Celebrity Watch: Cage The Elephant Aim For 'Gaga Moment' At Lollapalooza

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Cage The Elephant Aim For 'Gaga Moment' At Lollapalooza

'Maybe this is our year to blow up like Gaga did,' band tells MTV News before hitting bigger stage pop star did in 2007.
By Gil Kaufman

Cage the Elephant
Photo: MTV News

CHICAGO — They tell you to "act like you've been there." And Kentucky rockers Cage the Elephant have been to Lollapalooza before — two times, in fact. And just hours before they were set to take the stage for their third go-round, they told MTV News that they hope it might be their "Lady Gaga moment."

You see, back in 2007, a then-little-known Gaga played the same small side stage as Cage, and last year the new megastar returned to headline one of Lolla's main stages, her career universes beyond where it was back when they were both under-the-radar acts.

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"This is our third time, it feels really good," said singer Matthew Shultz, who was still a bit groggy after having just woken up around noon. "We haven't really been able to analyze all the information yet, but it definitely feels good to be back here playing on a bigger stage."

With news that more then 26,000 people have pledged to go see them on the official Lollapalooza page, the Bowling Green boys were in awe of the potentially huge audience, but trying to not let it go to their heads. "I try not to get my hopes up, because when that happens then you'll have just five people there," said a humble Shultz about their latest trip to the festival where they made a big impression in 2009. "Because if we don't expect that and five people show up we'll be super-satisfied and happy that five people wanted to come to see our band."

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With his band earning accolades for their Nirvana-like punk rock explosion, what's weird for Shultz is that he clearly remembers Gaga playing just before them in 2007, and look at her now. "Maybe this is our year to blow up like Lady Gaga did," Shultz deadpanned, as guitarist Lincoln Parish joked that maybe his singer could take the stage inside a giant egg.

"I'm gonna come out in a Cadbury egg with blood all over me," Parrish said, "shooting sparks out of my nipples. and that might get us more votes for the VMA's as well," he added of the band's Best Rock Video nomination at the upcoming August 28 show.

Hell, for a second, Shultz even considered going back to the bus and maybe trying to put together his own meat outfit. Although given the scorching temperatures on the Chicago lakeshore on Sunday afternoon, chances are it would be a well-done steak suit by the end of the band's five o'clock set. Now that might get them the attention they're looking for.

MTV News is in Chicago for Lollapalooza 2011! Stick with us all weekend as we cover the bands you love and the bands you will love soon.

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