After a long holiday season saturated by Jingle Balls, it was time for the alternative scene to take the stage at iHeartRadio’s inaugural ALTer EGO. On Friday January 19, Cage the Elephant, Beck, The National, Dashboard Confessional, Walk the Moon, Spoon, Mumford and Sons and AJR performed to a sold out crowd at The Forum for a night of favorite throwbacks and recent hits.

Newbies AJR, a New York-based band of brothers, started the night with a two-song miniset Though quick, Adam, Jack and Ryan properly let the arena know the show was starting. It was hard not to notice frontman Jack Met in a lumberjack-like hat, not to mention his broken foot. 

However, not to keep the crowd waiting, the stage rotated to reveal another stage ready for Mumford and Sons, who began with “Believe,” a song off their most recent studio album. Not to disappoint, Marcus Mumford said, “Let’s have some fun,” and the band plunged into “Little Lion Man” and kept the pace by following up with “I Will Wait.” The band jigged. The people jigged. It was one of the more harmonious moments of the night between the entertainer and entertained. Not to go full banjo, Mumford and Sons sprinkled in a few of their more rock-based songs. They closed their set with “The Wolf,” from 2015’s Wilder Mind. The song even started with a drumstick countdown and ended with Mumford raising his guitar (electric!) above and saying “Have a good evening! Thank you!”

Members of ALT 98.7’s The Woody Show and actor Darren Criss then introduced Spoon, who Criss described as a big inspiration and “better than ever” after 25 years. The Austin band began with “Do I Have to Talk You Into It.” During the set, singer Britt Daniel took a moment to ask the crowd if they were alright and later to mention that they put a new record out last year: “I want you all to listen to it.” However, they understood the hits were what an evening like this called for and sang “The Underdog” just before finishing with “Rent I Pay.”

The rotation of Spoon’s stage revealed Walk the Moon, a refreshing sight to see in face-paint and brightly-colored clothes (black skinny jeans seemed to be the evening’s primary uniform). The Cincinnati natives began the night with “One Foot,” their latest album’s single that recently hit number one on alternative radio. Like Mumford, singer Nicholas Petricca, clad in his own version of a technicolor dreamcoat, knew to give the people what they wanted. “Let’s have some fun,” he said, prior to their arguably biggest song, the infectious “Shut Up and Dance.” The song properly invigorated the crowd, allowing Walk the Moon to sing one more song off their new album, “Surrender.” With Petricca at the keyboard swaying his hips, it felt like a proper ’80s moment. They ended their set with “Anna Sun,” a song just as infectious as “Shut Up and Dance,” but sugar-coated in nostalgia.

Running on the nostalgia high, Dashboard Confessional opened with the emo anthem “Vindicated.” Not to get too lost in the past, singer Chris Carrabba followed with “We Fight,” a song off their upcoming album. “This song’s about trying to get rid of Trump,” he said, just minutes after the government officially shut down. However, Carabba lifted spirits when he said, “This is about the best date I’ve ever had in my life,” before kicking into “Hands Down.” Carrabba rounded out the set with an acoustic solo performance of “Heart Beat Here.” “We released this song yesterday. I’m sure you know all the words by now,” he joked. Still, Carrabba taught the crowd the main line of the chorus, which was easily caught on to, for the audience sang the final iteration alone. With his flashing grin and guitar in the air, Carrabba was clearly pleased.

The National were introduced by members of The Woody Show, in addition to synth pop band Chvrches. Frontwoman Lauren Mayberry explained that “Every time I listen to their music, there’s such honesty.” The Ohio-native band started with “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness.” It was arguably one of their more relaxed sets of the nights, probably in part due to singer Matt Berninger’s mellow stage presence. However, Berninger found the opportunity to toss a cup of water splattering over the front few rows at the end of “Guilty Party.” And during their last song, “Day I Die,” Berninger finished by pacing below on the floor, arms stretched above his already long body, and then exited from there, arms at his side.

Beck, in all his compact glory, brought the energy back. “Buenos noches. How are you doing?” he asked the crowd before singing his 1994 smash “Loser.” In a matter of eight songs, Beck brought the real dance party in the form of hip hop beats, psychedelic visuals, pop-tinged tunes and a bluesy breakdown; it was a manifestation of the genre bending he is truly known for.  He had a large band, though was never overwhelmed by their presence (which included two of possibly the only female musicians that night). Beck had what was probably the best command of the crowd that evening. The audience sang the end of “Loser” on their own and repeated “Ohhs” during “Dreams” by Beck’s instruction. He had them by his fingertips, whether playing guitar or grooving around the stage. They were there for him, but he somehow managed to make it seem it was the other way around. The minute Beck saw The Forum, he said, he “knew shit was going to down.” And as he could only do, he finished with an extended performance of “Where It’s At,” which featured a harmonica solo and in-sync dancing with two band members. In the song’s final moments, Beck took off his jacket, unbuttoned his shirt in one swipe, saluted and bowed. Though he exited, the band jammed on and the people relished in the song’s thumping beat for just a little longer.

Surprisingly, people exited the show before the its end. But for those that left, others came rushing forward to bask in the greatness of Cage the Elephant. Not to let Beck’s foundation crumble, Cage the Elephant kept the fervor alive with “Mess Around.” In yellow bell bottoms and a tri-colored glittery turtleneck, frontman Matt Shultz was a shock to see running around the stage, microphone in waistband as he encouraged the crowd to clap along, hands above head. They followed with “In One Ear” and “Cry Baby,” which featured Shultz’ first moment of the set walking through the crowd. At any given moment, he was at the very least pacing the stage. More likely, however, he was twisting his body over the stair railing or girating across the stage. It was as if he were in a competition with a snake over who had the more impressive spine capacity. During “Come a Little Closer,” Shultz was once again among the crowd. He slithered around so successfully that when he put his arm around one woman, she didn’t initially notice — but when she did they danced together. Before closing with “Teeth,” Shultz got rid of his shirt and plunged into the song by toe touching off the drum mount, pyrotechnics blazing in unison. Cage the Elephant truly exemplified, despite much disbelief, that rock ‘n roll is indeed very much alive. Because despite the fluttering confetti, flashing lights and bursts of fire, their set was made by their musicianship, not the gimmicks.  

Setlists:

AJR

1. Sober
2. Weak

Mumford and Sons

1. Believe
2. Little Lion Man
3. I Will Wait
4. Lover of the Light
5. Awake My Soul (with Maggie Rogers)
6. The Cave
7. Ditmas (with Aaron Dessner)
8. The Wolf (with Aaron Dessner)

Spoon

1. Do I Have to Talk You Into It
2. Inside Out
3. Hot Thoughts
4. Can I Sit Next to You
5. Do You
6. The Underdog
7. Rent I Pay

Walk the Moon

1. One Foot
2. Kamikaze
3. Shut Up and Dance
4. Surrender
5. Anna Sun

Dashboard Confessional

1. Vindicated
2. We Fight
3. Hand Down
4. Heart Beat Here

The National

1. The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness
2. Bloodbuzz Ohio
3. I Need My Girl
4. Guilty Party
5. Day I Die

Beck

1. Loser
2. Up All Night
3. Devil’s Haircut
4. Colors
5. Dreams
6. Wow
7. E-Pro
8. Where It’s At (with One Foot in the Grave)

Cage the Elephant

1. Mess Around
2. In One Ear
3. Cry Baby
4. Spiderhead
5. Cold Cold Cold
6. Trouble
7. Cigarette Daydreams
8. Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked
9. Shake Me Down
10. Come a Little Closer
11. Teeth