Cage the Elephant’s Matt Shultz bites his microphone screaming incoherent lyrics accompanying his band’s final song before the encore. Reverb rings through the crowd that shakes underneath the fake stars painted onto the ceiling. “Sabertooth Tiger,” is a musical stream of consciousness, and feels essential in Shultz’s depiction of his persona as a performer. The lyrics are reflective of Shultz’s greater struggles in life: “Runaway runaway runaway from the beast / Got a bullet in your back and you’re shaking at the knees.” While he often felt that way not too long ago, it is on the stage where he seems most comfortable. He finds comfort in screaming, running, jumping and flying across the stage. The electricity rose and rose throughout the performance, but peaked in his passion in the final song before the encore. It is the song I will remember most vividly from the performance, not because of the lyrics or instrumentation, but because of Shultz’s fire that burned most brightly at the end.
Shultz’s disregard for his own safety was apparent on the stage, as he was not exactly careful despite acknowledging that this was the first show back from having to sit on stage due to two broken bones. While he maybe takes it easy on his vocal chords for some of the show, his younger self is definitely still within him, after all he has been through.
At large, the show had its ebbs and flows. After a slow start, the crowd became engaged with the sixth song of the set, “Cold Cold Cold.” The began to run through some of their bigger hits, while Matt’s brother, Brad, who plays rhythm guitar tried to fire up the crowd with little anecdotes. The third quarter of the set was the peak in terms of quality, with “Trouble,” “Ain’t no Rest for the Wicked,” and “Skin and Bones” coming back to back to back. This was followed by a new song “Rainbow,” which was surprisingly good live, as it was accompanied with a not-so over the top laser show.
Brad looked like one half of the Blues Brothers in his sunglasses, and showcased his chemistry with his brother on stage. Nevertheless, it was Matt’s tidbits and energy that provided the most intrigue, as he thanked Chicago for having them. He credited our city for being crucial in their success, and told a story about how he snuck on the stage at Lollapalooza in about 2006 and was somehow allowed to perform with Iggy Pop. Matt’s approach on life has clearly never changed, as he was and still is a natural born entertainer; he is someone that finds necessity in pushing himself to the limit.
The encore which followed “Sabertooth Tiger” was four of their biggest hits. The crowd was running on fumes from the moments prior, but was relieved with the catharsis that they were awarded. The final couplet, “Cigarette Daydreams” and “Come a Little Closer” emphasized a certain range that they have even in their hits. The confetti that filled the ballroom as the show ended symbolized the celebration that the performance was. Despite the hiatus before their most recent record, it is obvious that Cage the Elephant is not stopping anytime soon.