Noah Kahan has been valiantly singing his way through a sinus infection in his signature French braids as The Great Divide Tour plays to sold-out ballparks in the grueling summer heat of 2026.
On Wednesday, Aug. 19, Kahan was two songs deep into his downtown Phoenix concert, having followed “American Cars” with “Doors,” when he took a moment to remind the fans at Chase Field that he’s been a bit under the weather since at least that Rose Bowl date in Pasadena on Aug. 15.
“My name’s Noah Kahan,” he said. “I’m sick as a dog and I’m here to make you guys feel even (expletive) worse.”
That bit about making you guys feel even worse was an obvious reference to the pathos-laden nature of his lyrics, which is undeniable, and the audience’s rapturous applause
confirmed that they were, in fact, in on the joke he meant to crack.
A few songs later, the 29-year-old folk-pop revivalist hopped offstage to take a phone call from his doctor on a ringing pay phone.
“Hello, it’s my doctor?” he said. “Yeah, I’m feeling sick. Stop being a (expletive) baby? I have a sold-out show to play?”
It was a brilliant bit of theater that played well to his audience. But it also spoke to Kahan’s commitment to soldiering through a sickness that was far more noticeable in the faces he was making as he strained to hit those high notes than it was in his actual vocal, which sounded surprisingly strong if noticeably compromised in places.
Phoenix got a shorter show than most dates on The Great Divide Tour
The Phoenix concert was a shorter show than most dates on The Great Divide Tour – 22 songs on a tour whose average setlists have been 26 songs.
But he clearly threw himself into the songs he did perform, including such obvious highlights as the rowdy singalong that “All My Love” became, a beyond-anthemic “Northern Attitude,” “Dial Drunk” and an encore-closing “Stick Season.”
It couldn’t have helped the situation much that Chase Field was uncomfortably sweltering on a day where the high was 109 degrees. It didn’t feel much cooler than that as fans crowded together on the floor as Kahan performed, throwing themselves into their own performance as audience members with a similar commitment to leaving it all on the floor of the ballpark.
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Noah Kahan is a sensitive artist who speaks to the human condition
There was no mistaking Kahan’s appeal in a world gone mad. He’s a sensitive artist who speaks to the human condition with empathy, humor and grace at a time when those are fast becoming antiquated qualities in short supply. That’s why his music resonates so deeply with a certain demographic. There’s an undeniable realness to the songs he sings that’s clearly hit a nerve.
I’ve seen at least one article positioning the singer as a new Bruce Springsteen, completing a cycle that long ago saw Springsteen hailed as one of several possible new Dylans in his prime.
But there’s no need to trot out all those sacred cows to place his work in context.
If there’s one thing that was absolutely clear in Phoenix, it’s that Kahan is the latest installment in the everyman and/or woman continuum, as much a possible new Taylor Swift as anything.
Visually stunning performance found Noah Kahan rising to the challenge
It was a visually stunning performance that found the unassuming singer rising to the challenge of a larger venue with aplomb, making his entrance through the front door of an ever-changing house that would eventually transform into Kahan’s General Store, at one point reminiscing about early shows at Crescent Ballroom.
The setlist in Phoenix was heavily weighted in favor of “The Great Divide,” his latest album and his first release to top the Billboard album chart, which accounted for 14 of the 22 songs in his set, his breakthrough album, “Stick Season,” accounting for another six songs.
There were several stages, allowing for intimate breakouts that featured more stripped-down performances, Kahan tripping up the stairs as he brought the proper concert to a close with "New Perspective."
It’s doubtful anybody left the concert feeling “(expletive) worse,” as promised. But therein lies the charm. He’s made an art of channeling his darkest feelings into songs that cannot help but make you feel a little more connected to the other people going through those same conundrums in a world that wouldn’t be as bearable without the likes of Noah Kahan.
He’s certainly not the most obvious pop star of his generation, an awkward everyman in French braids sharing songs of pure emotion with no filter but that may be why it’s working. He’s a throwback to a time when singer-songwriter were tearing up the pop charts on the strength of songs that resonated for a reason.
Noah Kahan tour setlist 2026. Songs from the Phoenix concert
These are the songs that made the setlist when Noah Kahan brought The Great Divide Tour to Phoenix:
Act 1 — Main Stage
- “American Cars”
- “Doors”
- “All My Love”
- “Deny Deny Deny”
- “Staying Still”
Act 2 — B stage
- “Haircut”
- “Downfall” (Lyric change: “The way you’ve got your hair up straight makes you look real Arizonian”)
Act 3 — Main stage
- “Dashboard”
- “Dial Drunk”
Act 4 — Roof/main stage
- “Willing and Able”
- “Porch Light”
Act 5 — C Stage
- “Orbiter” (Extended)
- “Pain Is Cold Water” (Extended guitar intro)
- “Maine”
- “Paid Time Off”
- “Dan”
Act 6 — Main stage
- “The View Between Villages” (Extended)
- “Northern Attitude”
- “The Great Divide”
- “New Perspective”
Encore
- "End of August"
- "Stick Season" (extended)
Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more. He did the same in Pittsburgh for more than a decade. Follow him on X and Instagram @edmasley and on Facebook as Ed Masley. Email him at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Noah Kahan was 'sick as a dog.' Phoenix fans didn't mind
