Cage the Elephant’s Matt Shultz practicing Japanese dance to make band’s shows “more raw”

Credit: Neil KrugCage the Elephant has always had an energetic, rambunctious live show, and frontman Matt Shultz is hoping to add a new element to the band's performance.

Speaking to NME, Shultz says he's been taking classes in a Japanese form of dance called butoh, which he says will make his live presence "more raw."

"A lot of people think you're trying to put on a show, but actually you're trying to capture or be part of the moment in the moment, which is the most interesting [thing]," Shultz explains. "You have to continue to pull back those layers."

"The thing that's great about butoh and the thing that drew me to it is that it's so raw," he continues. "So I think, if anything, it's going to make performances more raw and present. I don't think they're going to be more refined, per se."

So far, Cage only has one tour date scheduled for 2019: a headlining performance at Atlanta's Shaky Knees festival in May. They plan to add more dates this year in support of their upcoming new album Social Cues, due out April 19.

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