more than corn.

the surreality of tonight was such that i'm not sure i can describe it.

i went to see a friend of mine play a random open mic show at a tiny nothing of a bar in noblesville, of all places.

this is strange for a multitude of reasons. first, it's sunday and i've been in a good mood all day. second, it's sunday and i was actually out of the house after 8pm. third, it was noblesville.

let me set the scene for you. noblesville, indiana sits on the cusp. it has a good hospital and a starbucks or two, but it has yet to really be affected by indianapolis' crazed urban sprawl. noblesville is still backwater, good ol' boy, warsh yer socks in the crick farmin' country indiana.

and yet, at ten on a sunday night, some hick bar in some hick town in central indiana produced (along with a delightful homebrewed stout that i enjoyed immensely) the following things in succession:

one sincerely amazing bluegrass band with a banjo player whose fingers moved so fast they blurred and some sort of freaking genius boy wonder of a mandolin player (who had obviously come straight from the farm). i grinned and hooted and tapped my feet and wished so hard that there was a man in that bar who would ask me to dance (if only i had some cowboy boots).

one skinny white kid in sweatpants who busted out with some of the most incredible beatboxing i've ever heard. included in his set were blind melon's no rain, don't worry be happy, and the theme song from inspector gadget.

and just when i absolutely thought it couldn't get any better, this guy happened. if you clicked that link, ignore the songs that are posted, because they sound nothing like what i heard tonight. he came on last and had time for all of two songs, but two was enough. i stopped breathing as soon as he opened his mouth and didn't start again until he was finished. when i had enough oxygen to again become aware of my surroundings, i had wrung my hands bloodless and squeezed my legs so tightly together that my thigh muscles were aching. to put it blatantly, the man's voice made my pants place want to run and hide. it turned me inside out and left me completely helpless.

i almost didn't go out tonight.

i got lucky, man. tonight made me realize how grateful i am that music has made a bold return to my life. tonight made me remember that people are still capable of surprising me, and how much i love it when they do.

you totally don't have to be on a coast for this.