The Kentucky-bred indie-rock band lit up Van Andel Arena on Friday with lead singer Matt Shultz displaying terrific showmanship despite a broken foot. Review, photos.
No Caging This Elephant: Singer Matt Shultz zipped across the stage throughout Friday’s show. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTO GALLERY, SET LIST
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It was an energetic affair of fire, fans and favorite rock ’n’ roll anthems. Cage the Elephant rolled into Grand Rapids on a busy summer night, filling Van Andel Arena on Friday with sweet, stadium rock refrains.
Lead vocalist Matt Shultz also literally rolled onto stage, with the help of a scooter and one foot elevated and housed in a medical boot.
He was quick to address the ‘elephant in the room,’ mentioning at the top of the set that he’d broken his foot 15 days ago. But in true display of showmanship, Shultz zipped around stage like he was on a skateboard – popping wheelies, drifting with sudden banks and turns.
After opening sets from Young the Giant and Bakar, Cage the Elephant made an extensive foray into the group’s catalog, including familiar favorites such as “Cigarette Daydreams,” “Come a Little Closer,” and “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked.”
The arena of fans remained for the most part on their feet, singing along, pumping fists towards the sky and dancing blissfully.
Other songs from the 22-song set included cuts from the band’s newest record, including the title track, “Neon Pill,” and “Rainbow.”
The stage design and visual elements enhanced the evening’s production: pyrotechnics, psychedelic lights swimming through a sea of fog, massive black and white screens that followed and magnified the musicians on stage.
Throughout the evening, the band exuded a sense of gratefulness and adoration for its fans, who celebrated a true spectacle of rock-star proportions and production, rooted in sincerity and connection.
PHOTO GALLERY: Cage the Elephant, Young the Giant, Bakar at Van Andel Arena
Photos by Chelsea Whitaker
SET LIST: Cage the Elephant at Van Andel Arena
Setlist.fm
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