Rumors have been swirling about why singer-songwriter Zach Bryan was absent from Noah Kahan’s recent Fenway Park performance.
Noah Kahan, known for his hit “Stick Season,” concluded his We’ll All Be Here Forever tour with two special shows at Boston’s iconic Fenway Park on July 18 and July 19. These shows were particularly meaningful for Kahan, a New England native.
Fans were treated to memorable performances during the two nights. On Thursday, Noah brought out several guest performers, including Gracie Abrams, who joined him for “Everywhere, Everything.”
The Lumineers also made an appearance, covering Jason Isbell’s “If We Were Vampires,” and later returned to perform “Stick Season” with Kahan, along with openers James Bay and Mt. Joy.
Friday’s show featured Mt. Joy’s Matt Quinn performing “Northern Attitude” with Noah. However, just before the encore, Noah hinted at a guest appearance that did not come to fruition.
“I’m gonna be honest with you, we were supposed to have a special guest tonight but it didn’t work out,” he revealed to the audience.
Speculation quickly arose about who this special guest might have been. Many fans pointed to Zach Bryan, a fellow singer-songwriter who has shown support for Kahan in the past.
Bryan, known for songs like “The Great American Bar Scene,” had covered Kahan’s “Stick Season” and featured Kahan on his own track “Sarah’s Place” from the 2023 Boys of Faith EP.
Following the EP’s release, Kahan publicly thanked Bryan, expressing his gratitude for being included in Bryan’s musical journey.
Further fueling the rumors, Bryan had performed in New England at Gillette Stadium earlier that week, and his girlfriend, Brianna LaPaglia, had posted on Instagram about attending Kahan’s Fenway show.
Fans began to connect the dots, suspecting Bryan was the special guest who didn’t make it to the stage.
Adding to the intrigue, a blind item surfaced online, suggesting a “country star” got “so drunk” before his friend’s “biggest show” that he had to back out of the performance.
The item also mentioned that this star was seen arguing with security and behaving disrespectfully toward his friend’s family. It concluded by noting that the two artists no longer follow each other on social media.
A quick check of their Instagram accounts confirmed that neither Zach Bryan nor Noah Kahan follows the other. This development added weight to the rumors, leaving fans to speculate about a possible falling out between the two musicians.
Despite the speculation, neither Bryan nor Kahan has addressed the rumors publicly. Fans are left to piece together the story from the available clues and wonder if the missed appearance will affect their future collaborations or friendship.
Kahan’s Fenway performances were significant milestones in his career, and the absence of a special guest, particularly one as high-profile as Bryan, has certainly caught the attention of fans and the media alike.
Whether due to personal reasons or scheduling conflicts, the mystery of the no-show adds an intriguing layer to an already memorable tour finale.
