It was over 90 degrees out when I parked in Noblesville; it felt even hotter than the Phoenix show. This is possibly due to Indiana’s proximity to Hell. Indiana is the New Jersey of Chicago. I’ve seen shows in some very nice towns here over the years, but Noblesville isn’t one of those, at least from what you can tell around the stadium. It’s a strange collection of corn fields, traffic circles, and strip malls.
Still, there were omens, if one is inclined towards such things. I saw a DULUTH Trading Co in one of the many strip malls, and when I went to a gas station the pump didn’t work. Damn vandals.
At an Outlaw show, you have to accept that you’re going to be a stranger in a strange land. The parking lot to this stadium bordered a corn field, and the parking attendant who showed me my $25 spot on a gravel lot was wearing a cowboy hat, aviator shades, and some shiny bracelets. Nearby was a sheriff, covered in tactical gear and driving what appeared to be an armored golf cart. It was like I was surrounded by a 2025 lineup of Village People. Inside, the vibe did seem very different than other Outlaw shows; the other shows I’ve seen this year were all in swing states or blue states. This was a red state crowd, and it showed on the bumper stickers and t-shirts lauding conspiracy-mongering racists who said Jewish money was destroying American values (Hey, find my venmo if you wanna help). While the general vibe of the crowd in Mansfield had been “I’m going to the pumpkin patch but I’m not gonna make a whole thing of it,” the vibe in Noblesville was “I’m going to the bathroom but I’m not gonna make a whole thing of it.” But there was also this guy who looked like Jim Morrison wearing tight jeans and an awesome fair isle sweater in the 92 degree heat - he may have been the coolest guy I ever saw.
There was, of course, also the Deadhead contigent, and occasionally a person in a Dylan shirt mixed in with the flag shirts and the shirts with jokes about boobs. Kait from the fan club and I sipped on overpriced drinks. Henry from the Chicago crew had brought his kids.
I had bought a lawn ticket online for 17 bucks, figuring that in the Hoodie Era it doesn’t matter what your view is. But after Sheryl Crow’s gear was hauled away, it was noticed that some sort of keyboard was being set up on the side of the stage. And someone was definitely making sure it was all set up and ready to go. Something was happening.
It being 92 degrees outside I wondered if Bob would discard the Return of the Jedi cosplay that’s been his wardrobe lately, but he came onstage with the hoodie still up, and slipped behind the piano for a powerful, threatening “Masters of War.” It was good, but I was staring at the unmanned organ.
For “I Can Tell,” though, I looked up and noticed that a person had appeared behind the keyboard, just out of frame of the video screens. From the back he looked like a young Larry Campbell, but the back at these things is far enough that it could have been Elena James for all I could tell. In any case, the organ was a bit low in the mix, but audible.
The mysterious organ player slipped back offstage without a word for strong takes on “Forgetful Heart” and “Axe and the Wind,” then appeared again for “To Ramona,” on which he appeared to be playing visually, but I couldn’t pick anything up audibly. After the song he was gone again.
So, this was distracting. There was a solid show going on onstage, but there was also a mystery to solve! Most of the crowd was probably unaware that anyone else had been onstage; they were too busy trying to figure out where Bob was, exactly, or if he was even there (There’re always a few people who insist He’s Not There and that anyone who believed that was really him are just sheeple. They probably say stupid things to make themselves feel smart several times per day).
Some venues on this tour don’t like you to walk to aisle between the lawn and the seats, and few just let you stand there behind the seats, but this one was awfully cool about it, and I had a very peripatetic show, wondering from spot to spot. From the stage left side I could see Bob fairly well, but didn’t have a great line of site on the organ. “Under the Red Sky” had a fantastic harp solo.
The organ man reappeared for a fantastic “All Along the Watchtower,” adding organ so faint I couldn’t convince myself I wasn’t imagining it to the “She’s Not There” arrangement, which Bob just sang the hell out of tonight, dropping off the words one at a time like he was laying down bombs.
“Til I Fell in Love With You” wasn’t quite as explosive as its been in recent days, but still powerful, and “Desolation Row” leaned further into the new Chuck Berry edition. I’m continually amazed at how many different songs Bob has found inside of that song; the apocalyptic album take, the standup routine he played it as the first few performances in 65, the travelogues of the 90s, the “Series of Dreams with a Wrench” arrangements of last year, and now it’s like Johnny B. Goode (“Row Desolation, Row, Row?”). An ominous “Love Sick” followed.
The organ came back for “Highway 61,” now perhaps a bit more audible, in the dark new arrangement. It’s sort of a mirror image of “Desolation Row,” which sounded dark on the album but could be very playful live. This one is playful on the album, and now comes off as dark and sinister, which was never far from the surface in this little bit of midrash. Even in line two when the guy says “Let me think for a minute SON.” We’ve already established in verse 1 what we do with sons around here.
The organ player remained onstage, adding quiet church organ sounds underneath an incredibly powerful “Don’t Think Twice.” Bob stood up at the end, and the whole crowd rose to its feet, hoping to finally get a glimpse of him - mostly to no avail.
Word on the street after the show was that the keyboard player was Matt Katz-Bohen, longtime keyboardist and producer for Blondie. Perhaps Bob is warming up some additional musicians for Farm Aid? Did Matt Katz-Bohen wish really hard and have his wish granted but had to play inaudibly and unannounced? You never can tell which way the axe is gonna fall. I slipped out, found a gas station that sold me a pumpkin donut that I think was from last Halloween, then made the long drive back to Chicago, wondering if it was worth upgrading my East Troy ticket just to get a better look at that organ…
That’s #91 for me; follow along on my quest to 100 (and check out my new history podcast, Tomb Snoopers!)
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.