Cage the Elephant, Brogan Kelby @ The Complex 07.08

Show Reviews


Kentucky rock band Cage the Elephant stopped in Salt Lake City on their tour for the release of their fourth studio album, Tell Me I’m Pretty, with the Salt Lake City suburbia–reared rocker Brogan Kelby and his supporting musicians.

The Complex filled in with crowds of teens and ’80s kids eager to hear “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked.” The summer heat of the evening made the lines to the water fountain long, and at the front of the house, people stuck together, mashed into the metal barricades.

Powering through the heat, fans cheered for Brogan Kelby and his band members as they played a mixture of indie pop and garage rock, sounding like the stepchild of Maroon 5 and OK Go. The Utah-raised musician captivated the audience as fans enjoyed the music and gestured to stage security for water.

After a short set change, the crowd was packed to the brim as one after another, the members of Cage the Elephant took the stage. Bassist Daniel Tichenor, drummer Jared Champion, Brad Shultz and newest member Matthan Minster took their positions, instruments in hand, as lead singer Matt Shultz grabbed the mic and stared the audience down as if to say, “Are you ready?”

Without hesitation, the guitars strummed up as the drums kicked into a familiar tune that had the fans screaming from the get-go. Moving nonstop as they played song after song at an energy level dialed to 11, multiple members of the band took to climbing the speakers, leaning into the crowd and finishing off with a lunging crowd surf by Matt Shultz.

With a lengthy set list and much-appreciated audience interaction, all audience members were dripping with sweat, their own or otherwise, and not a single fan had a second thought about staying for the loud, wet and amazing encore.