Flagler College students don’t need to venture far for top-tier live music, especially in September during St. Augustine’s Sing Out Loud Festival. This month-long festival, which was introduced in 2016, brings dozens of rising local artists and famous performers alike to venues throughout the city.
However, it’s the festival’s Live Wildly Showcase that has students, like me, trading in our beach days for a weekend on Francis Field in historic downtown St. Augustine. Drawing in a staggering 27,000 fans in one weekend, the two-day showcase, Saturday Sept. 21 and Sunday Sept. 22, featured headliners, Eric Church, Ryan Bingham with the Texas Gentlemen, Norah Jones and, Flagler College-favorite, Noah Kahan.
In the week leading up to the event, campus was abuzz with talk of Kahan’s performance, with some students even making plans to arrive hours early to secure a front row spot. Kahan, a folk-pop artist, amassed a large following after the release of his single, “Stick Season,” in 2022. A fan of Kahan’s since before his rise to fame, I was thrilled when Flagler College announced that through a partnership with the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, students would have the chance to attend the concert for free.
Olivia Griffin (second from the left) and friends
After hearing of the infamously long lines at last year’s festival, my friends and I arrived at the venue hours before Kahan took to the stage. Thankfully, there was no line, and we were able to quickly enter the venue after going through the security checkpoint. With time to spare, we headed towards the main stage, which was set opposite the entrance on the West end of Francis Field. The stage, which was flanked by two Jumbotron screens, was so large it could be seen from North Ponce de Leon Boulevard. This easy-to-view set up was perfect for concertgoers like me, who prefer to grab a spot in the back of the crowd.
The Live Wildly Showcase gets its name from its namesake and Sing Out Loud partner, the Live Wildly Foundation, which promotes the importance of conserving wildlife in Florida. Through this partnership, a portion of the proceeds from the ticket sales goes towards supporting conservation efforts right here, in St. Johns County. A personal favorite of mine, was a 20-foot-tall inflatable panther, dubbed Noah "Paw-han” by Instagram users, that marked the foundation’s informational tent.
In the spirit of conservation, Sing Out Loud was free of single-use plastic cups this year. Instead, concert-goers were given a re-usable cup with our first drink purchase. We were encouraged to hold onto them for a small discount off our next drinks and recycle them in one of the cups return bins before leaving or hold onto the decorative cup as a memento of the festival. The venue also provided free cooling tents and water-filling stations.
By the time Kahan appeared on stage, the crowd was a sea of Flagler students. Not only was Kahan’s performance exceptional, but his stage presence was hilariously engaging. Whether through his lyrics or witty quips in between songs, Kahan has the unique talent of making you feel seen when surrounded by thousands.
A testament to Kahan’s character, he stopped mid-performance on multiple occasions to assist fans who appeared to pass out from heat-related issues.
For Flagler students like me, Sing Out Loud offers more than just entertainment. It’s an opportunity to come together with fellow classmates to experience the richness of this community we live in.
Photo Credits: Roz Zekavat, Jared Swafford, Melissa Marcarelli, and Olivia Griffin
