On October 19th during a typical cold fall night, opener Dean Lewis and headliner Noah Kahan warmed the night of everyone present at the sold out show in Schubas Tavern. The venue was filled with a college-aged crowd but had younger and older faces mixed in as well and everyone was electrified with excitement waiting for Dean Lewis and Noah Kahan; I could even hear people talking about how they drove more than two and a half hours to see both artists. I had been a fan of Dean Lewis and Noah Kahan since the release of their debut singles “Waves” and ‘Youngblood’ respectively, so I was anticipating this concert to be nothing short of amazing for me. But what I didn’t expect was to be so stunned at the sheer raw talent and presence that both of these artists have that I would be on the verge of tears.

The night opened with Australian native Dean Lewis who delivers an emotionally charged opener. He showed his depth with stripped down performances of songs off of his EP ‘Same Kind of Different’ along with various singles. The audience was even privileged to hear a few unreleased songs that we can expect to be featured on Dean Lewis’ upcoming album. His performance and stage presence was nothing short of incredible; he made jokes with the audience, told personal stories, and made everyone feel as though they were at the most intimate concert with a friend. The stand out of the night for me was where he delivered a tender and heartbreaking performance of his single ‘Be Alright’ that left the whole room frozen with heartache.

From the moment Noah Kahan stepped foot on stage, everything felt electrically charged with anticipation. He opened with the energetic “Fine” where the steady beat got the entire crowd clapping along with band and singing with Noah Kahan. Between almost every song, Kahan would share a story or a joke while interacting with the audience. In the middle of his set, Kahan delivered an incredibly personal song about the passing of a friend the previous year with “Carlos Song” that left Schubas Tavern in silence and tears. After the final song “Hold It Down” Kahan left the stage and the crowd cheered and demanded an encore. For the encore Kahan sang “Catastrophize” which energized the audience for the final song. Kahan closed the show with his debut single “Youngblood” and the entire crowd started dancing and singing along and concluded the show on the highest of highs. With an almost poetical lyricism, a powerful voice, and an endearing smile, Noah Kahan managed to steal the hearts of everyone present.

Through the entire show, I was moved by the talent of each artist. Both Dean Lewis and Noah Kahan are spectacular in their own right and delivered performances that made up one of the best concerts I have been to in a long time. After the concert ended I found myself wanting to linger and hear more. I’ll be waiting for the release of new music from Dean Lewis and Noah Kahan.