NORTH AMERICA – In the fall of 2024, Cage the Elephant wrapped their ambitious 47-date “Neon Pill” tour that saw them crisscross the continent, treating exuberant crowds to their alternative blend of grunge, pop, glam, psychedelic, and classic rock. The Kentucky sextet, who won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album for 2017’s Tell Me I’m Pretty and for 2020’s Social Cues, was supported by a Cohesion PA at every venue.
More details from Cohesion Audio (www.cohesionaudio.com):
Flanked by opening acts Willow Avalon, Bakar, and Young the Giant, Cage the Elephant played hits from across their six albums, including “Neon Pill” and “Rainbow,” their eleventh and twelfth No. 1 songs respectively on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart. Cohesion provided the high-quality audio and deployment versatility to take Cage the Elephant’s visionary sound to sold-out shows across the U.S. and Canada.
“Cohesion was revealing. It was consistent and punchy. You heard things you wouldn’t necessarily have heard from another system. I was very pleased with it,” said FOH Engineer Ashton Parsons before the show at TD Pavilion at the Mann in Philadelphia.
Eighth Day Sound, a Clair Global brand, deployed the PA throughout the tour, highlighted by Cohesion CO12 arrays. Sixteen CO12 were deployed left-right on two main hangs, and in most venues, another sixteen CO12 were hung on either side of the stage. Additionally, supplemental Cohesion CO10 arrays were utilized to extend the sell line in select markets.
Three Cohesion CP218 II+ were flown behind each main hang and supplemented by further subwoofers on the ground. Typically, a dozen CP218 II+ were configured on the ground in a center-spaced arc delay. At the Philadelphia show, the team elected to deploy a left-right ground stack of three CP218 II+ each in cardioid configuration.
“The subs were so efficient in their output that I didn’t need to have a million flown subs to get the same amount of output,” said Parsons, who previously worked on tours with Disturbed, Teddy Swims, Fifth Harmony, and Anthrax.
“We got those subs closer together for less of that power alley, that null you can get,” said Randy Lane, Senior Tour Support at Clair Global. “We covered the arena floor and started to get up the sides of the venue as well. We wanted to keep the low-end energy off the artists on stage, and we still got good low-end rejection on the backside because the CO12 go down very low, especially in a line of sixteen.”
“The trick was to align with the mains,” said System Engineer Jon Halliwell. “There was no one perfect alignment—I listened and walked to find the best time solution each day.”
Four stacks of two Cohesion CO8, placed atop stage boxes for additional height, were used as front fill to cover the first 30–35 feet, “a critical spot in the coverage you had to pay attention to,” as Lane described.
“What I found amazing was the ability to cover any venue. The PA was a great choice for this artist,” said Halliwell, a thirty-year pro audio veteran whose previous clientele included Leonard Cohen, Prince, and Def Leppard, as well as Karol G on her history-making 2023–4 tour. “If you can’t cover the seats, then you can’t do the job.”
Parsons added, “Cohesion did very well to translate my mix from night to night.”
The Cohesion PA selected for the fourteen-week arena and amphitheater tour, which grossed more than $25 million and sold more than 440,000 tickets, according to Consequence of Sound, not only provided the necessary power and coverage for this variety of venues, but crucially, it did so in a production-friendly pack.
Parsons said, “It transported well and was easy to put together without a lot of fuss.”
“This system had to be flexible based on all the venues the artist was playing, and Cohesion kept it in a light, truck-friendly pack,” said Lane.
Ultimately, the PA needed to reflect the artists’ musicality, and Cohesion was up to the task for Cage the Elephant’s talented team. “They’re rock and roll! They don’t play to a click. It’s all live. It’s all straight up,” said Parsons. “This PA had the immense high-end and full-range clarity with no clouding. If the audiophile wants some sizzle or ear candy, I can give that.”
“It had a lot of power,” said Halliwell. “The transients were great, and the HF fidelity and clarity were incredible.”
“I wanted my mix to be as close as possible to studio quality. I know what this PA is capable of, and I know I can make it do what I want it to do,” concluded Parsons. “The goal was to deliver a high-quality audio experience to the audience. Cohesion did that.”
