CAGE THE ELEPHANT / YOUNG THE GIANT LIVE AT THE AMP

By Ralph Beauchamp

Cage The Elephant bring their “Neon Pill” tour to the HHA in Bridgeport with Young The Giant, Bakar, and Willow Avalon for direct support.

August 19, found our photographer Kerri Nelson and myself back at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport again watching the weather. There were threats of severe thunderstorms which thankfully didn’t materialize. We were here for the Cage The Elephant “Neon Pill” tour which we both highly anticipated. Not only was Cage on stage but they were bringing one of my favorite bands, Young The Giant, with them. Add the UK’s Bakar and Willow Avalon and you get a recipe for an amazing evening of music.

Willow Avalon opened the festivities and there was already a decent crowd. Avalon seemed out of place on the bill with her countrified groove but her set was both energetic and memorable. She was amicable and the crowd appreciated her easy banter. She started off her performance with “Stranger” and it was followed by “Honey Ain’t No Sweeter”. The audience was coming alive as her band delivered vibrant melodies. Willow’s voice was strong with wonderful emotive textures. “Raise Some Hell” and “Homewrecker” were fan favorites.

Photos Kerri Nelson

Next up was Bakar from the UK. I was aware of Bakar from his extensive airplay on Sirius XM’s Alt Nation. Coming out solo, singing over pre-recorded tracks, Bakar’s set was sublimely funky. His voice is quite distinctive and his beats are truly addictive. Bakar’s stage presence was heartfelt. He really seemed to enjoy the night and the appreciative audience. Bakar opened with “All In” and immediately the people in the pit were enjoying Bakar’s vibe. He then went into “1st Time” which contained a snippet of King Harvest’s “Dancing In The Moonlight”.

Photos Kerri Nelson

Bakar continued with “Right Here, For Now” and “Stop Selling Her Drugs” which featured a collaboration with Dominic Fike on Bakar’s EP, Will You Be My Yellow?. Bakar saved the best for last. He performed his bigs hits, “Alive” and “Small Time Girl” before finishing with his monster track “Hell N Back”. Bakar’s whole set was lively and the house really seemed to be entertained.

After Bakar, one of my main reasons for attending came on stage. Young the Giant is no stranger to AMP. The entire staff are true fans. We have had several features on the band. I’ve been to at least four of their tours and the band always seems to get better and better. In my opinion, lead singer, Sameer Gadhia has one of the most melodic and dynamic voices of all time. His vocals grab me in a holistic manner. It’s almost spiritual.

The band’s musicianship is also brilliant. They play with an undying ferver. They can easily render a gorgeous lushness as well as delivering a dramatic tenacity. Besides Gadhia (Vocals/Guitar/Keys), Young the Giant is comprised of Jacob Tiley (Guitar/Keys), Eric Cannasta (Guitar/Vocals/Keys), Payam Doostzadeh (Bass/Keys/Vocals) and Francois Comtois (Drums/Percussion). All the musicians played impeccably.

Photos Kerri Nelson

The first song out was “Jungle Youth” and they then immediately went into “The Walk Home”. Sameer then discussed how their second album, Mind Over Matter, is already 10 year old and where did the time go. The band flowed into “Cough Syrup” which brought a huge response from the fans. “Waves” was followed by “Dollar Store” and “Cult of Personality”. The crowd continued to sing along and were really relishing the stellar musical smoothness that was permeating the Amp. “It’s About Time” ran into “Call Me Back”. The whole time Gadhia was bringing in the crowd. Everyone was enjoying the glorious music.

The last half of the set was a Young the Giant songfest. Every song was a huge hit for the band. “Superposition”, “Mind Over Matter” and the funkified “Tightrope” simply slayed. The entire audience were on their feet singing at the top of their lungs. Young the Giant had complete control. The band closed their night with monster renditions of “Silvertongue” and “My Body”. Young the Giant once again proved to be a top notch act with an excellent outing.

This was my first time experiencing Cage The Elephant live. The band has always had a place in my heart with their edgy vocals and vibrant soundscapes. Lead singer Matt Shultz came out with a boot on his foot and riding a scooter. It seems he had broken his foot but instead of having that be a drawback, he used that scooter to his full advantage. He had the audience responding with hoots and hollers every time he lifted himself up.

It was an amusing game but 2023 was not play time for Shultz. He had some sort of mental breakdown due to fears that originated during the pandemic. It culminated with his arrest for gun possession while staying at the Bowery Hotel in NYC. Luckily, he was able to plead out and with help, came back to reality. He exposed all his internal struggles in Cage the Elephant‘s newest album, Neon Pill. He talked about the last 5 years being hard on him and thanked everyone for their support. In addition, Matt said he would always remember Bridgeport because he just adopted a puppy.

From the first song out, we had pyro. “Broken Boy” from their 2019 album, Social Cues, had the stage awashed in fire. It was definitely a super opening and the audience was totally riled up with excitement. The band which also consists of Brad Shultz (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals), Daniel Tichenor (Bass/Vocals), Jared Champion (Drums), Nick Bockrath (Lead Guitar/Keys) and Matthan Minster (Keys/Rhythm Guitar) delivered invincible performances. They were tight and on point.

Photos Kerri Nelson

“Cry Baby”, “Spiderhead”, “Too Late to Say Goodbye” and “Good Time” came next. All the while Matt had the house standing and basking in the sonic hailstorm the band was laying out. Cage The Elephant were letting out torrents of kaleidoscopic beauty. “Cold Cold Cold” was captivating but when the band went into the title song off their 2024 album Neon Pill, the house lost it. Its spellbinding aura fills the Amp with an audacious zeal.

Throughout their 19 song set, Cage The Elephant delivered an avalanche of sound. “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked”, “Rainbow”, “Telescope” and “Sabertooth Tiger” all packed a punch. The encore just continued their explosive barrage. “Shake Me Down”, “Cigarette Daydreams” and “Come A Little Closer” were all crushing and left the throng satisfied and content.

All in all, a fantastic night of brazen music.

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