Even if you’re not a Cage the Elephant fan, you’ve probably heard their songs “Cigarette Daydreams” and “Come a Little Closer” at least once in the past couple of years. These songs are amazing, and just barely scrape the surface of their discography. I’ve been a fan of the band for a few years now, finding them in early high school. When I saw they would be playing in Atlantic City this past October, I knew I had to get tickets.Â
I was able to get the tickets this summer, and convinced my two best friends to come with me, even though they weren’t as familiar with the band. Even though we didn’t know every song by heart, it was such a fun experience. The concert was in Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort, and the venue was amazing. We got dinner beforehand at LaScala’s Fire in the casino, and it was the perfect pre-concert dinner. The kitchen was quick, the menu was large, and the food was delicious. After dinner, we made our way into Ovation Hall. It was an easy process to get in and find our seats. We were seated on the upper level; the bottom level was purely general admission, and with us all being relatively petite, we wanted to be able to see the concert, not just people’s backs.Â
The band had two opening acts: Vlad Holiday and hey, nothing. The first, Vlad Holiday had a more chill, melancholy discography that was perfect for the pre-show atmosphere. At this point, everyone was just hanging out, taking pictures, and ordering drinks from the bar conveniently located in the middle of the general admission floor. We took the opportunity to take a few pictures, chat, and get water bottles from the bar. If you’re a fan of sombr or Arctic Monkeys, I would definitely recommend checking out his music.
The second opener was a duo named hey, nothing from Atlanta. Their discography was more upbeat, and they began to bring more energy to the crowd to prepare for Cage the Elephant. Their set was completely unknown to my friends and I, and we really enjoyed their music. Their music is perfect for fans of The 502s (they’ve been featured on a song!) and Noah Kahan. Finally, Cage the Elephant came on stage at 10 p.m. The crowd was humming with energy and ready for their set when they burst out from backstage. The energy was electric, and they went through their set without talking much between the songs, but the transitions between songs were amazing. Their drummer and bassist were extremely talented, and held down the songs throughout the concert. The lead singer, Matt Schultz, brought so much energy to the stage and engaged the crowd during every song. We were shocked that the concert had gone by so fast when the band left before the encore. The encore had the entire hall singing as loud as possible, and the lighting effects added to the atmosphere to make the concert that much more interactive and engaging. The band not only played a bunch of songs from their newest album Neon Pill, but also brought back songs from years ago and were great entertainers during the entire concert. If you’re a fan of Tame Impala, Portugal, The Man, or Kings of Leon, and haven’t given their music a listen, I sincerely recommend you do!