September 5th, El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles. Cage The Elephant and KROQ delivered what was, without question, the best concert I’ve seen all year. Being born too late to witness the true heyday of rock is something I’ve always felt. My parents, born in the late ’50s and ’60s, passed
down their record collection to me: AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin.

Dropping the needle on those albums and letting the room fill with their energy while flipping through the gatefolds of the record sleeve feels like a portal. But the live music scene today has changed. The edge, the grit of the 70’s rock scene is gone. That changed the moment I stepped into the El Rey Theatre.

Modern shows can feel sterile, big productions, pre-planned setlists, and a severe lack of chaos.

But this show, a semi-private warm-up before Cage opens for Oasis at the Rose Bowl, wasn’t that. It felt alive. It had the same grit that the gatefolds in my parents’ old rock vinyls showed. A packed house, about 500 of us, got to see them absolutely blow the roof off the El Rey as I stepped back into an era I had missed out on and was sure that it was gone.

Opening the night was Common People, a five-piece local band that is anything but small. Every track they played was brimming with energy. Their songwriting is tight, textured and developed with a live crowd in mind. They treated us like part of the band, a 6th member.

Flipping the mic toward us was a call to action. Stand tall, lend your voices, be a part of history. Nicky, the frontman, wearing a Grateful Dead pendant around his neck, a subtle but telling nod to the past, showed their inspiration. They’ve only got one song on streaming, but they’re building the old way, show by show, through word of mouth hype. It’s no wonder Brad Schultz has taken them under his wing.

When Cage The Elephant came out, the theatre lit up. They tore straight into Broken Boy, then Cry Baby, then Spiderhead, like a freight train they plowed on ahead. The setlist hit every major track — Ready To Let Go, Sabertooth Tiger, Back Against the Wall, Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked, Cigarette Daydreams plus many more. The crowd sang so loud at points that I couldn’t even hear Matt’s vocals anymore. It was beautiful chaos.

I saw them for the first time at Lollapalooza in 2016, and that was already one of the best sets I’d ever witnessed. But last night topped it. Matt and Brad’s chemistry was on full display. Brad ripped through guitar solos while Matt dropped to his knees and bowed to him. At one point, Matt pulled him in and kissed him, only for Brad to retaliate, soaking him, and half the front row with a water bottle.

In true rock fashion, Brad took his guitar, raised it over his head, and smashed it on stage. Driving it full force as the neck fractured. He raised it again, and slammed it. Splitters flew across the stage as he tossed it side stage. That’s the type of raw energy and chaos that’s missing from modern shows. Pete Townshend would be proud.

Midway through the night, Matt paused and took a well deserved breath. He shared how happy he was to be back on tour, how much it means to him, and how he recently became a father. He dedicated the night to his son. Said this is what he’s wanted to do since he was a kid, and that it’s all possible because of us. But honestly, I think we owe them just as much, maybe more. Cage The Elephant always gives everything they’ve got. And they’ve given us some of the most iconic rock music of this generation. Last night was proof that real rock isn’t dead.

Words and photography by David Saxum

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Cage The Elephant at The EL Rey Theatre in Los Angeles September 5, 2025 photo by David Saxum