by Nate Wind

Last night (5/17) Cage the Elephant, Portugal. The Man, and Broncho played Central Park’s SummerStage for the second night in a row. Although it was a gloomy day, that didn’t stop fans from packing out the show.

As the crowd poured through the doors, Broncho opened the show with a brilliant set that could be heard from well outside the venue.

Portugal. The Man were on second and direct support on the bill. From the moment a masked hype-man entered the stage, I knew this was going to be an interesting set. I can’t say I’ve ever seen a rock band have a hype-man, but it definitely worked for Portugal. The Man. Having never seen this band live, I didn’t know what to expect, but they lit up the chilly New York air and had a great time doing it.

And then it was time for Cage the Elephant. I usually have a million things to say for each performance I see, but Cage truly left me speechless. I don’t think it’s possible to put the pure energy and excitement that comes with a Cage the Elephant show into words. But I’ll do my best. When they entered the stage, the crowd from the barricade in the front to the bleachers to the back, collectively went absolutely nuts. The energy peaked almost immediately and stayed at that level until well after the last note was played. Cage’s frontman, Matt Shultz, seemed to be bursting out of his skin with excitement as he ran and jumped back and forth across the stage while belting his lyrics.

This set was incredible from start to finish. If you ever have the chance to see Cage the Elephant live, just do it. Whether you know their music already or not, seeing Cage live is more than just listening to a band play their songs; it’s an unforgettable adventure that you have to experience to truly understand.

All Photos by Nate Wind