Guess who’s back from the dead? If you guessed The Cab and caught them at the Arizona stop of their aptly-named headlining tour this week, you’d be absolutely correct. The alternative rock group made a triumphant return to Mesa’s Nile Theater on Tuesday, cementing a legacy and introducing the next era of the band to a packed house.
The Nile’s stage was awash in bright spotlights, illuminating the band as they took the stage to huge cheers from an audience that has missed them for over a decade. Alex DeLeon, Alex Marshall, Joey Thunder, Dave Briggs and Chantry Johnson were all smiles before getting down to business on “Locked and Loaded” and “Temporary Bliss”- the perfect mix of old and new to set the tone of the performance.
Hundreds of fans squeezed closer to the stage, singing passionately to “Bad” and “La La”, all while giving the new material a warm welcome as “Sweet Kerosene” and “ih8yourgutz” were introduced to the setlist. A discerning eye sweeping the crowd could quickly realize that not only have the fans grown up alongside The Cab, many of them are now bringing the next generation into the fold so the kids may just be alright after all. This was beautifully evident when one tiny fan was lifted onstage to sing with the band, drawing coos and sweet smiles from the guys.
The Cab has always embraced their poppier side, leaning into it with a medley of classic 90s and early 2000s boyband gems from Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and- of course- the queen Britney Spears. More than anything, the band is clearly just having a blast performing again and they were thrilled to give the fans exactly what they wanted with their song choices throughout the night. The piano-driven mashup of “Vegas Skies” and “I’ll Run” was the perfect segue into “Every Universe” while “Intoxicated” and “Take My Hand” got the room jumping again.
Every member had a turn in the spotlight but it was drummer Dave Briggs’ crashing solo that provided the perfect transition to the final portion of the show. “Bounce” and “Living Louder” gave the fans even more reminiscent material before they returned for an encore that culminated in the anthemic “Angel With a Shotgun”. Finding a balance between nostalgia and evolution is a line that legacy acts like The Cab can often struggle with, but this tour is clear proof that this band is ready to walk that line for the long haul. Longtime fans left the room visibly elated at the band’s return and extracted hopeful promises for even more headlining appearances for what seems to be a bright second act for The Cab.
