Cage The Elephant Tears It Up In Charlotte

The Neon Pill Tour Plays To a Capacity Crowd at PNC Music Pavilion

This past Saturday night was an alternative rock lover’s dream come true as Cage The Elephant made a stop here in the Queen City at PNC Music Pavilion on their Neon Pill Tour. The band, led by lead vocalist Matt Shultz, released their sixth studio album and first in five years, Neon Pill, back in May and have been hitting the road hard in support of the new music. They are bringing newcomers Vlad Holiday and Bakar along for the ride as well as alternative darlings Young The Giant.

Charlotte fans were hyped and ready for all the action that the Neon Pill Tour could throw their way. Things got started early with singer-songwriter Vlad Holiday hitting the stage. In addition to his own music, Holiday also stays busy writing with other artists and is listed as a co-writer on three tracks from Cage The Elephant’s latest album.

Holiday’s music is low-key with a chill vibe that left us in a dreamlike mood. During his short but solid live set, he proved that not only is he a talented songwriter but a singer and guitarist as well. His vocals have a real ethereal quality to them which adds to the trance-like mood of much of his songs. Vlad’s vibe was definitely a bit different and I’m glad to have had the chance to check him out.

Next, we were treated to a little indie rock style from English singer Bakar. Bakar first burst onto the scene with his 2019 single “Hell n Back” and has since released his debut full-length record Nobody’s Home as well as 2023’s Halo.

Bakar took the stage solo with no backing band shadowed by a plentiful amount of fog, creating the atmosphere for his live performance. His vocals were strong as his sound flowed over the venue as he had the crowd waving their hands back and forth in unison. If you’re heading out to see the tour, definitely get there early so you can check out Bakar for yourself.

The audience was buzzing with excitement as the crew prepared the stage for the next artist on the bill, Young The Giant. It’s been well over a decade since YTG released their eponymous self-titled debut album and hit single “My Body” to the alternative-rock world and the band hasn’t slowed down since. YTG has gone on to release four more albums including the highly successful American Bollywood in 2022 and is fresh off the heels of last year’s headlining run. They are a great addition to the lineup and fans were absolutely stoked for their set.

The band made their way out on the stage with lead vocalist Sameer Gadhia taking his place center stage and immediately kicked things into high gear with “Jungle Youth.” YTG sounded great. Sameer and the band were on fire both musically and artistically during their set. One thing about YTG is that they always put on a hell of a show and tonight’s set was no different.

Bathed in a bevy of beautiful light, the band ran through a tight set that featured songs from all of their albums including crowd favorites “Cough Syrup” and “My Body.” Through it all, Gadhia was a consummate showman, jumping high in the air and interacting with the crowd up front. Seeing YTG live is everything that’s right about live music. Do not miss the chance to catch their set this summer.

As the crew began readying the stage for the main event and fans made their way out for refreshments and a pitstop, the energy level around the PNC Music Pavilion rose to epic heights. You could hear all the CTE chatter as people recalled their favorite CTE songs and chatted about how many times they had seen the band live. Everyone was prepared for an epic show ahead of us and that’s exactly what CTE delivered.

Back in 2008, Cage The Elephant shook things up with the release of their self-titled debut album which featured the hit single “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked.” The band brought a mind-blowing blend of alternative rock and punk with a true garage rock feel and from that point on, would become a staple in the hearts of rock fans everywhere.

The venue lights dimmed and there was a quiet hush to the crowd before the audience erupted as CTE made their way onto the stage. Lead vocalist Matt Shultz is known for his wild stage performances as he is typically running, jumping, and spinning like crazy. This time would be a little different as he recently broke his foot and made his way out onto the stage riding a knee scooter, popping wheelies along the way. This was going to be an interesting evening for sure as the band got started right away and appropriately enough considering Matt’s injury, “Broken Boy” was the opening song.

The band was spread out on the stage as plumes of flame shot up from across the front as Shultz maneuvered around the heat and other obstacles. Wow! One song in and it was clear that this was indeed going to be the most epic night of music.

Musically, CTE was sensational as they ripped through a set with a little of everything from old to new. Guitarists Nick Bockrath and Brad Shultz were letting it rip as drummer Jared Champion and bassist Daniel Tichenor kept the pace. Matthan Minster rounded out the sounds with his lush keyboards adding to the richness and fullness of the production.

Speaking of production, CTE has pulled out all the stops for the Neon Pill Tour. After all the pyro, from the opening number, things didn’t slow down at all. The stage was wrapped in gorgeous lighting from above and on each side which changed colors from deep oranges and greens to haunting blues and purples throughout the night. And let’s not forget the lasers. The lighting tech definitely deserves a shout-out here as colorful lasers shot out from the stage and across the pavilion even turning into the most beautiful colors of the rainbow at one point.

Now, let’s talk about the other element of the show that made tonight a real stand-out and quite possibly the concert event of the summer season and that is frontman Matt Shultz. I had no doubt that his vocals would be on point as he always sounds great, but what about his onstage performance and interactions with the audience? He is typically so animated on stage, charging up the crowd like the Energizer bunny. Would his broken foot be a hindrance?

The answer to that ladies and gentlemen is a resounding, hell no! Matt did not let his injury slow him down in the least. He was as high-spirited and full of life on stage as he’s ever been. The knee scooter didn’t slow things down at all. In fact, Shultz was a master of the knee scooter and it served him well as a prop throughout the set. He spun that thing around like it was nothing and his facial expressions and genuine excitement to be on that stage shone through like a lighthouse in the night sky. In fact, I think tonight’s set may have been my favorite performance from Matt ever. This is the mark of a true professional who wouldn’t let a broken foot stop him but also the mark of someone who is so passionate about what he does that nothing will stand in his way.

What a show! Cage The Elephant rocked the hell out of Charlotte and raised the bar for the remainder of the summer season.

The tour runs through mid-September so be sure and snag your tickets to the Neon Pill Tour and let Cage The Elephant shake you down this summer.

See the Full Gallery of the Night Here!

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