Cage The Elephant Performs Live In Toronto For The First Time In Three Years
BY KYLE MCNEIL
PHOTO BY: KYLE MCNEIL
American psychedelic rock band Cage The Elephant hit the stage in Toronto on August 2nd 2022 which marks the first time the band has performed in Canada since pre-pandemic times in 2019. The show was scheduled to take place at the brand-new concert venue in Toronto called History which is owned partly by Live Nation and Canadian super star artist Drake which was a great choice of venue for this band with its modern sound and lighting systems. There was no opening band scheduled for this show so it was set to be only one act on this night however there was no official set time published for when the band would hit the stage. It got interesting when myself and some of the other photographers were let into the media pit in front of the stage and we could hear some of the audience members griping about how long it was taking for the band to come out. The venue was playing music over the sound system and every time a song would end the crowd would chant "Cage! Cage! Cage!" but a collective groan could be heard every time another song started.
Whatever the reason was, it was all quickly forgotten by everyone at the concert once Cage The Elephant started playing music. The lead singer of the band Matt Shultz would take the stage carrying a "beach" style bag filled with what looked like additional clothing which he would place on the stairs leading up the drum kit. The groovy dressed singer would be sporting blue jeans, a wool sweater, a cowboy hat and some "Austin Powers" style glasses-for the first few songs at least. Cage The Elephant kicked off the night's music with one of the latest songs titled "Broken Boy" off their last official release in 2019. Cage The Elephant, a psychedelic rock band that some people in the music business would label as the American version of Tame Impala. I would say this is a somewhat accurate comparison although I find Cage The Elephant has more of an alternative rock feel to their brand of music.
On this hot summer night in August at History, the group would play songs from their extensive 10 year plus catalog including the classics like "Come A Little Closer", "Cigarette Daydreams" and my personal favorite "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked". The band also played a few songs off their latest album release "Social Cues" such as "House of Glass" and the 2019 smash hit "Ready To Let Go". At one point towards the end of the show Matt Shultz body surfed on top of the crowd and managed a hand stand somehow out in the middle of the crowd. The set concluded with the song "Teeth" off their acclaimed 2013 album "Melophobia". I'm sure after three years of dormancy this band must be sitting on a pile of new music so I wouldn't be surprised to see Cage The Elephant back on stage in due time.
We all personally cherish music from the past that when we hear it-it tends to makes us think of a specific time frame, year or even decade. For me, Cage the Elephant's music always seems to remind me of the early to mid 2010's. Most likely because of the heavy air play they received during those years and the amount of time I spent listening to the radio in my car. It takes some truly special music to be considered a part of a sound track of a particular decade and I think that Cage The Elephant is one of those unique groups. Some may agree or not agree but I think only time will tell. It might take another decade or two to pass by for some people to realize it but I think that this band has proven to be a generational musical act. I have covered a lot of large concerts so far in 2022 but I already know this show will be at the top of my list of favorites once the end of December rolls around and I reflect on them all.
