By Cameron Lee
August 8, 2024
Photo: Jeff Howlett
Sacramento, California alternative rockers Cake brought their mariachi-infused folk rock to Charlotte for the first time since 2015 on Wednesday night at Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre. An evening full of banter by vibraslap-toting frontman John McCrea with plenty of crowd participation, Cake performed two sets with no openers on a cooler-than-normal summer night due to the effects of Tropical Storm Debby, which offered respite for the concert.
They kicked off the night with “Frank Sinatra,” from their 1996 album, Fashion Nugget, and McCrea started with the jokes early.
“If you arrived strategically late in order to skip the opening act, that was not a good strategy because it’s an evening with just one band and two sets of music, divided in such a civilized way by an intermission experience.”
McCrea’s deadpan, monotone vocals sound identical to the hits that ruled alternative radio waves in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, as he orchestrated a chant, “Sheeps go to heaven, goats go to hell,” from the song, “Sheeps Go To Heaven,” off of 1998’s Prolonging the Magic.
It was Vince DiFiore though, who really brought the music to life switching from the trumpet to keyboard to auxiliary percussion instruments along with occasional backup vocals throughout the night. McCrea conducted the crowd into more chants for “Sick of You,” hilariously dividing the audience into the “escapist side” and the “fortuitous side.”
After a short intermission, McCrea handed out a potted tree to an audience member named Lisa, which has become a tradition at their shows. The energy elevated for “Love You Madly” from 2001’s Comfort Eagle, as they slowed things down for the cover of Willie Nelson’s “Sad Songs and Waltzes,” which was actually featured on their second studio album.
The band saved their best for the final leg of their 18-song set, as the near-capacity crowd’s enthusiasm hit a zenith for “Never There,” “Short Skirt/Long Jacket,” “I Will Survive,” and the evening’s finale, “The Distance.” DiFiore’s regal trumpet blared through the amphitheater and the disco ball reflected light through the night sky for a nostalgia-soaked moment of euphoria for the mostly Gen X and Millennial-dominated audience.
While Cake has not released a studio album since 2011’s Showroom of Compassion, their quirky and distinctive brand of rock continues to resonate with their fans, both old and new.
Setlist:
“Frank Sinatra”
“Guitar”
“Long Time”
“Stickshifts and Safetybelts”
“Sheep Go to Heaven”
“Ruby Sees All”
“Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps”
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle”
“Sick of You”
“Love You Madly”
“Sad Songs and Waltzes”
“Opera Singer”
“Meanwhile, Rick James…”
“Shadow Stabbing”
“Never There”
Encore:
“Short Skirt/Long Jacket”
“I Will Survive”
“The Distance”
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