For Noah Kahan, performing at NPR’s iconic Tiny Desk was a long-held ambition. That dream became a reality this Tuesday (April 21) as his highly anticipated session officially premiered on YouTube.
Stepping into the intimate Washington, D.C. office space, the folk-rock singer-songwriter treated the audience to a four-song set. The performance highlighted both his established sound and fresh material, featuring two unreleased tracks from his forthcoming album, The Great Divide. He opened the set with “American Cars,” delivering soulful, roots-driven vocals backed by his ensemble: “Headlights, your plates, 4CB3A / Didn’t know you drove American cars / Ray-Bans on your face, you’ve been drivin’ all day / But you’re here and we’re so grateful you are.”
Kahan balanced the set with fan favorites and new hits, including the chart-topping title track “The Great Divide” and a poignant rendition of “Orange Juice” from his 2022 breakthrough project, Stick Season. Between songs, Kahan offered a candid moment of vulnerability, admitting to the crowd, “I’m sweating deeply. I have makeup on. It’s getting in my eyes. It’s awful, but we’re so honored to be here.”
Closing the performance, he debuted another unreleased song, “Paid Time Off,” musing on the lyrics: “And your love is like an open flame / But you’re a running car and I’m a closed garage / Someone once told us there’s a world out there / But we don’t care enough to drive that far.”
Acknowledging the melancholic nature of his music, Kahan thanked the audience for their support while adding a touch of humor. Continuing the cherished Tiny Desk tradition of leaving a memento behind, he placed a bottle of Lexapro on the shelf. “I figured we can treat it like a ‘take one, leave one’ penny system,” he joked. “Ten milligrams. Severe side effects.”
This appearance arrives just days before the April 24 release of The Great Divide. With a massive stadium tour on the horizon and a recent documentary exploring his mental health journey, Kahan’s career trajectory continues to climb. However, the Tiny Desk experience remains a personal pinnacle. As he shared on Instagram following the broadcast, “I’ve wanted to do Tiny Desk since I knew it existed. For some reason, I just thought I never would. But here we are… this immediately becomes a life highlight.”
