I paid about $10 for my rock-n-roll T-shirt, that proves I was there, that I heard of them first! I still have that T-shirt with the ant/aphid on it, that I bought from John McCrae's own hands.
It was 10 years ago on Earth Day that I was first aquainted with CAKE. I was in the Earth Club at El Camino High School in Sacramento. We wanted to have a celebration in the quad during lunch. Lucky for us, Earth Club member Rosemary McCrae had a brother with a band. She convinced him to play the celebration for $100. I remember the day of the show, John had hit his head or something, was grouchy, and didn't really want to do it. Most of the kids thought they sucked. No one could categorize them- where they country, or alternative, or what? And what was up with that weird name? We served them garden burgers for lunch and thanked them for performing.
Somehow we convinced them to come back the next year, just a few weeks before their big CD release (not the Capricorn release, the original). Word had spread by then, and some of the kids were getting into it that year. They had to change the words to "nugget" from "Shut the F*@#! up" to "Shut the funk up". It was quite amusing.
Since I now had a car, I could go to their shows. I miss the old days at the Cattle Club, were friends and I caught shows from locals such CAKE, as well as LGS, Panda Bear Greens, Far, Jackpot, and Groovie Ghoulies. There were also a lot of good times at The Crest Theater, too. The shows in the park during the summer concert series were cool. I swear the bassline during the break in "sheep go to Heaven" was much funkier back then. John would quiz people on the identity of the statue in the park.
I never really got to talk to the band except for when I seved them garden burgers, but I did win an autographed poster from Tower Records, which Victor and Greg signed shortly before they left the band. A few weeks later when I saw CAKE with No Doubt at Arco Arena, Xan and Gabriel had already taken their places.
Much had changed since those days. CAKE is now a household name, like the dessert of the same moniker. They are big Rock and Roll stars now, which seems rather ironic for some reason. Since moving to the Bay I still try to go to every show that comes to town. At the We the Planet Festival, I was compelled to sport my old T-shirt, even though John would probably not approve!
It's been a great ten years for CAKE, and it's been great to be a fan, also. I look forward to the next 10 years of CAKE. Be sure to visit their website, cakemusic.com.
The background images on this page are the postcards CAKE used to send out to people on the mailing list. Spiffy artwork, eh? -skaho