1. All three Cage the Elephant discs were represented in the set’s ferocious opening song trio: “Spiderhead” (Melophobia), “In One Ear” (self-titled) and “Aberdeen” (Thank You, Happy Birthday).
2. This was a more mature Cage than when the band opened for The Black Keys at the Cosmo in 2011, when frontman Matthew Shultz crowd-surfed the length of the venue and back to the stage. This less-frenetic set was more crisp and impressive, establishing the band as a genuine rock headliner.
3. Still, the music was often overshadowed by a distracting lighting scheme, as if the tech team had never used a fog machine or light board before.
4. The new Chelsea feels like a legit concert venue, but the floor shakes so much sometimes, if you’re sitting in the stands it can feel like you are on a Disney ride.
5. Cage closed the show, but Grouplove could have headlined, too, with a sound that blends pop (“Tongue Tied”) with hip-hop (“Bitin’ the Bullet”) and utilizes male-female vocal interplay more effectively than most other bands out there.
