Beck, Cage The Elephant thrill crowd at SPAC
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> After Night Running their way from the West Coast, Beck and Cage The Elephant gave Saratoga Springs fans a Monday night show they won’t soon forget.
The Night Running Tour, also featuring opening acts Spoon and Sunflower Bean, stopped through the Spa City this week for a concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
Thousands of eventgoers flocked to the summertime venue to see the four bands, who each gave a memorable performance.
New York City-based rockers Sunflower Bean, lead by frontwoman Julia Cumming, took the stage first for a high-energy 20-minute set as the amphitheatre filled with people.
Next Spoon took the spotlight, sharing with the audience a string of alt-radio hits such as “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb,” “Don’t You Evah,” “Rent I Pay,” “Hot Thoughts,” “The Way We Get By” and “The Underdog.” Spoon’s set certainly got the crowd warmed up for the dance party ahead with the tour’s co-headliners.
Cage The Elephant, specifically frontman Matt Shultz, knows how to make an entrance. As pyrotechnics blazed across the stage, Shultz strutted out in a crazy costume that included a straw hat, an oversized gray suit, a golden facemask with white mesh underneath and a long red felt ball necklace. Throughout the band’s performance, Shultz shed layers of his outfit revealing even more mind boggling garments.
Fashion sense aside, Shultz got all onlookers’ attention with his theatrical rockstar stage presence and, of course, the music. From 2008 hit “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” to more recent tunes like “Cigarette Daydreams,” “Trouble” and “Cold Cold Cold,” Shultz and the band kept the crowd engaged. Cage The Elephant also played a few songs off its latest album Social Cues, released in April including single “Ready to Let Go” and title track “Social Cues.”
With a 30-year career’s worth of musical material to choose from, Beck started his set with his first breakthrough single “Loser” off of his 1994 album Mellow Gold, then bounced around playing favorites from throughout the years like “Devils Haircut,” “Dreams,” “Girl,” “Up All Night” “Qué Onda Guero” and “Wow.”
“Saw Lightning,” the only single so far from Beck’s forthcoming album Hyperspace, was also included in the set.
Highlights of the evening were hearing Beck’s “Where It’s At” and “EPro” - two great singalongs - live, but by far the most special moment of the evening was when Cage The Elephant members joined on stage with Beck to play “Night Running,” a reggaestyle song they collaborated on for Social Cues.
Beck and Shultz looked like best buds as they danced and delivered the lyrics to this unique tune in front of the SPAC crowd, a sight that showgoers will fondly treasure as part of an outstanding concert experience.