09/14/24
Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, MO
Cage the Elephant brought their Neon Pill tour to Kansas City, along with Young the Giant, Bakar, and Willow Avalon. The evening featured a vibrant mix of genres, creating an atmosphere for all types of music lovers. By the night’s end, I felt completely energized and satisfied, as if every corner of the music world had been explored all over again.
Once Willow Avalon took the stage, I noticed the floral designs wrapped around the mics. Her act consists of white lights and some fog machines. She played songs like “Tequila or Whisky” and “Gettin’ Rich, Goin’ Broke.” The way she sang the words ‘tequila and whisky’ was fascinating. Her vocal range soared and dipped, catching my attention instantly. Each note carried a harmony that made those words linger in the air, leaving a lasting impression on the crowd. “Gettin’ Rich, Goin’ Broke” was a song that spoke to me the most because the lyrics I related to them “The more they take, the more there ain’t no pennies in the piggy left for me. Every dollar that I make finds its way back home to my family”. During “Yodelayheehoo” Her yodeling flowed effortlessly, coming as naturally as breathing. Her voice had a natural, clean quality that made it clear she was completely in her element. Finally ending her set with “Homewrecker” and telling the crowd to sing along when she pointed to them. This first time seeing her perform left me wanting to hear more upcoming songs, and I cannot wait to hear more from her.
The stage light settled on Bakar as the fog slowly emerged all around him; Bakar was in his own flow state, putting the crowd in a trance with his voice and the beat to the uniqueness of his indie rock style. My first time seeing Bakar perform live, I found his uplifting attitude during his performance, trying to get feedback from the crowd and asking, “Are you guys still with me,” I love it when artists interact with the crowd during their set. He did this at least once during each song, bringing the audience’s attention to the artist. At the beginning of “Small Town Girl” he dedicated it “to all the small town girls out there!” He performed with his eyes closed throughout the whole song as if he were in a meditative state of his own. The last song of his set was “Hell N Back”. I heard this song on TikTok when it hit the airwaves back in 2020. Once the music started, everyone got on their feet, singing along and dancing; finishing his set off to rapturous applause.
Sameer Gadhia, lead singer of Young the Giant, did not disappoint with his dynamic energy. As they took the stage, the lights lit up and shined upon the venue. A couple broke out into synchronized movement during the first song, “Jungle Youth” The band’s energy gave off a contagious feeling of euphoria as they rolled into their hit song “Cough Syrup”. The vocals were powerful, crisp, and clear throughout the entire performance. Sameer took a minute to talk to the crowd, giving a very affirming speech about forging out who you are and being yourself in life, just as the band did.
What caught my eye during the song ”Tightrope” was an appealing transition of the beat and lights. The first song had a blue light effect and a mellow beat to it. It transitioned into the song “Silvertongue,” a groovy beat with him cranking up the energy, jumping on stage with yellow lights beaming down on the stage, which you could only experience live. Young The Giant closed the show off with their song ”My Body,” giving the crowd a resonating night to remember.
It finally came to the main act of the night, Cage the Elephant. Being able to see them for the first time took me back to my teen years, listening to “‘Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked,” “Cigarette Daydreams” and “Shake Me Down” echoed in my mind, transporting me back to simpler days. Each track played on repeat, offering a profound sense of release and nostalgia that defined my teenage years. As they took the stage, lead singer Matt Shultz rolled out in a scooter with a brace on his leg. A couple of weeks ago, he broke his foot during a show. I couldn’t believe he was still touring like that. The lights turned orange and they kicked off into “Broken Boy” as the beat dropped, fire shot up from the stage, and the crowd was thrilled.
Guitarist Brad Shultz entered the crowd, standing on one of the seats, cranking out a guitar solo. Lights flashed across the crowd, illuminating the venue during every pause in their songs, creating a radiant atmosphere that heightened the anticipation of the crowd. With their new song, “Neon Pill,” the stage lit up with a neon laser light show. During “Telescope,” the lights flashed on and off, twinkling like stars in the sky. A fan brought out a beach ball and passed it around. Matt Shultz made a few comments on his leg being broken and talking about the hiatus they had, as well as their new album. Their encore included my personal favorite three songs, “Shake Me Down”, “Cigarette Daydreams”, and “Come a Little Closer”, A legendary performance from one of my favorite bands.
