Noblesville, IN. – It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon for a concert and the Night Running Tour was making a stop at Ruoff Music Center. Featuring Beck and Cage the Elephant, special guests Spoon, and opener Wild Belle, this particular line-up was one for the record books and it did not disappoint! Sibling duo Elliot and Natalie Bergman, a.k.a. Wild Belle, was first up on stage bringing a psychedelic mix of pop, funk and jazz that was filled with world music textures (even though the duo is originally based out of Chicago!). The mixed crowd of young and old seemed to enjoy the performance as the siblings highlighted tunes off their third album, Everybody One of A Kind.
Next up was indie rockers, Spoon, highlighting songs off their first greatest hits release Everything Hits at Once: The Best of Spoon, which includes the new 2019 single,“No Bullets Spent”. This seasoned band, made up of members Britt Daniel (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard, percussion), Jim Eno (drums, percussion), Alex Fischel (keyboard, guitar, backing vocals), Gerardo Larios (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals), and newcomer Ben Trokan (bass, keyboards), seemed to be enjoying their time together on stage, as they covered a music catalog spanning 26 years that included such hits as “I Turn My Camera On”, “Hot Thoughts”, and “Don’t You Evah”. It was a high energy performance that got the crowd on their feet, singing and dancing, and you could easily feel the good vibes flowing through the audience as Spoon finished their set and thanked the crowd for a great afternoon.
Next up was co-headliner Cage the Elephant. Band members Brad Shultz (lead guitar, rhythm guitar), Daniel Tichenor (bass, backing vocals), Jared Champion (drums, percussion), Nick Bockrath (lead guitar, backing vocals), Matthan Minster (rhythm guitar, keyboard, backing vocals) walked on stage to a roar from the crowd and kicked the set off with “Broken Boy” before singer Matt Shultz exploded onto stage with the rest of his band to the delight of fans. Never a dull moment with this band as they got right down to it with tunes off their 2019 release, Social Cues, along with previous hits including “Trouble”, “Cold, Cold, Cold”, and “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked”.
The frenetic energy from lead vocalist Matt Shultz spread throughout the crowd and reached even higher levels once he made his way off stage and out through the audience to the sound board area – treating fans to an up close and personal experience, talking and performing, before rejoining the band on stage to finish out the set. But it didn’t stop there…upon winding down the last song, Matt took off into the crowd once again and headed to the lawn where he was last seen crowd surfing up the hill with ecstatic fans as his band mates took their final bows. Intermission music blasted on the PA and stagehands began to prep for the next performance when all of a sudden Matt Schultz popped up on top of the party deck in the middle of the lawn wearing nothing but vinyl boxers – greeted by a huge roar of approval from the crowd! It was epic and something I have never personally witnessed in 100+ shows at this venue over the years.
It was finally time for Beck. Last time they were in this area it was opening for U2 on the iconic 30th anniversary Joshua Tree tour. You could feel the anticipation as the fans made their way to their seats, making sure to not miss a single beat. With that first familiar note of “Loser”, Beck walked out on stage and took the audience on a musical journey. The genre bending setlist flowed from rock hits to hip hop classics to that famous electronica sound that he is known for, then slowing down to just him and a guitar for an intimate tune with that folk feel, and onward to slamming dance rock/hip-hop. Beck made the transitions with total ease. All the while our minds were being melted with acid trip inspired visuals that accompanied almost every song, peaking during Beck’s tune “Wow” from the 2017 release Colors. Fans were on their feet while lasers danced through the ceiling, spraying the crowd with color. This show was just as much a visual experience as a musical one.
The set went by at a fast-pace before exploding with the encore of “Where It’s At” and being joined by Cage the Elephant to close the night with the collaboration tune that the tour is named after, “Night Running”, followed by a “Where It’s At” reprise jam. Confetti filled the air, along with bouncing clear and silver inflatable balls, as the audience made their way out of the venue while carrying all that good energy home with them. It was a powerful night of great music and this correspondent definitely recommends the “Night Running” tour as a MUST SEE this summer before it ends. There are not many dates left for the tour, so be sure to check here and travel if you must!!
Setlist: Beck – Noblesville, IN.
- Loser
- Devils Haircut
- The New Pollution
- Girl
- Gamma Ray
- I’m So Free
- Black Tambourine
- Go It Alone
- Mixed Bizness
- The Golden Age (partial)
- Lost Cause
- Debra
- Wow
- Saw Lightning
- Dreams
- Up All Night
- E-Pro
Encore:
- Where It’s At
- Night Running (*joined by Cage the Elephant – Cage the Elephant cover)
- Where It’s At (reprise)
Show Date: 8/04/2019
According to press releases, Beck’s new album, Hyperspace, “has an as yet undetermined point in the spacetime continuum” to be released (rumored to be “This Summer”, however it is already August….). In the meantime, Beck has released the single “Saw Lightning” – a collaboration with hit record producer Pharrell Williams. Check out the official audio file below:
Beck Online
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Cage the Elephant Online
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Spoon Online
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Wild Belle Online
