The Tallest Fan on Earth

May 26 was host to many peculiarities. “Where’s the Bearded Lady?” someone jokingly inquired from the audience.

Perhaps she’s with Buckminster Fuller.

Armed with a myriad of acoustic guitars, Kristian Matsson, The Tallest Man on Earth, performed a sold-out show with Nathaniel Rateliff in front of a crowd packed shoulder-to-shoulder, wall-to-wall at The Dome House.

Actually, the expression “wall-to-wall” is slightly deceiving: The Dome House is a geodesic dome and technically has but one wall.

Constructed on a beautiful plot of land, the home is located on South High Street.
With the help of the dome’s acoustics, Mattson’s music shook and soothed an eager audience. Most of the sound came out of two large PA speakers and filled the high ceilings of the structure to create a full and reverberating timbre.

Though The Tallest Man on Earth stands well below six feet, his presence towered. His raspy howl wailed “The Garden” and “Where Do My Bluebird Fly,” among other crowd favorites.

Temperatures were high inside the building, and many chose to sit cross-legged between sets. Others went outside for a smoke or to check out the koi pond or giant teepee, both located on the property. The Dome House is a
distinctly aesthetic building, and Bloomington was fortunate for these homeowners to open their doors to the music scene.

Matsson’s performance proved some of the greatest shows aren’t always the ones hosted at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater or Conseco Fieldhouse. The most meaningful ones are often held within more intimate quarters.

House shows and small venues have a mood all their own: unique and personal. These concerts happen frequently here, allowing for closer interactions with the artists and the music. More often than not, the atmosphere is cozier, more sociable, and on an altogether different level from the bigger venues, so go out and see one tonight!