After a two week break, Cage The Elephant’s Neon Pill Tour resumed at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre for an incredible night of indie rock. With Young The Giant as direct support and Bakar and Girl Tones as special guests, fans were treated to a lineup of electrifying performances.
Girl Tones opened the night with their fresh, energetic performance. With little to no online presence, nor any songs on Spotify, the audience had little to go off of for what to expect from the openers, who were tacked onto the tour rather last minute. Any band could have had trouble warming up the crowd given those factors, but the duo quickly won over new fans with their powerful vocals and tight instrumentation. Girl Tones is a promising artist with great potential in the genre, and their short opening set surely left an impression on the early concertgoers.
Next up was Bakar, whose unique fusion of indie rock and hip hop elements brought an edgy vibe to the night. Bakar's charismatic stage presence and distinctive voice immediately captivated the audience and kept the momentum from Girl Tones going. Opening with his hit "All In," he set a high bar for the rest of his set. Fans got to hear a brief cover of Dominic Fike’s “3 Nights,” which worked perfectly with Bakar’s voice. Bakar got the crowd singing and dancing along all the way through to the last song of his set, “Hell N Back.” As a single performer on stage with less going on visually compared to a full band, it takes immense musical talent to keep a crowd engaged, and that’s exactly what Bakar was able to do.
Young The Giant took the stage next and elevated the energy to another level. The band's setlist was a well curated mix of old favorites and new material, kicking off with “Jungle Youth” and flowing into anthemic “The Walk Home." Frontman Sameer Gadhia’s smooth vocals and the expert musicianship from his bandmates created a top tier live music experience. Having headlined across the US just last summer, Young The Giant took this opportunity to play deep cuts and throwbacks they don’t play very often, and fans couldn’t get enough. Young The Giant’s ability to connect with the audience, through both their music and their engaging stage presence, made their set a cinematic experience.
Finally, Cage The Elephant stormed the stage, and the atmosphere reached a high that was maintained for the rest of the night. Known for their energetic, engaging performances and distinctive sound, Cage The Elephant delivered a show that was both visually and sonically spectacular. Opening with "Broken Boy” and perfectly timed pyrotechnics, they immediately had the crowd in the palm of their hand. Although this was the tour for their album, Neon Pill, released just three months ago, the setlist was a thrilling journey through their discography, with each of their albums being represented by at least one song. Fans old and new all had something they could sing their hearts out to. Frontman Matt Shultz held to his standard as he jumped across the stage with explosive energy, despite a broken foot, and on multiple occasions, guitarist Brad Shultz got up close and personal at the barricade, keeping it exciting for the die hard fans. Cage The Elephant’s performance was truly a remarkable experience, serving as a testament to their standing in the indie rock genre.
The second half of the Neon Pill Tour continues through mid-September, stopping in cities in the Midwest, Northeast, and Canada, and ending in Denver, CO. This is a tour you don’t want to miss, so be sure to grab tickets to the closest city to you.
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