06 May Icing on the CAKE

Members of CAKE walked onto the JetBlue stage to the six minute fanfare from Rocky IV.

It was epic, excessive, sarcastic and hilarious — just like this alternative 90’s band.

“This is the cake factory,” one fan said as he approached the stage, joining a crowd comprised of all ages.

“Greetings, we are CAKE and we are here to serve you,” lead singer John McCrea said in his signature dry, deadpan voice. “We’re here together, it’s a beautiful night. [The] cool breeze is blowing through your … forehead regions, I’m sure.”

The five piece hit-making band delivered songs like “Frank Sinatra,” “Opera Singer,” and “Stickshifts and Safetybelts,” dripping in classic CAKE elements — like Vince DiFiore’s trumpet licks and gratuitous vibraslap.

Bubbles floated through the air as McCrea addressed the crowd for one of our West Palm Beach music festival’s final sets of the night.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been here,” he said. And it’s true. The last time CAKE played SunFest was in 2014. “We’re older now.”

As the band ripped through song after song, like 1998’s “Sheep Go to Heaven” or 2011’s “Sick Of You,” the dedicated fan base continued to sing along. So much so, that when the band started to wrap up and the “one more song” chants kicked up, one devoted admirer screamed at the top of his lungs, “TEN MORE SONGS!”

It goes to show how extensive the band’s discography is, because even after closing with “Never There” and “The Distance,” the crowd still wanted more.

“Thank you very much. Your attention span is awesome,” McCrea closed. “We’ll keep in touch, won’t we? We’ll track each other on social media but it won’t be the same as being here tonight, will it?”

It won’t. And until next time, we’ll all be awaiting another slice.