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Review and Photos by Matt Schwenke
In a rare appearance in Milwaukee, Cake took the stage at the Pabst Theatre and had the crowd on their feet immediately. Opening the set with "Sheep Go To Heaven," the audience was invited to sing along, and sing they did.With choruses that are very catchy, many of the songs were extended to include the crowd. Much to the dismay of a handful of parents who brought young children to the show, the loudest and most extended chorus came in the song "Nugget"--the chorus is basically "Shut the fuck up." After apologizing to the parents, frontman John McCrea explained his thoughts on the hypocrisy of adults (namely politicians) using profanities and telling children not to use them. And, before moving on to the next song, McCrea added, "Let us bask in the slow degradation of our society."
And if that wasn't enough to anger a sheltered soul, another roaring sing along came in the song "Satan Is My Motor," in which McCrea assured the crowd that it was ok to sing along, even if they were Christian.
Not every part of the show had an edge to it, however. The set, which pulled songs from most of their five albums, included strong versions of "Love You Madly" and "Stick Shifts and Safety Belts." From their newest album Pressure Chief, the most danceable and driving sound could be found in "No Phone"-- a tune that features a funky keyboard loop and strong trumpet playing by Vincent di Fiore. This song was also a fun sing along with McCrea splitting up the chorus line between the males and females.
While many bands have taken to speaking their political truths in the last month, Cake stayed away from politics and still made some of their feelings known. With one song to go in the encore, McCrea said, "We, Cake, personally believe that there is no hope for the survival of the human race on this planet. But since we are entertainers, we are going to leave you with a song of hope."
With that, Cake played their popular cover of "I Will Survive" and walked off of the stage to a roaring Pabst Theatre.
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