Cage The Elephant singer Matt Shultz managed to rock harder than Dave Grohl and Axl Rose with a broken foot! Cage The Elephant returned to Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado after 5 years, and Shultz said it had been the 5 toughest years of his life before the band performed an emotional rendition of “Trouble.” Shultz explained earlier in the show he faced another challenge in the middle of the ‘Neon Pill’ tour when he broke his foot.
Shultz managed to wheel himself around the stage on his scooter, not missing a beat, and rocking as hard as he does when he’s running on stage. Axl Rose and Dave Grohl previously dealt with performing with injured legs/foots by sitting on a rock throne, but Shultz managed to top them with his scooter performance, making the moments he stood up with his boot highlights of the night.
Cage The Elephant showed the maturity over 15 years into their touring career, coming off as a now established veteran band who still have the same vibrancy as live performers as they did in the early 2010’s. They now have hit and deep cuts from six albums to pull from, with new songs like “Rainbow” fitting seamlessly into the set with great lighting, and deep cut “Telescope” being one of the best performances of the night with Matt Shultz encouraging fans to light up their phones.
The band could have easily gone out on tour with just one opener, but they showcased three artists with distinct different styles: Girl Tones, Willow Avalon, and Bakar. Girl Tones brought a White Stripes rocking vibe to start the night, with Willow Avalon bringing a country feel with a memorable story about a would be husband that inspired a song, and Bakar who electrified the crowd by ending his set interacting with fans.
Overall Cage The Elephant remain one of the top acts in rock and they haven’t lost a step in the last 5 years since Social Cues. While Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones are nearing the end of his career, Matt Shultz and Cage The Elephant are carrying on the rock and roll mantle.
