Concert: Cake

Keywords

Cake Concert Schedule

Chicago Gigs

Cake

Album

Songs

Video

Music

Cake formed in Sacramento, California in 1992 epitomizes the postmodern, irony-drenched aesthetic of '90s rock. Cake's music is frequently associated to Soul Coughing and King Missile, but lacked the downtown. Cake propagated an image of average guys merely with any apprehension as entertainers. During the same period critics lambasted the superior attitude behind the band's habitual sarcasm.
Perhaps it was the result in Cake's low-key presentation that intensified their ironic detachment which they never intended. With the success of "The Distance", reviewers tabbed them as one-hit wonders. Cake accomplished a few more alternate-radio hits in the following years while retaining the similar approach.

Their debut single, "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle," was released on a local basis followed with a self-produced, self-released, self-distributed album, Motorcade of Generosity. Motorcade found its way to the revived Capricorn label, which released the album nationally after Cake signed a contract with them. With the prospect of extensive national touring, both Gabe Nelson and Frank French left the band, and were replaced by bassist Victor Damiani and drummer Todd Roper. Re-released by Capricorn, "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle" caught on at college radio in 1995, and was followed by two more singles, "Ruby Sees All," and "Jolene" (not the Dolly Parton song). Cake's second album, Fashion Nugget, was released in 1996 and spawned a breakout smash in the Greg Brown-penned "The Distance," which dominated alternative radio that fall, and even turned into an unlikely sporting-event anthem.

Mostly on the strength of "The Distance," Fashion Nugget charted in the Top 40 and sold over a million copies. It also spun off a somewhat controversial follow-up single in a cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive"; although the band professed its sincere admiration for the song, some critics and listeners took it as a smarmy put down, in part because of McCrea's dead pan vocals. In 1997, Greg Brown and Victor Damiani both left Cake and formed a new group, the new wave-influenced Deathray, which eventually released its debut album on Capricorn in 2000. Meanwhile, McCrea briefly considered putting Cake to rest, but brought original bassist Gabe Nelson back to replace Damiani. For Cake's next album, McCrea used a tag-team procession of guitarists -- five in all -- on different tracks; the result, Prolonging the Magic, was released in 1998. True to its sardonic title, it defied critical opinion to produce another big alternative-radio hit in "Never There," plus decently successful follow-ups in "Sheep Go to Heaven" and "Let Go." Prolonging the Magic sold nearly as well as Fashion Nugget, and was also certified platinum.

For the supporting tour, one of the album's guitarists, Xan McCurdy, officially joined Cake full-time. In the spring of 2000, Cake signed a new deal with Columbia, and debuted in 2001 with their fourth overall album, "Comfort Eagle", which became their highest-charting yet (at Number 13). The lead single "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" was a hit on alternative radio, and even earned some MTV airplay -- no longer an easy task for any artist -- with a video that featured reactions to the song by randomly selected people on the street. Following the completion of the album, drummer Todd Roper left the group to spend more time with his children, and was replaced on the supporting tour by Pete McNeal. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide