A night of chaos, catharsis, and deep connection!
The night at Boeing Center at Tech Port buzzed with the kind of anticipation that only Cage The Elephant can summon — wild, unfiltered, and electrifying. Fans packed shoulder-to-shoulder, ready to lose themselves in the chaos. Hey, Nothing opened the evening with a dreamlike mix of indie shimmer and Midwest melancholy, laying down a calm before the storm. By the time the headliners took the stage, the air had shifted — a tangible pulse of adrenaline.
Frontman Matt Shultz, burning with energy, transformed the stage into a collision of performance art and pure instinct. Between blinding strobes, bursts of fire, and moments of vulnerability, San Antonio became part of the spectacle. It wasn’t just another tour stop — it was an exorcism disguised as a concert, equal parts noise, nostalgia, and release.
We’ve covered Cage The Elephant multiple times at several festivals this year, but finally having them play in our city hits differently. It feels personal. Of course, we couldn’t miss the chance to be there and bring you our full experience from this unforgettable night.
HEY, NOTHING
Opening the night, Hey, Nothing crafted an atmosphere of quiet sincerity and cinematic emotion. The Boston-based indie duo, known for their gentle fusion of folk storytelling and alt-pop textures, held the crowd in a soft spell. Their set unfolded like a road trip through memory — spacious, honest, and surprisingly intimate for a large venue.
They moved seamlessly through songs like “Black Bear” and “Maine,” capturing the ache of distance and the beauty of reflection with haunting harmonies and restrained instrumentation. The duo’s chemistry was effortless — you could feel the years of shared songwriting between them in every glance and lyric. By the time they reached “The Sink” and their closer “Hitchhiking,” the crowd had shifted from polite listening to full engagement, swaying and cheering in the warmth of connection.
Hey, Nothing didn’t just open the show — they built an emotional foundation. Their quiet sincerity set the perfect contrast to the chaos that would follow, reminding everyone that vulnerability and volume often speak the same truth.
CAGE THE ELEPHANT
When Cage The Elephant hit the stage, the energy snapped like a live wire. Flames erupted during the opener “Broken Boy,” casting the band in flickers of red and gold as the crowd roared to life. Matt Shultz — possessed, and poetic — commanded the stage with a mix of theatrical chaos and emotional transparency that few frontmen can balance.
The band ripped through “Cry Baby,” “Spiderhead,” and the psychedelic swirl of “Neon Pill,” each track building on the next until the entire room felt like it might combust. Brad Shultz’s guitar work slashed through the air with raw precision, while Daniel Tichenor’s bass and Jared Champion’s drumming anchored the frenzy in rhythm and control.
When the unmistakable riff of “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” hit, the audience turned into one massive sing-along, bodies moving in sync with every lyric. Then came the gut-punch of “Shake Me Down” and the nostalgic tenderness of “Cigarette Daydreams,” before the band closed with “Come A Little Closer.”
It wasn’t just a performance — it was combustion, catharsis, and communion all at once. Shultz collapsed to his knees mid-song, drenched in sweat and sincerity, while the crowd screamed back every word like scripture.
From Kentucky To Chaos!
Formed in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Cage The Elephant began as a group of small-town dreamers with a taste for grit, garage rock, and poetic rebellion. Brothers Matt and Brad Shultz, alongside Daniel Tichenor, Jared Champion, and later Nick Bockrath and Matthan Minster, carved their identity through raw energy and fearless experimentation.
Their breakout hit, “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked,” catapulted them into the alt-rock spotlight, but it was their evolution — blending emotional honesty with chaos — that made them indispensable. From the raucous anthems of Thank You, Happy Birthday to the introspective depth of Social Cues, the band has mastered the balance between fire and feeling.
Cage The Elephant isn’t just a rock band; they’re a mirror — reflecting the unfiltered highs and lows of being human, one eruption at a time.
By the end of the night, the Boeing Center was vibrating — not just from the decibels, but from shared emotion. Fans staggered out grinning, dazed, some even teary, as if they’d witnessed more than a concert — a cathartic ritual wrapped in guitar riffs and stage smoke.
Cage The Elephant reminded San Antonio why live music still matters: because it’s messy, unpredictable, and alive. Hey, Nothing provided the grace, and Cage The Elephant brought the fire — a perfect equilibrium of heart and chaos.
As the lights dimmed and the echoes of “Come A Little Closer” faded into the night, one thing was clear: in a world obsessed with perfection, Cage The Elephant still thrives on imperfection — and that’s exactly what makes them unforgettable.
CAGE THE ELEPHANT – San Antonio, TX, – 10/04/2025
- Broken Boy
- Cry Baby
- Spiderhead
- Too Late to Say Goodbye
- Good Time
- Cold Cold Cold
- Ready to Let Go
- Neon Pill
- Social Cues
- Halo
- Mess Around
- Trouble
- Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked
- Skin & Bones
- Telescope
- House of Glass
- Sabertooth Tiger
- Back Against the Wall
- Shake Me Down
- Cigarette Daydreams
- Come a Little Closer
