Pop Break Live: Cage the Elephant ‘Neon Pill’ Tour at Madison Square Garden on Thursday September 5, 2024
Words and Photos by Jenna Murray
On Thursday, September 5th, the elephant was truly in the room.
Cage the Elephant took center stage at Madison Square Garden for their first headlining show on the Neon Pill Tour, and despite a scooter in the spotlight, they did not disappoint.
Earlier in the tour, frontman Matt Shultz broke his foot, but even that couldn’t dim his magnetic energy. Rolling onto the stage, Shultz carried such charisma that the scooter seemed to disappear, leaving only his electrifying presence. At one point, he even drew the crowd’s attention to it, showing off “cool tricks” like popping a wheelie, making it part of the show.
The band kicked things off with the gritty, pulse-pounding “Broken Boy,” as fiery pyrotechnics and lights set the night ablaze. Seamlessly, they wove through an exceptional setlist, pulling from each album like threads of a tapestry, blending the old with the new. Their chemistry was palpable, each member perfectly in sync, clearly having as much fun as the crowd.
They ended the night on a high, delivering a four-song encore that began with the tour debut of “Back Against the Wall,” followed by fan favorites “Shake Me Down,” “Cigarette Daydreams,” and closing with the soaring “Come a Little Closer.”
In the end, it wasn’t just a night for Cage the Elephant—it was a defining moment for rock ‘n’ roll.
