Still Serving Cake, No Frills Attached

Still Serving Cake, No Frills Attached

BY Kelsey Sheppard

CAKE formed in Sacramento in 1991 as a reaction to the booming "grunge era," with lead singer John McCrea serving up sarcasm and deadpan vocals over a mix of white-boy funk, hip hop, country, new wave pop, jazz, and guitar rock. At a time when music was trying to be heavy and lyrics were often obscured (think Nirvana, Pearl Jam), their debut single, "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle," set the tone for their sharp critique of the music industry. McCrea once recalled, "I remember one critic called us 'dinky beats,' and that was meant to insult us. But for me, it was like, Yes!" CAKE was meant to represent the "average guy," avoiding the pretentious image of rock performers, but critics often interpreted the band's sarcasm and irreverence as smugness. McCrea still performs on a beat-up old guitar.

CAKE's criticism extends well beyond the music industry. Their lyrics tackle consumerism ("You Part the Waters," "You Turn the Screws"), conformity ("Comanche"), human behavior ("I Bombed Korea"), and what it means to be an outsider. Welcoming criticism aimed at the band has also become a long-standing tradition. For "Short Skirt/Long Jacket," CAKE released two music videos—one filmed in New York City and one in California—in which they stopped random people on the street and asked them to review the song, embracing both positive and negative, sometimes hilariously blunt, reactions. (Fun fact: Fayetteville's own Brian Livingston appears in the New York version from his time as a student at the Naval Academy.)

Their cover songs have also drawn attention. McCrea's signature talk-singing has occasionally been viewed as dismissive, particularly on the band's version of "I Will Survive," despite their insistence that the cover was born out of "sincere admiration" for the song.

Thirty-five years later, the band is still touring and remains defiantly anti-rockstar. While I'd consider it more of a "sit-down concert," I still found the performance thoroughly engaging. And yes, McCrea speaks exactly the way he sings—like a professor with fascinating things to say who delivers every sentence in the most unexpectedly awkward way.

Kelsey's song recommendations: "You Turn the Screws," "When You Sleep," and "You Part the Waters."