Cage The Elephant and Young The Giant – in Holmdel, NJ, 8/24/24

I would see this lineup a thousand times over again if I could!

Review and Photo by Emily “Emol” McCormack – 

 

I listen to a lot of music (like… a lot). A question that is often asked of music enthusiasts is “what is your favorite song?” What a daunting question that is! Luckily, I have landed on an answer years ago that remains true to this day: “Cold Cold Cold” by Cage the Elephant. 

The moment the “Neon Pill” tour was announced, I knew I had to be there. If Cage the Elephant alone wasn’t enough to convince me, seeing that Young the Giant are on the roster? Come on! It can’t get better than this. 

The weather was certainly on our side for the outdoor venue of PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ – Which was incredibly fortunate for fans considering outdoor shows were canceled left and right earlier in the month due to downpour after downpour. 

Taking the stage first was Willow Avalon, who is gorgeous both in appearance and in voice. While the set was a little more “twangy” than my typical taste in music, I was won over by the band’s talent. Her bio on Spotify is “Southern belle raising Hell” which made me giggle!

When she explained the backstory to her song “Homewrecker,” my jaw dropped to the floor… Someone online said this is the other side of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” which, if you think about the lyrics, makes perfect sense. I would like to think the stories exist in the same universe. 

 

The second opener of the night was Bakar, a solo artist from the UK. His 2019 single “Hell N Back” became widely known in the past few years.

The only downside to his set was that I wish there was more to it. As an opener, I suppose there isn’t too much room to decorate the stage, and being a solo performer he couldn’t fill the space with a band. The PNC stage felt a bit large when there was just one person at the front and center… but Bakar made the most out of it, smiling the whole time. 

 

For some foreshadowing, the frontman of Cage the Elephant Matt Shultz typically runs into the audience towards the end of his set. Sometime during the tour, Shultz broke his foot and rolled around on a scooter for his show! I would like to believe somewhere backstage he and Bakar made a deal – Because to my surprise, Bakar spent the final song of his set running throughout the venue, getting close to fans who were sat far, far away from the stage. He made sure that the back of the audience got some love! He wanted to show appreciation for everyone who showed up early. 

Which – side rant – is an interesting concept. I have heard plenty of opening bands thank audiences for “showing up early” to the show to see them. I consider myself late whenever I get to a show after the opening band! Not on time… Let’s show up for the openers! Alright, back on track. 

Young The Giant is a household name. I had the pleasure of seeing them on tour in 2023 with Milky Chance and Talk (another incredible lineup) and fell in love with the presence of frontman Sameer Gadhia. Expecting the same this time around, the band did not disappoint. 

Hearing their music live was a life-changing experience, to say the least. I love listening to their studio recordings day-to-day, but there is something magical about seeing Young The Giant live. There is such beauty in their sound that appears almost effortless on stage. 

Also, their bassist Payam Doostzadeh just seems so incredibly cool. Look at those shades! I want to give off the same vibe as him one day.

2024 marks the tenth anniversary of their album Mind Over Matter (2014), an album that placed the band on the alt-rock charts. I may or may not have cried when they performed the title track… 

Though I loved every song, standout tracks for me were the opener “Jungle Youth” from Home of the Strange (2016) and “Dollar $tore” from their latest (new) album American Bollywood from 2022. And of course, they finished their set strong with their 2010 hit “My Body” from their self-titled album. 

 

 

And now… for the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Cage The Elephant. 

As I mentioned before, Matt Shultz broke his foot and was stuck using a scooter for the majority of the tour… which made their opener “Broken Boy” equal parts hilarious and fitting. This was, and still remains, one of my favorite tracks for their 2019 album Social Cues.

While Matt rolled back and forth center stage, guitarist Brad Shultz made a lot of edge-of-the-stage appearances. Every time I was standing in the aisle when he moved closer, it was incredible hearing the fans scream with excitement. 

 

“Cold Cold Cold” has and always will hold a special place in my heart. It is, by far, not only my favorite song of their discography but my go-to favorite song of all time. 

I had the opportunity to photograph the band for the first five songs of their set, and ran to my seat during this song… It was honestly incredible running through the venue seeing the faces of the fans light up as they played the first notes of the song.

They touched on all the hits like “Spiderhead,” “Trouble,” “Mess Around,” and “Telescope.” 

From their latest album Neon Pill (2024), they of course performed their single “Rainbow,” “Good Time” and the iconic title track. 

 

 

The highlight of the setlist was their performance of hit “In One Ear,” a song that I only realized later they haven’t played in six years! I suppose I heard the song so often I didn’t even realize at first how big this was.

As we approach the encore, I will say I was shocked to see that “Teeth” was not on their setlist. The Melophobia (2013) track was the final song of both of their sets the past two times

PNC Bank Arts center has a curfew of 11 p.m… and the band approached the end of their set just a few minutes before the cutoff, Shultz said he didn’t care and he would pay for going overtime… with this in mind, they continued onto their encore.

The band arguably saved best for last by finishing off their set with “Shake Me Down,” “Cigarette Daydreams,” and “Come A Little Closer” – All coming to a close at 10:56 p.m. (All part of the plan!)

If nothing else tells you how much I loved this show – I jumped at the opportunity to see the performance all over again a few weeks later at Madison Square Garden in NYC (My hundredth overall concert!)… And I would see this lineup a thousand times over again if I could!

Cage the Elephant will open for none other than Oasis’ reunion tour in 2025! The “Oasis Live ‘25” tour will make a stop at Jersey’s own MetLife Stadium on August 31, 2025. Check out more tour dates here!