Cage the Elephant Delivers a Chaotic & Cathartic Performance in Minneapolis
I don’t even know where to begin with the feeling experienced at the Cage the Elephant show on October 16th in Minneapolis. Cage the Elephant has been a band that has been on my playlists and top 10 tracks for years, so being able to see them for the first and second time this year has been crazy and so special. This show was without a doubt my favorite of the year and one I will not be forgetting anytime soon.
I saw Cage the Elephant for the first time at Lollapalooza just this year after being a fan since 2015 when they released Tell Me I’m Pretty. I made a goal for myself that I needed to capture the energy and chaos of one of their shows, not knowing that they would be coming to Minneapolis in the following months. It’s shows like this where I’m reminded why I love to do what I do. They kicked off their set with “Broken Boy” from Social Cues (2019), “Cry Baby” from Tell Me I’m Pretty (2015), and “Spiderhead” from Melophobia (2013). Around the middle of their set, lead singer Matt Schultz took a minute to extend gratitude for the fans who have continued to make space in their lives for Cage the Elephant’s music. He said that if they weren’t standing on stage doing what they’re doing then he’d probably be friends with everyone in the room, like friends that hang out regularly. While I’ve heard artist say something along these lines before, I truly believed that Schultz meant in entirely. He also found solace in knowing that everyone in the room is probably “A little fucked up, just like me”. His words about finding solace and love in love, let into their song “Trouble” from Melophobia.
At the Minneapolis show, Vlad Holiday and Hey Nothing opened for Cage and delivered exactly what I needed them to. I’ve been a fan of Vlad Holiday since 2018 when he dropped his single “Like in the Movies” which has continue to be one of my favorite songs ever since. His stage presence was calm, cool, and collected and he got a fair amount of interaction from the crowd which I always appreciate seeing. Hey, Nothing was the second support artist and has been consistently opening throughout the tour with Cage the Elephant. While their a band I’ve heard many times on countless folk-indie playlists featuring “i haunt ur dreams” and “Too Drunk to Drive”, they really got me hooked when I saw their set at Lollapalooza 2025 and they played their single “Maine” released in 2015. The single reflects on their trip to Maine that was full of reflection and the feeling of home in a place that’s unfamiliar/new. After “Maine”, their set picked up and became filled with goofy conversations, dancing, energetic crowd participation.
Overall, this is a show I’m going to be thinking/talking about for a while after. Theres about 9 stops left on Cage the Elephant’s current tour - so if you’re in one of those nine cities, I’d highly recommend getting tickets to this show.