The NBA All-Star Weekend attracts a diverse crowd, bringing hoopsters, celebrities, and melophiles together. This year’s musical lineup is as fire as last year’s guests. From high-profile EDM producers such as The Chainsmokers & Zedd to our very own hip-hop sensation LiAngelo Ball and folk artists like Noah Kahan, the league has got everyone covered.
While a majority of this year’s lineup needs no introduction, Noah Kahan’s name might be new to some. In case you haven’t heard of him before, you’re at the right place. We got you! For starters, Noah Kahan is a Vermont-based singer-songwriter who has written hits such as Hurt Somebody and Stick Season, among others. But just telling you about his career won’t do justice to his unique upbringing, so let’s delve a little further into his story.
What is Noah Kahan’s background?
Noah Kahan’s background feels straight out of a novel. First of all, he was born on the day of New Year, and he grew up on a 133-acre tree farm with four siblings. His mother, Lauri Berkenkamp, is Christian, and his father, Josh Kahan, is Jewish. Lauri is an integrated communications director at an Ivy League university and an author as well, while Josh is an MIT graduate who taught Noah how to play the guitar.
Ever since he was a kid, Noah was exposed to some great music. He used to listen to a lot of Paul Simon and Cat Stevens on her mom’s iPod and was heavily influenced by artists/bands such as Counting Crows, Hozier, Sam Fender, Mumford & Sons, and Green Day. He has revealed that Lauri being a writer helped him with his music. Noah credits his roots and his parent’s support in shaping his musical identity.
Sam Spanierman, winner of the University of Vermont’s Noah Kahan look-a-like contest, greets a student’s friend over Facetime.
Kahan has been writing music since the age of eight and uploaded it to SoundCloud and YouTube, which gained him popularity. He decided that music was his calling and didn’t go to college even after getting accepted. Noah then moved to Nashville to pursue a music career and signed a record deal at the age of 17. Unlike his expectations, he did not blow up and got a reality check.
In 2017, Noah released his debut album, Busyhead, collaborating with then-sensations like Julia Michaels, touring heavily, and opening for artists such as James Bay, George Ezra, and The Strumbellas, among others. A single off his album charted on Billboard’s Hot Rock charts, and he released his sophomore album I Was/I Am in 2021, but both efforts failed to produce any mainstream hits. And this phase did not look good.
Does Noah Kahan have impostor syndrome?
Since high school, Noah Kahan struggled with mental health issues. With regular episodes of heavy depression, Kahan took to antidepressants and substance abuse to feel better. As his career began to grow, his condition worsened, and he openly discussed his struggles with imposter syndrome. “Just a false existence where I felt like I was taking up space in the world and wasting my time,” he said, and it seems like suffering has become a never-ending process for him.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, his parents separated, which had a profound impact on him. Noah said, “I was home through all of that, and I was having some really complicated feelings”. Kahan then channeled his negative emotions onto his third album, Stick Season. Released in 2022, the album catapulted Noah into mainstream success, peaking at number 2 on the Billboard Top 200 albums charts.
Feb 2, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Noah Kahan and Kelsea Ballerini at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. Mandatory Credit: Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY
The album went multi-platinum in the US, UK, Canada, and New Zealand, receiving Grammy nominations and winning the iHeart and Billboard music awards. Stick Season spawned 8 hit singles featuring artists like Post Malone, Hozier, Gracie Abrams and Kacey Musgraves, among others. The album’s success inducted him into Time magazine’s TIME100 Next, and the Governor of Vermont proclaimed September 19 as Noah Kahan’s Busyhead Project Day in recognition of his efforts for mental health in the community.
Since then, Noah has been selling out arenas, winning awards, and headlining festivals, with recent news coming that he’ll be headlining the 2025 edition of Bourbon and Beyond along with Phish, The Lumineers, Jack White, and 120 others. And now with the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, Noah will be adding another milestone to the long road that he’s now on.
Noah Kahan’s road ahead
For Noah Kahan, the NBA All-Star Weekend will be more than just a gig. It’ll be an opportunity to share his music with a new audience, as folk music is among the dying genres. His recent success not only makes him one of the most compelling voices in contemporary music but also serves as a revival of the entire genre. Noah’s inclusion in the All-Star lineup speaks to a larger trend in the music industry, as artists are no longer confined to traditional venues.
NBA’s genre-blending efforts to reach wider audiences transcend the traditional concert-going experience where fans only get to see artists of popular genres. It also highlights the increasing crossover between the worlds of music and sports, where “indie” artists like Kahan are finding new platforms to connect with their fans.
From the small towns of Vermont to the All-Star crowd in San Francisco, Noah’s journey proves that his voice matters. It shows how much his music has connected, breaking out of that “indie folk” box and becoming something bigger. It’s a reminder that real music can find its way to people, no matter where they are. It’ll be interesting to see where he goes next.
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