August 26, 2024 – Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada
Ever since Cage The Elephant were picked up by indie radio stations, their growth has been formidable as they are now played so often that they instantaneous became that earworm band that everyone and their cat recognizes.
Cage The Elephant don’t really fit the mold and that’s a good thing. I think that’s what helps their popularity and brings music fans from all genres together. As time moves on, more and more artists are splicing genres together and Cage The Elephant are really at the forefront of that.
See Also: Billy Idol at Bell Center, Montreal
I still have to reference the first few more popular songs for people to catch on that they may, in fact, already know the band as, and are totally unaware that they do. I’m glad to see them back onstage after all the personal issues the Schultz brothers have had to deal with – but we won’t get into that.
Young The Giant
Young The Giant was a band that has risen in notoriety and I’m glad they get to play the Bell Centre. A great pairing with all four of the acts. Sadly I didn’t get to see the first two. Our already scattered unreliable transit system made sure of that on the day they introduced new bus lines.
I don’t normally prefer bigger venues, it can take away from the songs original emotion or intent. The intimacy of the broad picture. It depends on the band as well. I’ve wanted to see Young The Giant since I heard My Body. I’m in awe of just how good and how great the set was, stretching it out to fourteen songs spanning their twenty year career.
The crowd reception was good but it could have been more enthusiastic based on the disconnect. Not the actual level of crowd energy. The awkward set up leaves more to be desired. The floor had a general admission front pit that’s stagnates things getting to wild but really puts a gap between band and the rest of audience. I understand now it’s for safety reasons because it was an absolute crazy packed night.
Singer Sameer Ghadia spoke about how nothing is stagnant and how life is about different experiences. Why they strive to make sure every Young The Giant show is unique and in the moment. I understand some fans hate that; they want to hear it exactly how it is – I’m not one of them. I’ve witnessed artists rushing through their popular songs or just not put have as much effort into it because they are sick of playing it. It makes for a terrible live experience.
It reminded me instantly of Sting’s touring practices and how he was with The Police. I salute anyone who can change it up nightly. It may not be what fans want, because the average listener is a stickler for the originality. Maybe I just never made the comparison prior, but tonight I instantly heard all of the Andy Summers influence shining through in the guitarists licks.
The band and audience had the chance to sing Happy Birthday to their longtime tour manager. A moment she won’t soon forget. You have to take time to celebrate the team that works the business side too.
Cage The Elephant
Coupled with a two-day punk festival, the incredible Punk In Drublic festival, singing my lungs out – I wonder if my voice would make it . The odd empty seats here and there were filled quickly around me as not many folks even left between bands, in case they missed anything.
From the side of the stage, you could see singer Matt Shultz wheeling out on a trike in the shadows. A singer is a dangerous job if you’re Matt Shultz , who is normally making the most of every inch of the stage. He had broken his foot doing exactly that; jumping about the stage like a man possessed a few weeks prior to tonight, but that wasn’t going to damper the night. Opening with a triple threat of songs; Broken Boy, which is a perfect song for this situation, Crybaby and Spiderhead – it was clear that although Schultz’s foot is broken, his spirits nor his onstage bravado were not.
Already after just a few great older songs, my voice was almost gone, so that answers that question. It was hit after hit and just so much energy exchanged between the fans and the band. Smiles all around. I knew their shows were crazy, but this was nuts. With flames shooting up from the front of the stage perfectly timed with music, I could feel the heat from where I was sitting. It must have been quite toasty for the band and photographers in the pit.
They played and equal amount of my favorite tunes off of Melophobia, Social Cues and Tell Me I’m Pretty. Very bluesy riff and breakdowns. Too Late to Say Goodbye, Cold, Cold, Cold and Trouble garnered huge reactions for the electric audience.
After a hiatus and arguably a long time between visits, fans got there money’s worth. Matt Schultz still managed to make it look like his injury was part of the act. The broken foot, the boot and the mobile apparatus used to cart himself around with all just props like the pyrotechnics. So enthralled in the moment, I don’t think it mattered. If anything, it helped him have more breath to sing all those wordy songs, and give it way more passion so it was a win for the trike.
Surely not as much as he clearly wanted to be in the pit. It would have been pretty epic for the fans that had clearly waited all day to get front row. Instead he harnessed the power of new crowd control and had them screaming whenever he lifted his hand.
Dazzling the audience with his slick sounds, rhythm guitarist and brother to Matt, Brad Schultz made sure to visit the pit and keep the same connection. He had fun doing a bait and switch, putting on a fans pair of prescription glasses in exchange for his shades. There was plenty of room in the front pit to dance, so that we as a nice perk for those who payed extra for that moment.
I was as close as I’ve ever been to the main speakers at the Bell Center – the home of the might Montreal Canadiens, and as such both Young The Giant and Cage The Elephant were epically loud but sounded great – and the fans singing back every word, except maybe the faster ones, made it an even greater experience. So, whenever he did need them to take over, it was an intense sing-a-long.
Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked and In One Ear were sang loudly and made everyone get up and join along in the action after waiting the whole show to hear the top favorites. There’s the upside to seeing bands on their best of or reuniting tour. The energy is fresh, and you’ll most likely get to hear most of the songs you want. Bad side to that is that the obscure stuff gets put aside. Tossed to the backburner. Tonight’s slower, more intense tunes, had people swooning with their phone lights, adding that magic touch and glow to the room. With a slowed down pace from the break-neck beginnings intensity to cap off the evening, Cage The Elephant performed Shake Me Down, Cigarette Daydreams, and final song Come A Little Closer for their encore.
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From all the major festivals, it’s nice to have a better vantage point like this one found at the Bell Center to see singers in action. With no fear and oozing stage presence the way Schultz does, and his moves like Jagger. Knowing how to pander and work the crowd is half the deal. That’s what attracted me, no gimmicks just the raw deal.
By the end, we all wanted more – but overall, I think we got a pretty good dose of Cage The Elephant and the best songs we could ask for on a tour. Hope they keep it up. They could easily sell out a few nights at the Bell Center after that spectacle.
