Cage the Elephant
The first time I saw Cage The Elephant perform (in 2014), I finally understood and found the relationship to music that I had always longed for. Since then, every single show still lights up my soul. I can't wait to be with the magic once again this Sunday at The Anthem in DC!
note: there’s more to read here - please scroll down if you’re interested!
above: a collage I made of all my fav shots from shows I attended over the years!
A note to the reader: I am an individual with neurodivergence and PTSD. These diagnoses and my lived experiences are a large part of the lens through which I see the world. I lead with this because I want you to know I totally understand that some people may read this and feel deeply confused. I don’t mean to confuse you! This writing is authentic and written with love and a desire to share/connect and appreciate art with others. I appreciate you reading it.
My first time seeing CTE perform live was the second concert I had ever attended & I ended up there mainly by coincidence. My friend had kindly invited me to go see The Black Keys - I wasn’t really familiar with their music, so I was nervous, but I went!
I didn't even know about “opening acts” at that time, so it wasn’t until getting into her car and looking at the ticket as she handed it to me that I realized Cage The Elephant would be there (!!!!!!!).
We had nosebleed seats, which I thought would make me feel distanced from the music, but the second Cage started their set, I was LIT UP. To add more context, I don’t mean lit in the way you might think - I was stone cold sober.
I had an absolutely magical out-of-body experience kind of vibe going the whole time as I soaked up the insanely beautiful cacophony of sound and watched Matt Shultz FLY around that stage like a bouncy ball. (and yes, I meant to use the word cacophony, but I don’t mean it as something bad and I can’t find another word to capture what I mean…just that blend of feeling everything and every sound and the power and the ferocity, the EVERYTHINGNESS of it all)
I’ve felt the same way at EVERY Cage The Elephant concert since then.
if you’d like to read more about what Cage the Elephant REALLY means to me, please stay tuned! I am working on a longer post and will attach it here and post it on all my socials once it is complete.
Thank you!
P.S. I felt it necessary to separate this post because it explores my relationship with music as a whole. This story’s central figures are Cage The Elephant & Ariana Grande ♡
