It’s been a long 6 months since Cage The Elephant paid San Francisco a visit, last touching down on Bay Area soil for an opening slot on Metallica’s “The Night Before” concert at AT&T Park back in February. Let’s just say that there was a slightly different demographic packed against the rail this past Thursday night for CTE’s headliner at the Bill Graham Civic.
Openers Sunflower Bean took the stage at 7 pm to the gathering crowd. The New York trio was tight and powerful, delivering a set that was clearly influenced by Zeppelin and the Doors while still feeling fresh. Bands like Sunflower Bean are the reason to get to shows early for the opener.
By the time Portugal. the Man took the stage, the floor of the Billy Graham was packed. Their generous hour-long set, the stage pumped with thick smoke, drew the mostly young (and mostly female) crowd out and had them singing along.
As the crew readied the stage for Cage the Elephant’s headlining set, it was clear who people had come to see. The energy was palpable as the band casually strolled onto the stage with a wave and broke into “Cry Baby,” the lead track from their December 2015 release, Tell Me I’m Pretty.
Frontman Matt Schultz flew back and forth across the stage, his feet hardly touching the ground. The guy has so much energy that the room could hardly take their eyes off of him, many in the front row not even noticing when guitarist Schultz hopped off the stage for some up-close-and-personal guitar work from the barricade.
The band’s endless energy coupled with the frantic lighting created a sense of urgency in the room which made the 90 minute set fly by all too fast. Only after wrapping the encore did Matt somewhat slow down as he passed out setlists and guitar picks to the crowd.
Cage The Elephant
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PORTUGAL. THE MAN
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man
SUNFLOWER BEAN
Sunflower Bean
Sunflower Bean
Sunflower Bean
Sunflower Bean
Sunflower Bean
Sunflower Bean
Sunflower Bean
Sunflower Bean
Sunflower Bean
Cage the Elephant Setlist:
Cry Baby
In One Ear
Spiderhead
Take It or Leave It
Aberdeen
Too Late to Say Goodbye
Cold Cold Cold
Trouble
Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked
Mess Around
Punchin’ Bag
Telescope
Back Against the Wall
It’s Just Forever
Come a Little Closer
Encore:
Cigarette Daydreams
Shake Me Down
Teeth
