access to resources. Since launching in 2023, they have raised over $6.6M to support 170 community based organizations across the world.
The band was then introduced during “Paid Time Off,” with each member taking a solo at the microphone. The next songs on the C stage were arguably some of his saddest, including unreleased favorite, “Pain is Cold Water,” and “Maine” from Kahan’s EP Cape Elizabeth. He asked the crowd if anyone was there with their best friend, and ended Act Five with “Dan,” the closing track on The Great Divide about his own best friend.
In the final act of the show, Kahan made his way back to the main stage while playing “The View Between Villages”. He gave a shout out to Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin who was in attendance, and wrapped the night up with his biggest hits, including “Northern Attitude,” “Orange Juice,” and “New Perspective,” disappearing through the same cabin door that he entered through at the start of the night. Cheers boomed throughout the ballpark, and eventually lights slowly began to reveal Kahan sitting at a piano for an encore. Subtle sounds of crickets chirping began to fill the air, signaling the beginning of “End of August,” the opening track on The Great Divide.
While it’s not quite the end of August yet, the song perfectly encapsulated the evening, the last stretch of a fleeting summer before darker and colder months arrive. But before the crowd dispersed out into the August night, Kahan left Coors Field with fan favorite “Homesick” and closed out the evening with “Stick Season,” ready to make another sold out crowd on Sunday just as miserable.
Check out our favorite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Noah Kahan has several stops left on his sold out tour.
Upcoming The Great Divide Tour Dates:
8/15 Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl Stadium
8/17 San Diego, CA Petco Park
8/19 Phoenix, AZ Chase Field
8/21 San Francisco, CA Oracle Park
8/25 Sandy, UT America First Field
8/28 Vancouver, BC BC Place
8/30 Seattle, WA T-Mobile Park
8/31 Seattle, WA T-Mobile Park
9/25 Melbourne, AUS Rod Laver Arena
9/26 Melbourne, AUS Rod Laver Arena
9/28 Melbourne, AUS Rod Laver Arena
9/29 Melbourne, AUS Rod Laver Arena
10/2 Sydney, AUS Afterpay Arena
10/3 Sydney, AUS Afterpay Arena
10/5 Sydney, AUS Afterpay Arena
10/6 Sydney, AUS Afterpay Arena
10/9 Auckland, NZ Spark Arena
10/10 Auckland, NZ Spark Arena
11/5 Glasgow, Scotland OVO Hydro
11/6 Glasgow, Scotland OVO Hydro
11/9 Manchester, UK AO Arena
11/10 Manchester, UK AO Arena
11/13 London, UK The O2 Arena
11/14 London, UK The O2 Arena
11/17 London, UK The O2 Arena
11/19 Dublin, IE 3Arena
11/21 Dublin, IE 3Arena
11/22 Dublin, IE 3Arena
11/25 Zürich, Switzerland Hallenstadion
11/26 Cologne, DE Laxness Arena
11/28 Copenhagen, DK Royal Arena
11/29 Stockholm, SE Avicii Arena
12/1 Amsterdam, NL Ziggo Dome
12/2 Amsterdam, NL Ziggo Dome
12/4 Munich, DE Olympiahalle
12/7 Paris, FR Accor Arena
More information here.
NOAH KAHAN
GIGI PEREZ
ANNABELLE DINDA
All Photo Credit: Kelsie Kerr
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: ARTMS Close ‘Art of BLUE BLOOD’ North American Tour With a Bang in Vancouver
Vancouver got the final North American stop of ARTMS’ Art of BLUE BLOOD tour on October 27, and the five-member group made sure to leave a strong impression before heading to Europe in November.
With no opening act, the evening belonged entirely to HeeJin, Kim Lip, JinSoul and Choerry, who brought a full-scale production and plenty of personality to the Vogue Theatre. HaSeul was absent from the tour as she continues recovering from surgery. Her presence was missed, but the remaining four members made the most of their time onstage, delivering a show that never felt like it was working with a smaller lineup.
This was my first time seeing ARTMS live, and I came in as a relatively new fan. I had discovered the group through the ridiculously catchy ‘Virtual Angel’, which quickly made me curious about what else they had to offer. Walking into the Vogue, I was hoping the live show would match what had drawn me to the music in the first place. It did, and then some.
For the newbies like me, ARTMS is made up of five former members of LOONA. Following LOONA’s legal dispute with their former agency, BlockBerry Creative, the members went on to begin a new chapter under MODHAUS, officially launching ARTMS in 2024. The name draws inspiration from NASA‘s Artemis program as well as the Greek goddess Artemis and represents a fresh start for the five artists, who have continued building on the musical identity and creative history they developed with LOONA. Their connection to their former group remains an important part of their story, with LOONA songs still finding a place in their live performances.
The group opened with ‘Hyper Crush’, ‘BURN’ and ‘Blue Blood’, immediately setting the tone with sharp choreography, strong vocals and polished production. The set moved through several different sections, giving the concert a sense of progression rather than feeling like one long string of performances. ‘Candy Crush’, ‘Verified Beauty’ and ‘Sparkle’ kept things moving before the members took turns stepping into the spotlight for individual performances.
The solo section was a welcome change of pace. HeeJin (and her guitar) performed ‘sAvioR’, followed by Kim Lip taking on her former LOONA solo track ‘Twilight’. The two then joined forces for a dance cover of S.E.S.’s ‘Be Natural’. JinSoul brought back another LOONA favourite with ‘Singing in the Rain’, while Choerry performed ‘Eclipse’. JinSoul and Choerry later teamed up for Abir’s ‘Tango’.
For newer listeners like myself, these performances offered a good introduction to the members’ individual personalities and musical backgrounds. For longtime fans, they were a chance to revisit some familiar material. ARTMS has a history that extends beyond its current identity, and the group clearly understands that its audience appreciates both sides.
The nostalgia continued with ‘Starlight’, originally by ODD EYE CIRCLE, and a special version of ‘Not Friends’. The group then returned to its newer material with ‘Icarus Gang’ and ‘Born Stunner’, followed by ‘Obsessed’ and ‘Icarus’. The production throughout was impressive, with the lighting and visuals giving each section its own character.
What stood out to me most was how much ARTMS seemed to bring to a venue like the Vogue. The choreography, staging and overall production felt bigger than the room. There was nothing about the performance that suggested the group was holding back because it wasn’t playing an arena. In fact, I could easily see this exact show scaled up to a much larger stage. ARTMS has the presence and performance ability to handle that kind of production, and I’d be curious to see what they could do with even more space.
The ments (the fan interaction breaks between songs) were another highlight. The members made a point of connecting with fanbase (named “OURII”), and the conversations gave the evening a more personal feel. One particularly fun moment came during the group photo, when they asked Vancouver fans to come up with a special pose for the occasion. The audience suggested raising their arms into a V shape, for “Vancouver”. The members took the idea one step further by adding a little body wiggle. It was silly, spontaneous and immediately became a running joke, with the girls bringing the pose back several times during their conversations.
After the main set, ARTMS returned for an encore featuring ‘Pixel Memory’ and the much-anticipated ‘Virtual Angel’. Hearing the latter live was easily one of my personal highlights. It’s the song that introduced me to the group, and seeing it performed with a room full of fans singing along made the experience even better. The group followed with ‘Air’ before closing with ‘love4eva’, a LOONA song originally performed by LOONA’s subunit yyxy. It was a fitting nod to the members’ shared history and the fans who have supported them through different chapters of their careers.
As the final North American show before the European leg, Vancouver got a memorable send-off. ARTMS delivered a production that felt ready for a much bigger stage without losing the personal connection that made the Vogue Theatre such a good setting for it. I may have come in as a new fan, but I left with a much better understanding of what makes this group worth watching. And if this is what ARTMS can do in a theatre, an arena show should be something special.
For more information about ARTMS, click here.
Check out our favourite photos of the show below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
ARTMS IN VANCOUVER
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Phoebe Bridgers has Vancouver Believing in Magic on The Lost Tour
As someone who is chronically online and on their phone 24/7, I expected to feel that missing weight in my pocket all night, but I didn’t. In fact, I was surprised by how little I cared about not having it. Phoebe Bridgers brought The Lost Tour to Vancouver for a sold out show on October 24th, and for once (as someone who works in content marketing), instead of worrying about if I got enough content or if I should be filming, I was able to just watch and be present.
Walking into the arena and seeing the stage setup for the first time was such a surreal experience. Like a lot of the people who are chronically online, I’ve seen all the sketches and animations people have made after going to the show, but seeing it in person still had me in awe.
I’ve loved Phoebe’s music for as long as I could remember, and I still have vivid memories of trying to get the hang of guitar tabs by learning “Funeral.” This was my second time seeing her live, my first time being when she opened for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour in New Jersey with Gracie Abrams. So finally getting to see her headline her own arena show was a big deal for me to say the least.
Alex G took the stage first and to be completely honest, I was quite confused when he started going on a tangent about how “life is like a puzzle” and then kept taking a moment between his songs to ask if anyone in the audience was named “The Edge” or had the middle name “The Edge.” Towards the end of his set, he took a moment to thank every person on his team, from his band mates on stage, to his tour manager, to the bus drivers which I thought was super sweet.
Between his set and Phoebe’s, the crowd started the wave and I’ve never seen a wave go on for that long. People were also waving at each other from across the arena with their glow sticks and lighters. It was so cute to notice little things like that, and I ended up chatting with people I probably wouldn’t have talked to if we all had our phones to scroll on.
If I had to try and sum up the entire night in two words, they would be nostalgic and ethereal. Not in a “I feel like a kid again” way, but every aspect of the show felt intentional and familiar, and also kind of like I was at Science World (or the idea of it at least). The top of the show started by drawing everyones attention to the b-stage as “The Outside” played, before the dome (reminiscent of both that one episode of sponge bob with the marching band, and the igloo from club penguin ifykyk) on the main stage lifted to finally reveal her as “Motion Sickness” started to play. The whole thing was very wizard of oz-esque.
For the first bit of the show, I was in awe every time the dome and projections shifted. Some of the visuals looked like they came straight out of the early 2000s Barbie movies, and there were round things projected in the dome, like an eyeball, a rubber band ball and a baseball, that reminded me of the I Spy books from elementary school. When the lights went red for “Garden Song,” with the mountains from Punisher on the backdrop, I thought the screaming couldn’t get any louder. Boy, was I wrong. (I still don’t have my voice back as I’m writing this and I blame “I Know The End.”)
The thing that surprised me most was that literally everyone knew every word. Her songs are so personal, but they’re also so vivid that everyone gets something different out of them. During “Garden Song” and “Moon Song,” I kept thinking about how everyone in that room probably had their own completely different relationship with those songs.
You could also tell right away how close she is with her band, and how much she loves being on tour. She can totally hold the stage by herself, but the band added so much. The bass and all the extra instruments made songs I’ve heard a million times feel new again, and with how unique her music already is, that was really cool to hear.
When she played “Still Standing,” I was taken aback not only by how stunning her production was and how I didn’t even know light could look like glitter and also pixelated, but also by how absolutely silent the arena was, especially considering it was a sold out show.
She might’ve belted out “You don’t have to believe in magic” but it was precisely that exact moment that had me believing in magic. Her production team, set designers, lighting designers, band, everyone involved in this show deserve all the flowers. The lighting for every song was perfectly designed, and never felt repetitive. There was a moment in particular when she first steps out onto the B stage in a white version of the lace dress she wears, and under the black light she is just glowing. Her hair, her glitter tears, her dress, (all the white shirts in the audience too) and her piano, as the stage slowly spun. The transitions between all the songs were immaculate (and devastating in the most beautiful way). I also have to give a nod to her photographers. The photos that she’s put out of this tour perfectly encapsulate the magic of how it felt to be there (shoutout Matt Grubb & Wes Ellis). There was also a moment where everyone sang happy birthday to Connor, one of her band members and they brought out a cake, just to have Phoebe joke about “Steve Aoki-ng” someone in the pit, or better yet, reversing it and letting someone smash the cake in Connor’s face, which was a silly switch up between the most beautiful performances of the most devastating songs ever.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love “Waiting Room.” It’s sat in my top five most-played songs for years. Back at MetLife, Phoebe introduced a song by saying she’d written it when she was younger, and I was sure that was my moment. It turned out to be “Georgia,” which I was more than happy with, but knowing she isn’t the biggest fan of “Waiting Room,” I’d mostly made peace with never hearing it live. When those first chords rang out at Rogers Arena, I could hardly believe it. The room never let up for a second, all 36 times we sang “know it’s for the better.”
Then came a solo debut of boygenius‘ “Revolution 0.” When she pulled out an iPad with the lyrics on it, I started to get nervous, in the best way. When she told us she’d never played it live on her own before, I knew we were getting something special.
The encore closed the night the only way it could have. As “Scott Street” wound down, the arena lit up and thousands of people swayed together, arms waving, eyes fixed on the stage. I’ve never seen a crowd that excited. I tend to forget the details of concerts after a while, but I’m certain this is one I’ll remember. And not because I have videos to look back on. Getting to hear songs from Lost Weekend live has just reaffirmed my thoughts that she’s a genius. She’s still writing songs that feel new and even more experimental, and somehow, are just as good as the ones I’ve had on repeat for years.
For information and upcoming dates on The Lost Tour 2026, head to phoebebridgers.com.
Author: Jorina Lee