Cage The Elephant brought their massive Neon Pill Tour to an explosive close at Red Rocks Amphitheatre this Wednesday, not only proving yet again that Rock ’n’ Roll isn’t dead, but also providing fans with a diverse lineup of acts to broaden their musical tastes. With Girl Tones, Willow Avalon and Bakar opening the show, each with a very different, distinct sound, the entire show was a perfect testament to the diverse, open-minded fanbase that Cage The Elephant has built over the years.
As a Colorado native, I’ve been to my fair share of concerts at Red Rocks – including a handful this year – but rarely have I seen the venue fill up as quickly as it did for Cage The Elephant. Despite the fact that it was a weeknight and many people were likely coming to the show straight from work, Red Rocks was already nearly filled to the brim by the time that Girl Tones hit the stage around 7:30pm. Seats were packed all the way to the very top, just in time to watch the first opener, a power duo composed of sisters Kenzie and Laila Crowe, blew the roof off of the place (you know… if there was a roof to blow off). Despite the fact that they were just two people on a massive stage in front of a packed crowd, their massive sound made them sound larger than life.
Following Girl Tones was Willow Avalon, who frankly couldn’t sound more different than the act that she was set to follow, but in the best way possible. (This would prove to be the theme of the night.) The rich, emotionally captivating brand of country/folk was a breath of fresh air and perfectly suited for the historical and beautiful Red Rocks. Then, shaking things up even more was London-based singer/producer, Bakar, who delivered with silky-smooth vocals and chill vibes that put the crowd in the perfect mood for the final act to come. With his buzzing track, “Hell N Back” blowing up this year, Bakar’s performance at Red Rocks marked his first time in Colorado, and it certainly won’t be his last.
Finally, as the chilly late summer breeze rolled into the amphitheatre, Cage The Elephant took the stage, and unsurprisingly, their performance was as explosive as ever. Despite vocalist Matt Shultz breaking his foot early on in the tour, there seemed to be absolutely no slowing him down as he sped back and forth on stage on a scooter, even bragging to the crowd throughout the night that he had learned a few tricks throughout tour. Rather than taking it as a sign to take a breather and relax on stage, it only seemed to fuel his fire, making for a memorable performance that die-hard fans, even those who have seen the band numerous times, won’t soon forget.
The massive twenty-three song setlist was littered with old fan-favorites like “Cigarette Daydreams” and “Back Against The Wall” as well as a few new cuts from their latest album, Neon Pill. Meanwhile, the stage production simply added to the band’s already larger-than-life stage presence, complete with a huge lighting setup and even some pyro at a few perfectly-timed moments.
By the time the night came to an end, many fans (as well as Shultz) probably felt like they’d just run a marathon, but it was well worth it. Not only did Cage The Elephant prove yet again why they’re able to effortlessly pack a venue like Red Rocks, but they hopefully also introduced fans to a few new artists of wildly different genres.
