Cage the Elephant - Live in Grand Rapids
It’s a humid evening in the rich city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, peaking at around 82 degrees with direct sunlight beating down on everything the eye can see. Given that I am warm-weathered by nature, I am a puddle of pure sweat and reddened cheeks as I stand outside the doors of the famous Van Andel Arena but nothing can take me down because soon enough, those doors will open and I will get to view Cage The Elephant; one of the largest rock bands to come out of the 2000s.
Formed in 2006 when I was just two years old, Cage the Elephant has proven to be a powerful force over the years. From their vastly popular 2015 album Tell Me I’m Pretty to their renowned song Cigarette Daydreams that became a staple in the indie rock universe around 2013, the group has been able to stay ahead of the ongoing debate as to whether or not rock is truly dead by incorporating classic sounds into their extremely innovative approach to music as a whole. The current lineup is composed of lead singer Matt Shultz, his older brother and rhythm guitarist Brad, lead guitarist Nick Bockrath, keyboardist Matthan Minster, bassist Daniel Tichenor, and drummer Jared Champion. After their newest album that was released this past May, Neon Pill, the band has hit the road with supporting acts Young The Giant, Bakar, and Vlad Holiday. Thanks to the band’s team, I was able to view and breakdown their show in my home city.
Starting off strong, the three openers contracted for this leg of tour kicked off the night perfectly with varying styles that ultimately held similarities to Cage the Elephant themselves, boding nicely with the crowd.
Up first was Vlad Holiday, who resembled artists such as Matt Maltese and The Arctic Monkeys with his dark-wave approach at Indie. With movements that seemed to pay homage to the great Fred Astaire, he did a fantastic job at amping the audience up.
Second came Bakar, the alternative singer/songwriter from Camden Town, London, who has been topping charts in the world of Tiktok lately from his song Hell N Back with Summer Walker. Just alone on the stage with backing tracks, he still managed to get people on their feet with his upbeat style and intoxicating energy.
The third and final act, however, appealed to people the most. Young the Giant, hugely popular around the years of 2014-2019, graced the stage and from their very first song, Jungle Youth, reactions were overjoyed. Engagement peaked when they pulled out their all-time popular song, Mind Over Matter, and their set ultimately closed shortly after with My Body, allowing the sea of concertgoers to fester with anticipation.
There’s a first time for everything and this night’s show was the first time I’ve ever seen an injured frontman. While the crowd roared as the band first climbed onto the stage, I couldn’t help but notice Matt wheeling in on what appeared to be a knee scooter. One commonly used for those with broken feet or sprained ankles. Thinking nothing of it, I sat back and took in the entire scene before me as Broken Boy began to play, signaling the start of their set.
After Broken Boy which melted right into Cry Baby, Matt addressed the crowd and explained that he had broken his leg, hence the scooter. He even poked fun at the unorthodox prop, commenting on how fun and handy it was for him to glide and “do tricks” around the stage. He also made mention of the fact that the crowd always seemed to grow extra loud whenever he stood from it, proving his point right after when he raised himself up with a cheeky bow. With a little more razzing, the band moved onto Spiderhead like second nature.
Throughout their set, one thing was most prominent above all else and that was none other than the bass guitar. A common trend in their music over the years has been the distinctiveness of the bass and how guiding it is and live, it is no different. Whether it was a slower piece such as Cigarette Daydreams or a song with more in-your-face energy like Mess Around, Tichenor’s influence was certainly heard just as much as the amalgamation of six string guitars, keys, and drums.
I would say that the highlight of this show in West Michigan was during the band’s fifteenth song, a piece called Rainbow off of their new album. Matt went on a spiel leading into this number that Grand Rapids was the best crowd they’d played so far. Whether that was true or just a sentiment to increase hype, it worked like a charm because the audience’s participation reached an all time high as the opening beat rippled out from Champion on the kit. Rainbow, just like the other songs from this night’s setlist, was just as alluring and electric but the cherry on top was actually the pyro and light attributes.
The band had typical canisters that shot flames out in sync with the song’s rhythm but there were also fog and laser effects that made the ceiling of the arena look like clouds with a rainbow cutting through. It was beautiful to look at and it truly helped to elevate Rainbow and the band’s performance at large. This part of the show also definitely revived some enthusiasm back into the building and it carried all the way into the encore, where they closed out another job well done with one of their most popular songs; Come a Little Closer.
After Friday night’s performance in Grand Rapids, Cage The Elephant still has a plethora of shows left on their Neon Pill Tour in cities such as Bridgeport, Toronto, Nashville, Philadelphia, Detroit, and many more. Furthermore, they have a set at the following festivals lined up for this fall: Ocean’s Calling Festival, Sema Fest, and Corona Capital. Neon Pill is available to listen anywhere you find music and plenty of tickets for this coinciding tour are still up for grabs - you won’t want to miss out on seeing such an electrifying bunch.