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Cage the Elephant/Foals Spring 2014
Poster
Cage the Elephant Setlist
Foals Setlist
Tour Dates
May 17 | Denver, Colorado | Ogden Theatre
Read More
May 18 | Salt Lake City, Utah | The Complex May 20 | Oakland, California | Fox Theater * * indicates Foals is headlining
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What do Cleveland, Tennessee; Oxford, England; and Bowling Green, Kentucky have in common?
Seemingly nothing, but bands from those three cities and their different, yet well-matched-together sounds, combined forces for a crunchy, charged evening to a packed crowd at The Myth in suburban Maplewood, MN.
The show started with an all-too-brief set from Tennessee rockers, J Roddy Walston and The Business, in promotion of their breakthrough, Essential Tremors (ATO Records). The band, who has been around in some form for 12 years, has been receiving increasing buzz and considers Minneapolis one of its strongest markets; playing to previously sold out headlining gigs, a State Fair residency last year, and had even volunteered to play a radio gig the next morning in the early AM, which alone shows true commitment.
Bathed in mostly red lighting, Roddy’s energetic piano stomping and crowd inciting, were particularly lively on songs like opener ‘Sweat Shock’, ‘Heavy Bells’, and radio hit, ‘Take it As It Comes’. Be hopeful for another local headlining gig, so the band can properly stretch its musical wings in a longer set, again soon.
Oxford’s Foals then took the stage as co-headliners with the instrumental, ‘Prelude’, begun solo by guitarist Jimmy Smith, then joined by the rest of the five-piece, for the song’s roaring crescendo. Their third and latest album, Holy Fire (Warner Bros/Transgressive) could also be used to describe the incendiary hour-long performance that convinced anyone in the audience that may not have been familiar with the band’s catalog. Singer/guitarist Yannis Philippakis literally walked on the edge, as he hopped mid-song from the stage, onto the narrow side railing to balance his way from one end of the venue then back, as awe-stricken audience members watched.
“We’re Foals from the UK, and we’re glad in be here in Minnesota, or St. Paul, or wherever we’re at”, Philippakis began, before the band launched into the title track of its previous release, ‘Total Life Forever’ as the full crowd clapped along. Amidst the backdrop of striking cobra snakes coming forth from a buddha and the flashing strobe lights, things really kicked in with second single from the new record, ‘My Number’ and its bouncy synth beat.
The band’s sound is hard driving, percussive and beat driven, yet is also danceable with a shiny pop fringe. Sonically, the venue accentuated this perfectly, as the sound system at Myth remains one of the most impeccable in the metro area, with each channel heard clearly and well-suited to its room size. ‘Spanish Sahara’ slowed things briefly until the song could properly build, but the mostly younger crowd clapped along in unison, as the song reached momentum.
Dedicating it to “all the mothers out there”, ‘Late Night’ simmered like a rolling fog with its pleading “stay with me” refrain, and the band closed its hour with the lead single from Holy Fire, ‘Inhaler’. “We’re a long way from home, so it’s nice to get a welcome like this”, Philippakis said before the song’s distinctive guitar riff kicked off with a righteous groove and high-pitched vocals that accelerated into something very Soundgarden-esque, to end a very well-received set.
With its own hour-long set, Kentucky’s Cage the Elephant took little time to err, uncage itself in a furious, headlong ride through 15 songs in only sixty minutes. Lead singer Matthew Shultz and band took to the stage more like they were walking in a park than playing to a mass of ready fans, but it was all a clever ruse as the southern band put on its rock game face after the quiet intro of opener, ‘Spiderhead’. Shultz moved like a mix of a younger Mick Jagger or Scott Weiland and rarely kept not moving, having dived into the crowd by the second song and returning shirt off for the remainder, by the third.
The band’s third and newest release, Melophobia (RCA Records) has pushed them into an even larger spotlight and the night seemed especially celebratory, as a result of being brother and guitarist Brad Shultz’ birthday. CTE’s sound is one of deceptively simple southern rock n’ roll – Kings of Leon on Red Bull, the Black Crowes sped up and smoking less, or even a less sludgy Molly Hatchet, but is distinctive enough to be individual as well as is completely memorable in concert, with Matt Schultz’ constant gyrating and interacting with the stagediving, overstuffed crowd.
“Let’s make it a special one, all right?” Schultz mentioned, referring to his brother’s birthday before starting the grungy ‘Aberdeen’ from previous album, Thank You, Happy Birthday. The mid-tempo and rhythmic ‘Take It or Leave It’ with its jangly, melodic guitar intro, would not have been out of place in Foals’ set, while early hit ‘Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked’ was a sing and clap-a-long for a main floor crowd that barely had room to move the crowd surfers above them, much less clap above their heads.
In response to the bevy of cellphones going up, Schultz implored, “I would like to spend a lot of time with you guys out there, but if you guys are trying to take pictures for Instagram… it doesn’t work. Instagram will be there tomorrow, we’ll have an experience tonight”, a feeling many bands in this age of modern immediate technology would no doubt, echo. Guitarist and birthday boy Brad Shultz mostly kept his head down, except to dive into the crowd himself and sidemen Daniel Tichenor, Jared Champion, and newest addition, guitarist Nick Bockrath all played with admirable passion, hair flying everywhere with body parts jerking to each beat.
The rockabilly tinged ‘It’s Just Forever’ morphed into ‘Teeth’, a song described by Schultz as about “feeling the energy of music changing”, which includes his own band planting a bigger footprint on things. Rock radio hit ‘Come a Little Closer’ finished the main set; the new album’s more-than-successful lead single has crossed over multiple radio formats and was inspired by the beauty of a Brazilian morning as seen from a São Paulo hotel window.
‘Shake Me Down’ with its very relatable and ultimately positive refrain of “Even on cloudy day, I’ll keep my eyes fixed on the sun” was a perfect encore opener and the revving, almost punk-like ‘Sabertooth Tiger’ took all the remaining energy of the already rabid crowd, for one last burst of unbridled release.
So what happens when Tennessee, England, and Kentucky mix? Spontaneous combustion obviously… and the audience couldn’t be more pleased to join along.
Seemingly nothing, but bands from those three cities and their different, yet well-matched-together sounds, combined forces for a crunchy, charged evening to a packed crowd at The Myth in suburban Maplewood, MN.
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J Roddy Walston and The Business
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Bathed in mostly red lighting, Roddy’s energetic piano stomping and crowd inciting, were particularly lively on songs like opener ‘Sweat Shock’, ‘Heavy Bells’, and radio hit, ‘Take it As It Comes’. Be hopeful for another local headlining gig, so the band can properly stretch its musical wings in a longer set, again soon.
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Foals
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Yannis Philippakis
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The band’s sound is hard driving, percussive and beat driven, yet is also danceable with a shiny pop fringe. Sonically, the venue accentuated this perfectly, as the sound system at Myth remains one of the most impeccable in the metro area, with each channel heard clearly and well-suited to its room size. ‘Spanish Sahara’ slowed things briefly until the song could properly build, but the mostly younger crowd clapped along in unison, as the song reached momentum.
Dedicating it to “all the mothers out there”, ‘Late Night’ simmered like a rolling fog with its pleading “stay with me” refrain, and the band closed its hour with the lead single from Holy Fire, ‘Inhaler’. “We’re a long way from home, so it’s nice to get a welcome like this”, Philippakis said before the song’s distinctive guitar riff kicked off with a righteous groove and high-pitched vocals that accelerated into something very Soundgarden-esque, to end a very well-received set.
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Matthew Shultz: Shirtless
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The band’s third and newest release, Melophobia (RCA Records) has pushed them into an even larger spotlight and the night seemed especially celebratory, as a result of being brother and guitarist Brad Shultz’ birthday. CTE’s sound is one of deceptively simple southern rock n’ roll – Kings of Leon on Red Bull, the Black Crowes sped up and smoking less, or even a less sludgy Molly Hatchet, but is distinctive enough to be individual as well as is completely memorable in concert, with Matt Schultz’ constant gyrating and interacting with the stagediving, overstuffed crowd.
“Let’s make it a special one, all right?” Schultz mentioned, referring to his brother’s birthday before starting the grungy ‘Aberdeen’ from previous album, Thank You, Happy Birthday. The mid-tempo and rhythmic ‘Take It or Leave It’ with its jangly, melodic guitar intro, would not have been out of place in Foals’ set, while early hit ‘Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked’ was a sing and clap-a-long for a main floor crowd that barely had room to move the crowd surfers above them, much less clap above their heads.
In response to the bevy of cellphones going up, Schultz implored, “I would like to spend a lot of time with you guys out there, but if you guys are trying to take pictures for Instagram… it doesn’t work. Instagram will be there tomorrow, we’ll have an experience tonight”, a feeling many bands in this age of modern immediate technology would no doubt, echo. Guitarist and birthday boy Brad Shultz mostly kept his head down, except to dive into the crowd himself and sidemen Daniel Tichenor, Jared Champion, and newest addition, guitarist Nick Bockrath all played with admirable passion, hair flying everywhere with body parts jerking to each beat.
The rockabilly tinged ‘It’s Just Forever’ morphed into ‘Teeth’, a song described by Schultz as about “feeling the energy of music changing”, which includes his own band planting a bigger footprint on things. Rock radio hit ‘Come a Little Closer’ finished the main set; the new album’s more-than-successful lead single has crossed over multiple radio formats and was inspired by the beauty of a Brazilian morning as seen from a São Paulo hotel window.
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Packed crowd at The Myth
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So what happens when Tennessee, England, and Kentucky mix? Spontaneous combustion obviously… and the audience couldn’t be more pleased to join along.
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Cage the Elephant at Myth, Maplewood (15 May 2014) |
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