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Had my CAKE and ate it

July 13th, 2007

Went to Tivoli in Utrecht to see CAKE on Tuesday 10 July. Great show, even though we had to stand around and wait for over an hour before they came on stage. We forgave them quickly.

Impressive musical skills, very loose presentation and a very appreciative audience. No fixed set-list, but also no songs on request, because, as John McCrea explained, “We are not a fancy jukebox.” They just played whatever they felt like at any moment. And there’s enough material to pick from, so we didn’t get bored.

McCrea’s little reflections on life, bicycles and the download-anything generation were maybe not hilariously funny, but they did provide short breathing pauses between the songs.

No new songs, although a new release is expected in August. Apparently most of the crowd consisted of long-time fans, because they happily sang along with the lyrics, which are not exactly what you’d call simple “lala-la” sing-along.

I guess CAKE didn’t make any new converts that night, but they did manage to strengthen the bond with a loyal fan base. I also don’t know whether McCrea really did break a rib shortly before the show, as he claimed, but if he did, he’s got my respect for playing through the pain!