In one word this concert was spectacular. Cage the Elephant was the first act of the evening, but the only one I was there to see. After hearing their self titled debut album, they were high on my radar. The lead singer is the embodiment of this entire band, and brings the whole thing to reality. With a high energy, fast paced stage presence he becomes one with the audience. The rest of the band is involved, but without the singer this is would be just another band. He reminded me of the early punk bands, jittering and gyrating on stage. Shaking and jumping erratically to every note, as if the music had possessed him. Like I said it was spectacular and was an amazing experience to see it.
With a younger crowd standing before the stage at the mighty Commodore, the mass waited with their mouths salivating. Any peak of a head through the back room, sparked immediate awes from the concert goers. Finally the lights went down, and Cage the Elephant took to the stage. They immediately jumped into their set, and the first thing the fans noticed, was the intensity of the singer. He began beating his head over aggressively to the music. His walk around the stage was a Jagger’esque cocky saunter. The rest of the band just existed, letting the lead singer promenade around the stage and own the night. Soon enough the songs started to erupt, and the passion started to pour through. This fed the singer and he became more erratic and more aggressive.
Leaping off the stage and standing on the fence dividing the crowd from the band, banging his head along to each song with an intensity that stirred the fanatic mass which lay before him, Matt’s passionate display drove energy into the feet of everyone on the floor. Soon enough there was a solid mass of bodies jumping to the music. The band started to draw more from the crowd and began to deepen their playing and have fun with it. Again this fueled the lead singer as he leapt around the stage banging his head violently and pouring himself into each song.
The vocals didn’t have to be amazing, the performance was enough to keep you involved and wanting more. Every song was different then the album, it was live and raw and powerful. It took every part of the album I had wished wasn’t there, and threw it out the door. They smashed through each song with a pure love for what they were doing. The band was well represented in this lead singer they have, and he will be the reason they are huge.
Watching this band perform on stage was like being there when people started to discover Iggy Pop or the Stones before they were mega stars. Seeing this band live is like watching a star being created. They are passionate and creative, and it bellows out in their stage show. The interaction with the Matt Shultz and the crowd escalated throughout the performance. Until finally, during the last song he climbed up onto the dividing fence, and leapt into the crowd. He surfed across outstretched hands, becoming one with his fans. At one point he managed to fully stand up, using the hand and shoulders of myself and few other concert fans. Once fully vertical he leapt again into the mass of screaming fans.
After working his way back to the stage, the band closed off their set and thanked the attendees for enjoying the night with them. One by one they filed off into the dark recesses of the Commodore. As the lead singer walked off, he stopped and turned back and smiled. He had a devilish grin on his face, and chants for an encore flowed from the patrons. Suddenly he ran and leapt off the stage, clearing the secured barrier between fans and performers, and again landed on an eager carpet of hands. The people cheered and carried him off into the back of the venue. Finally he dropped down and walked off to join his band mates.
The enthralled crowd cheered and demanded more, but the performance was done. The beautiful display was over and we were all a little better having been a part of it. Being at this show made people feel connected to the band. They are going to build a huge live fan base on this point alone. All in all it was a spectacular show and I am telling you to get out there and buy this album. If you ever get a chance to get down to a show and see these fine gents, you had better do it. This was pure magic and made my concert year. I was privy to watch a star in its infancy; they will soon be as bright as they come in the universe of music. The people at that show will be able to look back and say, I was there.
Happy Concerting
Jamie Taylor
www.concertaddicts.ca
photos by Jamie Taylor (click to enlarge)
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Jamie Taylor – who has contributed 3308 posts for Concert Addicts.
"With a love for live music, way too much to say and inability to put down his camera , photojournalism was a logical step in his journey. Concert Addicts was born from a desire to express his opinion, share his photography, and share knowledge. Now the community is no longer his, it is ours."
