Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

CAKE formed in Sacramento, California in 1991. The band quickly became a hot item in the downtown club and cafe scene, then went on to gain a steady following in San Francisco's Bay Area. Lead singer John McCrea's unwitting amalgam of Jonathan Richman, David Byrne, and Woody Guthrie, backed by CAKE's shambling countrified funk, took Northern California by storm. To date, CAKE has toured extensively throughout the world including North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Japan.

After releasing their first album, “Motorcade of Generosity” independently, the band signed with Capricorn Records in 1994. The song "Rock and Roll Lifestyle” became the band's first radio hit. The song’s lyrics were notable for the insightful observations into the foolishness of rock conventions. Other CAKE hits have included the tightly wrought lament "The Distance", another radio stand-out "Never There", "Sheep Go to Heaven", "No Phone", "Short Skirt/Long Jacket", and an unconventional remake of Gloria Gaynor's disco classic "I Will Survive". The band has recorded and released five studio albums via Capricorn and Columbia Records from the early 90's through the present day, with each one exhibiting uncommon creative consistency and breadth.

Although CAKE's music is often classified as “alternative” or “indie” rock, the band combines multiple musical genres, such as funk, soul, pop, jazz, rap, and country. CAKE's music features lyrics rife with word play and syncopation, catchy distorted guitar riffs, and a solo trumpet. The band has a notably unique approach to arrangement, composition, and instrumentation.

CAKE's most recent studio album (their fifth), “Pressure Chief”, was released in October 2004. This album marked the band's return to their earlier more self-reliant DIY aesthetic in which they recorded and engineered their music independently. Songwriter John McCrea, often controversial and iconoclastic, discussed this album with Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air in February 2005. The band continues to make ground on their sixth studio album, which is tentatively scheduled for a first quarter 2008 release.