A broken foot couldn’t cage any of the energy that Cage the Elephant brought to the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA, just outside of Boston. The amphitheater was packed with fans excited to see a stacked lineup that included Young the Giant, Bakar, and Willow Avalon in addition to the highly anticipated headliner.
Following sets by Willow Avalon and Bakar, Young the Giant brought with them a performance that, if a little longer, easily could have had them as a co-headliner for the tour. Frontman Sameer Gadhia is a top-notch performer, and the band’s energy and production was absolutely stunning. They made sure to play all the hits, including “Cough Syrup,” “Mind Over Matter,” and “My Body,” and multiple band members made sure to get up close to the front of the stage to feed off the crowd’s energy.
The group opened with an explosive (literally) performance of “Broken Boy” from their 2019 album Social Cues, and with came lots of pyro and bright lights. Cage the Elephant had us photographers in the pit for 5 songs, which felt so much longer than the typical 3 that we normally get. During this time we were able to catch guitarist Brad Shultz hopping the barricade to join fans in the pit with his guitar as well as watch the younger Shultz brother somehow manage to dance and move around the stage while on his scooter for his broken foot, probably to his doctors’ dismay.
For more casual rock listeners, Cage The Elephant is one of those bands where you hear a song and go, “I didn’t realize this was their song.” This was me at least 3 or 4 times as their set went on. Embarrassingly enough, I didn’t realize that “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” was their song, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear it performed a little over halfway through the set. Other highlights from the night included “ Trouble” and “Cigarette Daydreams.” The production continued to be top notch throughout the night, with lasers and more pyro making appearances.
Cage The Elephant’s US tour continues through September, including a stop at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City on September 5th. They’ll also be playing Sema Fest in Las Vegas and Corona Capital in Mexico City later this year in November. You can find tickets and tour dates on their website here.
