Cage the Elephant performs at The Salt Shed in Chicago on Aug. 1, 2025.
By Nina Tadic
When you Google “what is Cage the Elephant”, the result is simple: a rock band formed in 2006 in Bowling Green, KY (thanks, Wikipedia). What a search engine cannot tell you though, is that Cage the Elephant is a rock band like no other. Cage the Elephant is a visceral experience – a fervid, white-hot fire of a band that can control a room like no other. That is exactly what they did Friday night at their Lollapalooza aftershow at Chicago’s Salt Shed.
Kicking off the late night was Common People, who played a short but sweet set to warm up the crowd as they trickled in. Following them up was rock band Girl Tones, a duet comprised of sisters Kenzie (vocals and guitar) and Laila (drums). These two, though new on the scene, beg for no one’s approval. They are firecrackers onstage, and every song demands the audience’s attention. By the end of their set, the crowd is absolutely buzzing for what they know will be one hell of a performance.
Girl Tones perform at The Salt Shed in Chicago on Aug. 1, 2025.
From the second they took the stage, Cage had the crowd wrapped around their fingers. Vocalist Matt Shultz takes the stage in black on black on black (and a white shirt underneath it all), and his brother, rhythm guitarist Brad Shultz, matches his casual cool style, as well. As soon as the music starts, these two are roman candles launching across the stage – arms up, shouting the words into the crowd, you name it, they’re doing it. Matt dances and moves like he’s at a disco bar, while Brad has all the charisma of one of the Beatles as he climbs right into the crowd, guitar and all. By the time they finish “Broken Boy” as their opener, the crowd is ballistic, yelling every single word, everyone’s hands in the air the entire time. In the meantime, Nick Bockrath holds it down on lead guitar and keys, tucked towards the back of the stage alongside drummer Jared Champion. Rhythm guitarist Matthan Minster and bassist Daniel Tichenor are all groove on their instruments, half-shrouded in smoke and completely mesmerizing the crowd from their places near stage right. During songs like “Spiderhead” Matt skyrockets above the stage doing his infamous jumps right into the air – while he does it, he doesn’t miss a single note.
The band’s set is stacked pretty heavy in favor of the die-hard fans – twenty-three songs long and an amazing mix of six albums (and a cover). Playing a whopping five tracks off of Melophobia, Social Cues, and Tell Me I’m Pretty, as well as a few each from Neon Pill, Self-Titled, and Thank You, Happy Birthday, Cage the Elephant knows their fans and knows them well.
“It’s so crazy being in Chicago – I have so many emotions happening. I think we really have a lot in common. They hurt like I hurt sometimes, you know? They love like I love, sometimes. They’re happy like I’m happy. That’s what I think about when I’m up here,” Matt says to the crowd, leading up to “Skin and Bones”.
Cage the Elephant performs at The Salt Shed in Chicago on Aug. 1, 2025.
Some of the band’s biggest hits are mixed in throughout their set – tracks like “Trouble” and “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” dead center of the night, while tracks like “Too Late to Say Goodbye” warmed the crowd up earlier on, and “Cigarette Daydreams” and “Come a Little Closer” wind down the night.
One very particular moment, though, and one that was also reflected during the band’s Lollapalooza set – was their choice to perform a Black Sabbath cover. After the recent passing of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, many artists have been paying tribute to him and his legacy either via posts on social media, statements at concerts, or in this same way, performing covers of his music. The choice [Cage made] to cover “Changes” towards the tail end of their set was something so full of genuine compassion and gratitude for Osbourne, and was absolutely beautiful.
All in all, it was a gorgeous concert with energy that felt like it came out of the barrel of a loaded gun – it was intense, lively, and absolutely insane. Cage the Elephant is one of the only bands that can play to a few thousand person crowd at midnight, and a Lollapalooza crowd at 6 PM, and carry the same insane, vibrant, punchy energy in both circumstances. This band is timeless, and their performances are always giving their fans everything and then some.
(Photos and review by Nina Tadic – follow Nina on Instagram at @ninatadiccreative)
