Cage the Elephant Rock Out at 713 Music Hall in Houston

Indie-rock legends Cage the Elephant returned to Houston for their Fall 2025 Tour, an extension of their ‘Neon Pill’ tour, with support from Hey, Nothing and Girl Tones.

Cage the Elephant’s dynamic and high-energy show at the 713 Music Hall in Houston solidified their place as one of rock’s most riveting live performers. The setlist, a comprehensive presentation of songs spanning their decade-long career of energy and vividness, left the full house of patrons completely invigorated.

The show kicked off in high gear with the opening tracks “Broken Boy” and “Cry Baby,” which immediately energized the crowd. Frontman Matt Schultz was a flurry of bouncy energy, spending the entirety of the show feeding off the palpable energy of the audience. Along with the clear energy of the band, the production design only heightened the visual spectacle of Schultz’s athleticism and manic stage presence with a considerable amount of pyro and flames used throughout the night for tracks like “Spiderhead” and the singalong “Halo” + “Social Cues”.

While this spectacle might seem theatrical, the band included a handful of genuine moments during their set. Immediately preceding the first time performance of “Trouble,” brothers Matt and lead guitarist Brad Schultz shared a moment capturing the love between siblings, visibly appreciating each other on stage. Later, prior to the urgent performance of the slower “Telescope,” Matt Schultz paused to acknowledge the awesome audience, thanking them for “always connecting with the music.”

The band’s connection with their audience reached a fever pitch with “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked.” Brad Schultz came down from the stage to the main floor, and tried to start a mosh pit. Towards the end of the show, Brad finished out the evening with a charm of generosity by smashing a guitar on stage, after smashing it, he handed two pieces to a young girl and a fan in front of her before, immediately, handing a second unbroken guitar to a fan front and center. This moment was so genuine, showing how much the entire band cares about their true fans.

With a strong ending section that featured all three hits: “Shake Me Down,” “Cigarette Daydreams,” and the show closing “Come A Little Closer,” Cage the Elephant exhibited themselves to mix an outrageous performance with resonating connectivity. 

With a phenomenal closing sequence featuring “Shake Me Down,” “Cigarette Daydreams” and the raucous “Come a Little Closer,” Cage the Elephant has shown they are, still, purveyors of the indie scene. And although they just played The Woodlands in the area last year, playing an essentially similar setlist, this was arguably their best performance in Houston. The purview of 713 Music Hall, combined with what seemed like a noticeably higher level of mayhem from the band, helped elevate the show from a tour stop into a surreal and unforgettable example of what rock shows are all about.