Pop Break Live: Beck and Cage the Elephant with Spoon at PNC Bank Arts Center — Holmdel, NJ
Words by Ryan DeMarco | Photos by Alfred Mannarino
With summer dwindling down to its final few weeks it can be hard to find events worthwhile of our limited time.
This was not the case last Tuesday night for the thousands in attendance at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey who were treated to a late summer blast as a triple threat of joy and wonder graced the stage. It was a truly remarkable night of music took place as Austin indie rockers Spoon, alt rock heavyweights Cage the Elephant and the iconic Grammy Award man known as Beck brought their Night Running Tour to the Garden State.
Playing a short but strong opening set, Spoon dazzled fans as the sun began to set showcasing classics like “The Underdog,” “Do You,” and “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” while displaying the new “No Bullets Spent.” Vocalist Britt Daniel sounded fresh and sharp as ever leaving the arena craving more which was surely in store.
Spoon Setlist:
Do I Have to Talk You Into It
The Way We Get By
My Mathematical Mind
No Bullets Spent
The Underdog
Isolation
Inside Out
You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
I Turn My Camera On
Don’t you Evah
Do You
Rent I Pay
Displaying a truly boundless, unhinged energy Matt Shultz of Cage the Elephant owned a stage filled fire pits, stairs and endless hats. Shultz and company make it their mission to not just casually play hits like “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” or “Mess Around” but to elevate each song to the next level. From flamboyantly strutting from each side of the stage to jumping into the crowd like old school garage rock band, Cage blasted through their early hits to selections from their latest album Social Cues which debuted earlier this year. Cage is a band you must see at least once in your life.
Cage the Elephant Setlist:
Broken Boy
Cry Baby
Spiderhead
Too Late to Say Goodbye
Cold Cold Cold
Ready to Let Go
Social Cues
Tokyo Smoke
Mess Around
Trouble
Skin and Bones
Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked
It’s Just Forever
Telescope
House of Glass
Come a Little Closer
Shake Me Down
Teeth
Rounding out the night was Beck who arrived cool as ever mounted atop of a mirror set stage. The artist grooved his way into everyone’s ears with his sweet nothings and beck-isms that only he can do (we’re still wondering how you shave your face with mace in the dark). You either get it or you don’t and everyone in attendance not only got it, but was ready for everything offered. Starting out his set with “Loser,” “Up All Night,” and “Girl” accompanied with a laser light show. Fans were treated with hit after hit with a dapper-looking Beck successfully killing the headlights and put it in neutral.
As the show wound down Beck encored bringing Shultz back out as they covered their new hit “Night Running” which is bound to make you swoon in your seat and groove to the beat. Yes it was 90 whole minutes of listening to Beck we successfully got brainwashed into talking sentences that made no sense.
Beck Setlist:
Loser
Up All Night
Girl
Que Onda Guero
Mixed Bizness
Debra
Wow
Saw Lightning
Dreams
Devils Haircut
Go It Alone
The New Pollution
Dear Life
Everyone’s Got to Learn Sometime
Lost Cause
E-Pro
Encore:
Where It’s At
One Foot in the Grave
It was a night of pure bliss. And in the time of chimpanzees we were a monkey.
