Matt Shultz, frontman for Cage The Elephant preforming at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento Calif. Saturday, March 12. Photo by: Bryce Fraser

Monica Dattage
Staff Writer

Headliner Cage The Elephant, along with Bear Hands, Foals and Silversun Pickups, brought the the energy to Sacramento on Saturday night. With the second stop of their tour, dubbed the Spring Fling Rock AF 2016 Tour, each band was dialed in to the crowd bring a more energy than the one before.

The 15-city tour will take the bands across the U.S., with each act showing off music released in the past year.  Cage The Elephant’s Tell Me I’m Pretty album was released in December, the Foals’ What Went Down album last August, and Silversun Pickups’ Better Nature album last September.

Brian Aubert, frontman for Silversun Pickups preforming at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento Calif. Saturday, March 12. Photo by: Bryce Fraser

Saturday night New York natives Bear Hands opened the night to a half-empty arena as people faced a rainy downpour outside.

Joining the tour from the UK, the Foals took to the stage just as the crowd started fill in. They started their set with “Snake Oil” and almost instantly got the crowd cheering and jumping a long to their high energy performance. For part of their performance it was like staring at a camera flash as strobe lights went off in sync with every note played.

At one point frontman Yannis Philippakis, known for his crowd surfing and diving off balconies, left the stage to join the crowd in the pit area. He attempted to crowd surf with mic in hand but didn’t get too far before security helped pull him back to the stage. They ended their set with “What Went Down” of their latest album, leaving the crowd primed as Silversun Pickups took to the stage.

Starting their set with “Cradle”, Silversun Pickups worked to get the crowd back to the energy level Foals left them with before the intermission. They achieved this when their frontman Brian 

Dylan Rau, frontman for Bear Hands preforming at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento Calif. Saturday, March 12. Photo by: Bryce Fraser

Aubert called out bassist Nikki Monninger for being nervous on stage.

“Everybody stare at Nikki,” Aubert said. “And Nikki don’t F*** it up!”

Rounding out the night, Cage The Elephant took the stage to screams and yells. The band played all their hits including: “Come A Little Closer”, “Cigarette Daydreams”, and “Mess Around”. The biggest response from the crowd all night came when they played “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked.”

Before wrapping up their set Frontman Matthew Shultz left the stage and came back missing his western-inspired shirt and then took off into the crowd. The fans surged forward as they all tried to reach him and hold him up as he moved around the pit.

At the end of the night the bands were met with a standing ovation all around, and each person left with a buzz of excitement that carried them into the rain waiting outside.

Yannis Philippakis, frontman for Foals dives on top of the audience during the bands performance at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento Calif. Saturday, March 12. Photo by: Bryce Fraser