Chicago – I’m not sure what I was thinking taking on a show the night before I was set to leave for Bonnaroo – wait, yes I do: I was thinking, “OMG, Cage The F***ing Elephant!” Who in their right mind would pass up the opportunity to see the Bowling Green, Kentucky rockers who have, after nearly a decade’s worth of hard work, become one of the most successful bands around?
The Grammy-nominated four-piece – comprised of brothers Matthew (lead vocals, guitar) and Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar, keyboards), Jared Champion (drums, percussion), and Daniel Tichenor (bass guitar, backing vocals) – is currently in the middle of its first headlining arena tour, in support of 2015′s Tell Me I’m Pretty (RCA Records), which features the single “Mess Around.” The band has grown from a just a couple of small town boys doing what they love to a phenomenal arena rock band, selling out shows and performing all around the world. On tour, the band becomes a six-piece, with Matthan Minster (keyboards/guitar) and Nick Bockrath (lead guitar) joining the mix.
On a Tuesday night at Chicago’s UIC Pavilion, the six men unleashed a fury of sound, lead by outrageous frontman Matt Shultz, who jumped and ran around stage all night, leaping over his mic stand and diving into the crowd, proving I did indeed make an excellent decision to take in the show, despite the unfortunate side effect: a significant loss of sleep. Though, for the record, being a music journalist basically means you regularly lose out on sleep, but that’s a small price to pay for holding down a job you truly love.
The set started off with “Cry Baby,” the first track from the band’s latest album. Fans immediately began singing along. Those up front raised their hands, occasionally screaming. Some looked as though they just my faint, in complete shock and disbelief that Shultz was in such close proximity to them, singing, “You say that I’m insane / I say you’re probably right / We all got something important to say / But talking’s a waste of time.”
Matt Shultz did very little talking during the evening, instead he opted to make the most of the night, singing into his shiny, silver microphone, raging through an 18 song set, which included new songs like “Cold, Cold, Cold” and “Punchin’ Bang,” as well as oldies and fan favorites such as “In One Ear,” “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked,” and “Back Against the Wall,” from Cage The Elephant’s self-titled debut, “Aberdeen” and “Shake Me Down” off 2011’s Thank You, Happy Birthday, and “Come a Little Closer” and “Cigarette Daydreams,” from 2013’s Melophobia.
At one point, Matt’s brother Brad joined him in serenading fans, when he sat on a monitor at the edge of the stage, singing and playing his guitar. Later, he jumped into the pit, walking along the barrier, all the while playing his guitar and headbanging. Fans went wild… but that was the case all night, and with good reason. Cage The Elephant put on a captivating show, from start to finish, proving the band is a “must see” and rightly deserves to be headlining such a massive tour.
For the Chicago stop, Cage The Elephant was joined by psychedelic rock bands Morning Teleportation and Portugal.The Man. Fellow Bowling Green, Kentucky natives Morning Teleportation kicked the night off. The band, comprised of Tiger Merritt, Travis Goodwin, Alex Lindsey, and Joseph Jones, has been rumored to be working on another, long-awaited album, after the band’s debut Expanding Anyway, and having supported Cage The Elephant in Chicago and Milwaukee, it’s safe to say those rumors are true.
As to be expected, Portland, Oregon by way of Wasilla, Alaska band Portugal. The Man - who has definitely been hard at work on a new album, titled Gloomin + Doomin - brought an impressive light show and a killer performance, mostly featuring songs from the band’s 2013 release Evil Friends. The band is fronted by childhood friends and founding members John Gourley and Zachary Carothers. Though the band’s line-up has changed throughout the years, the two remain a constant for the band. This tour saw keyboardist Kyle O’Quin, guitarist Eric Howk, and drummer Aaron Steele joining in. The five were the perfect fit to amp the audience up for CTE.
Cage The Elephant is on tour now. A list of tour dates can be found on the band’s Facebook page. Tell Me I’m Pretty is available for purchase through iTunes and Amazon.
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Sarah Hess
After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.
You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
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