Ed Sheeran and Noah Kahan's Secret Nashville Dive Bar Jam Session

Mia Reynolds, 4/24/2025Ed Sheeran and Noah Kahan surprised fans at Santa's Pub in Nashville, delivering an intimate, unstructured jam session that spotlighted their musical chemistry and authenticity. The evening featured personal songs, playful banter, and Sheeran's unreleased track "Old Phone," reminding attendees of the true essence of music.

The whole thing started casually enough. "We're going to play songs until someone gives up," Sheeran announced to the hundred-odd souls packed into the dimly lit space. There was something beautifully defiant about two of folk-pop's biggest names choosing this humble venue over the glittering arenas they could easily fill.

Between sips of Modelo and playful jabs about their eerily similar musical DNA, the pair settled into a groove that felt more like watching old friends jam in someone's living room than a formal performance. "It's going to feel like a freestyle battle for depressed people," Kahan quipped, acknowledging the oft-made comparisons between their styles. Sheeran, grinning, shot back: "I'm the Catholic Noah Kahan."

The night's setlist unfolded organically — no rigid structure, just pure musical conversation. Kahan's "Dial Drunk" and "Stick Season" took on new life in the intimate setting. But perhaps the evening's most revealing moment came when Sheeran unveiled "Old Phone," an unreleased track that wore its Kahan influence proudly on its sleeve. "I recorded this song, I was like, 'I think it kind of sounds like a Noah Kahan song,'" Sheeran admitted, before diving into lyrics about lost connections and ghostly text messages from beyond.

For Sheeran, who spent nine months calling Nashville home back in 2013, Santa's Pub wasn't just another stop on his promotional tour for his upcoming album "Play." The venue's well-worn walls and unpretentious atmosphere seemed to strip away the layers of superstardom, revealing the songwriter who once played endless open mics and small clubs.

The real magic emerged during Kahan's more personal numbers, particularly those exploring his complex relationship with his father. Watching Sheeran shift from headliner to supportive collaborator, adding subtle guitar flourishes that enhanced rather than overshadowed, offered a masterclass in musical generosity.

Nashville's reputation for nurturing these authentic musical moments continues to grow, something Sheeran noted between songs: "Even outside of playing at the Ryman or somewhere, these crowds make four-part harmonies feel almost automatic when you perform in Nashville." It's the kind of observation that cuts to the heart of what made this night special — two artists at their commercial peak choosing to remind us why we fell in love with their music in the first place.

In an age where every performance seems calibrated for maximum social media impact, this felt like a welcome rebellion against the machinery of modern music promotion. Sure, Sheeran's there to promote "Play," his upcoming collaboration with twelve musicians recorded in Goa, India. But on this night, in this dive bar where $100 could theoretically buy drinks for half the room, none of that seemed to matter.

What mattered was the music, the moments, and the reminder that sometimes the smallest stages yield the biggest magic.

Sometimes magic happens in the most unexpected places. On a balmy April evening in Nashville, that place happened to be Santa's Pub — a cash-only dive where the beer comes in cans and the karaoke machine's seen better days. What unfolded there on April 22nd wasn't your typical stadium spectacle or carefully choreographed festival set. Instead, Ed Sheeran and Noah Kahan delivered something far more precious: an unvarnished slice of musical authenticity that felt like stumbling upon lightning in a bottle.The whole thing started casually enough. "We're going to play songs until someone gives up," Sheeran announced to the hundred-odd souls packed into the dimly lit space. There was something beautifully defiant about two of folk-pop's biggest names choosing this humble venue over the glittering arenas they could easily fill.Between sips of Modelo and playful jabs about their eerily similar musical DNA, the pair settled into a groove that felt more like watching old friends jam in someone's living room than a formal performance. "It's going to feel like a freestyle battle for depressed people," Kahan quipped, acknowledging the oft-made comparisons between their styles. Sheeran, grinning, shot back: "I'm the Catholic Noah Kahan."The night's setlist unfolded organically — no rigid structure, just pure musical conversation. Kahan's "Dial Drunk" and "Stick Season" took on new life in the intimate setting. But perhaps the evening's most revealing moment came when Sheeran unveiled "Old Phone," an unreleased track that wore its Kahan influence proudly on its sleeve. "I recorded this song, I was like, 'I think it kind of sounds like a Noah Kahan song,'" Sheeran admitted, before diving into lyrics about lost connections and ghostly text messages from beyond.For Sheeran, who spent nine months calling Nashville home back in 2013, Santa's Pub wasn't just another stop on his promotional tour for his upcoming album "Play." The venue's well-worn walls and unpretentious atmosphere seemed to strip away the layers of superstardom, revealing the songwriter who once played endless open mics and small clubs.The real magic emerged during Kahan's more personal numbers, particularly those exploring his complex relationship with his father. Watching Sheeran shift from headliner to supportive collaborator, adding subtle guitar flourishes that enhanced rather than overshadowed, offered a masterclass in musical generosity.Nashville's reputation for nurturing these authentic musical moments continues to grow, something Sheeran noted between songs: "Even outside of playing at the Ryman or somewhere, these crowds make four-part harmonies feel almost automatic when you perform in Nashville." It's the kind of observation that cuts to the heart of what made this night special — two artists at their commercial peak choosing to remind us why we fell in love with their music in the first place.In an age where every performance seems calibrated for maximum social media impact, this felt like a welcome rebellion against the machinery of modern music promotion. Sure, Sheeran's there to promote "Play," his upcoming collaboration with twelve musicians recorded in Goa, India. But on this night, in this dive bar where $100 could theoretically buy drinks for half the room, none of that seemed to matter.What mattered was the music, the moments, and the reminder that sometimes the smallest stages yield the biggest magic.