Cage the Elephant Rolls Into Charlotte (on a Scooter)

Energetic frontman Matt Shultz is known for jumping and dancing around throughout a Cage the Elephant concert. He rarely stands still and his constant motion adds to his charisma and stage presence. So, it was a bit of a surprise (in some ways) to see Shultz roll out onto the PNC Music Pavilion stage on Sunday using a knee scooter.

Though a chair sat behind the main microphone stand, it didn’t take long for Shultz to move it out of the way and get to singing and “dancing” the best he could with one leg cocked up on the scooter. It took three songs before he addressed the rolling, um, elephant in the room.

Apparently, Shultz broke his foot, but he let the crowd know it wouldn’t hold him back — and it didn’t. Shultz moved his way around the stage, popped the occasional wheelie and did the best he could throughout the band’s 90-minute set.

“Wouldn’t it be fun to see the guy with a broken foot stage dive or hang from the rafters?” Shultz asked before starting the encore with “Shake Me Down.” He remained on stage throughout the show, however, his brother, guitarist Brad Shultz, found time to crowd surf with his guitar late in the set.

As evidenced by the Rage Against the Machine show in Raleigh two years ago, which featured a seated Zach de la Rocha for the entirety of the show due to a leg injury, it’s tough to keep a good singer down. For nearly two dozen songs, Cage the Elephant proved their still one of the most dynamic acts on stage these days.

The current, err, leg of Cage the Elephant’s tour includes three opening acts. Vlad Holiday kicked off the show followed by Bakar, who has found mild success with the TikTok crowd along with some movie/TV spots for his catchy song, “Hell N Back.”

Young the Giant played a hits-heavy set before Cage took the stage. YTG singer Sameer Gadhia noted that the band had no plans to tour this year until Cage asked them to hit the road with them, and it appears the band will be along for the ride at least through mid-September.

Cage the Elephant setlist
Broken Boy
Cry Baby
Spiderhead
Too Late to Say Goodbye
Good Time
Cold Cold Cold
Ready to Let Go
Neon Pill
Social Cues
Halo
Mess Around
Trouble
Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked
Skin and Bones
Rainbow
Telescope
Tokyo Smoke
House of Glass

Encore
Shake Me Down
Cigarette Daydreams
Come a Little Closer

Be sure to check out Queen City Nerve’s Soundwave, Charlotte’s most comprehensive live music listing, so you don’t miss out on any shows or concerts coming up. And hell, if you’re looking for something else to do, you can check out our events page as well, which runs the gamut of things to do in Charlotte. You don’t ever have to be bored again. You can check out more of Jeff’s pics and live reviews here.