Cage The Elephant
By: Kendall Willis
Cage the Elephant is coming off a 5-year silence with new album Neon Pill, with a headline tour to prove that it was worth each minute of the wait. For their Charlotte show on this go around, crowds filled early and quickly into the PNC Pavillion to catch openers Vlad Holiday, Bakar, and Young the Giant before the main act.
Each act brought a unique energy, though all were united in the rock-forward atmosphere that set up for a well-crafted and seamless introduction for the band’s first tour back.
Up-and-coming Vlad Holiday brought a dreamy alt-rock opening set to the stage. Bakar, a nearly overnight success, came prepared with a reminiscent cover of “Dancing in the
Moonlight” and Dominic Fike’s “Three Nights,” all sandwiched between fresh original tracks that kept us all dancing for the whole set.
Young the Giant is a long-time defining act in the rock scene. And they came to prove it. Their set was full of classic hits like “Cough Syrup,” songs that pioneered their sound and confirmed their rock identity like “My Body,” and the ever-popular track that is “Mind Over Matter.” Frontman Sameer Gadhia brought forth an incredible vocal performance with unmatched energy, backed by a band of skilled musicians and surreal soundscapes.
Each member of the band had an eclectic, creative energy both personally and musically; one that was honoring to the individual and cohesive within the group.
Finally, Cage the Elephant, the headliner that filled up the amphitheater and has been doing so since their start in 2006. There’s few other words for the show that they put on other than it’s a must-see for any fans of the act, or the genre of rock at large.The set began with “Broken Boy,” a song full of punchy drums and hard-hitting lyrics all on a stage covered with high-flying flames for each refrain of the chorus. A particularly interesting appearance of a knee scooter was in place for the evening after Matthew Shultz, lead vocalist, endured an injury the night before.
It’s safe to say that – from flames to broken bones – every piece of the show is only going to magnify the intensity of Cage the Elephant’s rock-stardom. Brad Shultz, lead guitarist, spared no space to connect with the audience and went right into shredding famous licks while standing on the barricade over fans.
I must acknowledge the production value of the Neon Pill tour for my own integrity. It would not be fair to write a piece of any length about the show without realizing the immense talent that created the stage each act stood on. The lighting design was innovative, fresh, and cohesive with each track. “Rainbow,” the surrealist track of their latest album, was complete with some of the most beautiful stage design I’ve seen yet. The production team of the Neon Pill tour rivals some of the best in recent years.
Lead vocalist Shultz went on to joke about the crowd’s excitement for his energy in face of the energy, saying that he’d “play shows on the scooter every night if [fans] scream that loud when [he stands].” Matthew Shultz and band are a high-class rock act, with a live show
that doesn’t just perfectly imitate studio recordings, but shows you how the songs were meant to be experienced. There’s a magic about seeing artists and musicians play the tracks they created. Not just a performance, but a show that allows you to see the chemistry and emotion that created a record. The best rock shows have this strange effect that will hit you on the way back to the car and leave you realizing that now, and only now, you get it. The guys of Cage the Elephant have gone above and beyond to create tracks that fill up arenas; but even more than that, they bring years of creating, playing, fine-tuning, developing, and the all-encompassing experience of music to the stage. And you’re going to be dancing the Whole. Dang. Time.