Cage The Elephant Neon Pill Tour Energizes Omaha

September 17, 2024 Robert Chadwick Concert Reviews Comments Off

PAM WHISENHUNT | Go Venue Magazine

Cage The Elephant stopped into Omaha at the CHI Health Center, September 16, 2024. Cage the Elephant’s two-year hiatus was broken in June when they embarked on a 4-month US tour in support of their latest album, Neon Pill. The wait was finally over, and they made their way back to Nebraska.

Our night kicked off with Willow Avalon. It was the opposite of what I expected of a Cage the Elephant opener. Willow Avalon was a classic old school country band. I reminded me of a band that would grace the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Their mic stands were adorned with pink roses and greenery. Avalon wore a light blue dress with lace trim and a leather pistol holster belt. Avalon told the crowd she’s been a big fan of Cage the Elephant since she was young and was very excited to be on the tour with them.

Bakar was second on stage. Bakar hailing from North London was more in line with my expectations. Bakar had a great soulful, indie sound. Bakar has a fairly short list of songs in his collection, so his set was longer than I expected set. The crowd was especially excited to hear “Hell N Back,” which is a popular TikTok audio bit. If Bakar wasn’t already on people’s playlist, I’m pretty sure he is now.

Next up was Young the Giant. The band has roots in Southern California and been around since 2009. They’ve become an indie giant over the years with 5 albums and an extensive touring background. It makes sense Cage the Elephant has paired up with them this tour. We were fortunate to catch them as this was their last show on the current tour. Sameer Gadhia (lead vocals) came with a message. He told the crowd, “Don’t let others define you. Don’t apologize for who you are”. “Put human care into what you do” and you will be successful. I appreciated the message, and I’m sure it resonates with many. Young the Giants’ sound was impeccable, just as I’d hear on their recordings. Every song came off smooth and crisp.

Cage the Elephant finally took the stage with the “Broken Boy,” tons of pyro and Matt Shulz (lead vocals) in a boot and knee scooter. Shulz mentioned he’d broken his foot and talked about how he’s become very attached to his scooter. I was bummed when I heard he was still in the boot. I’d seen Cage the Elephant a few years back. Shulz is typically all over the stage and full of energy. He actually did pretty good rolling around, but I could tell he wanted to jump right off it. I felt the energy and sensed he was gonna burst. His brother Brad Shulz (Guitar) did his part and filled the stage with his own energy. Brad Shulz treated the crowd with a rail visit on the first song. They ate it up. He continued that same energy throughout the set. I’d be remised not to say Nick Bockrath (lead guitar) shredded. His solos were fire and Mathan Minster (keyboard, vocals) did it all. His vocals paired up perfectly with Matt Shulz’s.

Cage clipped through a 22-song set list with minimal breaks. They did a great job mixing in old and new songs and had the crowd engaged and moving start to finish. Unfortunately, this tour is wrapping up. Let’s hope it won’t be another two years before we get to see them again. It’s great to have ’em back. Keep an eye out and catch them next time they’re around. You won’t be disappointed.