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August 28, 2009
Cake at the Pomona Fox, 8/28/9
For those of you who couldn't make it, I think you picked a good show to skip. I had a fun time, though. I met up with Yo and some others early and we had some food and got to hang out for a while.
I've seen Cake play many times before, but this was a disappointing show despite the awesome venue. By the way, the Fox in Pomona is amazing. If the Fullerton Fox is anything close to this, all the support will have been worthwhile. The Pomona Fox is an art deco dream and I love the set-up, from the tiers of the floors to the outdoor patios that have the show projected on a wall so people taking a break don't have to miss anything.
The band sounded pretty good, but not as tight as I've heard them in the past. When the music was going, I was having a great time.
But they stopped the momentum so many times with all of the pauses they made to talk about health care, terrorism, planting trees, and the like. I had time for a long break during the push-ups contest that involved six concert goers on stage competing for a tree that they would promise to take home and plant. I may or may not agree with some of their sentiments, but I don't need my musicians to tell me what to think about these issues, and I certainly didn't intend to attend a rally. I was there for the music, which was so broken up that it was hard to keep a groove going.
Posted by Jeri 
at 10:15:15 am | music
5 comments
That would have driven me freakin' nuts. I love their music, but shut the hell up and play. I don't care if I agree 100% with your preachy message, I didn't come here for that. 
I agree with your analysis of Cake that night. That was the first time I'd heard them play after about four years of listening to them, so I was disappointed and a little disillusioned if the truth be told. I especially agree with your sentiment that when they *were* playing, it sounded good and everyone was enjoying it.
They kind of ruined their own good thing.
Still, I think your analysis is probably fairer than mine, so I've referenced your post in my blog.
Nice one.
D
http://12fishcurries.blogspot.com/
Hey, cool, thanks for the link. I'm a girl, by the way, and a Christian too. Anyway, here's hoping Cake figures things out and gets back to the music for their next tour. 
While I may not agree with what they had in mind during that time, it's possible that they were trying to convey their message during the best time they thought people would listen. Well, it took away the momentum of the show by interrupting it often. They could easily have told their messages at one single point during the show. Or they could have a fundraiser show. Or they could send emails to their fan base about the causes they're interested in. I didn't think they way they integrated their messages really would have made anyone truly stop and consider the environment or politics, especially by having pushup competitions. No one's going to take them seriously when the points they make aren't conveyed thoughtfully. Actually, I found it a little petty and condescending.
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