I should have gone to this concert with my mom for her 65th birthday, as it was on the day after her birthday. But when your address is Père La Chaise you ain’t going nowhere anymore. Why with my mom? Well you really want me to tell the whole story about CAKE or just about the gig? I think this time will stick just with the gig, because I don’t want to ignore my own deadlines.
Two days before the concert things were looking bleak. A member of the band was sick and there were a lot of restrictions in Paris for cars, as the pope was visiting and there was definitely more than one long line of cars. Until the last few hours before the concert, I was still doubting my favourite musicians.
L’Olympia, I hadn’t been here since I saw Beck (in 2008), is one of the mythical concert halls in Paris – Edith Piaf, the a Rolling Stones, they all played here. We were greeted by a giant silkscreen depicting trees. It was announced it was a No Phone evening and that cameras too weren’t allowed, and most people followed the rules, so there are no photos to illustrate my words. Then the Rocky Theme started blasting from the speakers accompanying a light show and bubbles. It was showtime!
The first notes of Frank Sinatra rang through the concert hall, instant goosebumps, and a sound of approval that rippled through the crowd. Those first notes are unmistakable, you just know, that the wait is finally over and that it’s time to enjoy an evening with CAKE. The playlist was flawless, even Sheep go to Heaven found it’s way onto the stage, now the goosebumps weren’t just confined to my arms, but I felt them all over my body, for one year, this had been the name of my radio show, and the very last song that I ever played on the radio (if I ever have a radio show again, it shall be the very first of that one). The lyrics of Rock ’n’ Roll Lifestyle took me back to early 2007, when Arcade Fire played a concert on the very same stage and the singer did smash his guitar, just like the one in the song. Oh and I lived in band t-shirts for about 3 years of my life, so I do always feel a bit criticised by that song.
On the subject of t-shirts, CAKE had some freebees for a lucky few. If you know CAKE a litte, you might know that they deeply care about democracy and the environment. A few crispy white t-shirts with “I ♥️ Democracy” written across the chest were flung and shot into the crowd. During the intermission, we had a botanical quiz. I did not go home with the tree nor with the t-shirt, but with lots of great memories. I hope that that tree will grow healthy roots and that the t-shirts will be worn with pride and conviction. Don’t say “Democracy’s a joke” like the wacky morning DJ says.
On a side note, for the first time in my life, the line for the gent’s was far longer than the one for the ladies, this left some blokes looking utterly surprised and I do have to say, I did feel a bit gleeful.
We were treated with Meanwhile Rick James… and Opera Singer, two songs that I absolutely love and that I can probably sing backwards. When I glanced around, there weren’t many who did know the lyrics of those two. Of course some of my other favourites (like the whole catalogue) could have been played, where were Comfort Eagle or Wheels? But here’s to hoping that I will not always be waiting for 7 or worse 18 years – yep, Never There is part of the DNA just like the trumpet and vibra slap are signature instruments – to see CAKE again, and that they’ll play Commissioning a Symphony in C just for me.
As the evening progressed we were again and again asked to sing along, to hum the refrain, to join in Sick of You in a canon, to “use our beautiful voices” as John McCrea would say. The energy he had on stage was amazing, jumping around and being the conductor of his small orchestra by kicking the air to signify to the band that it was time to stop. When he started singing I bombed Korea he suddenly stopped, realising that he had stumbled across the lyrics and told us: “I haven’t sung this song in years, I am a bit nervous.”
Eventually the second half of the gig came to the end, but as you don’t leave before the end of the show, I did know that it wasn’t over without Short Skirt / Long Jacket. After all that song had been released 25 years ago, the album Comfort Eagle had been released in September 2001. It was the song that got me hooked on CAKE. My mom had loved it right away when she first heard it played on Y100 (now YNotRadio), if the song came on while we were in the car (always with stick shifts, safety belts and bucket seats) we’d stay in the car in some alpha beta parking lot listening until the end of the song. And CAKE did not disappoint, the three-song encore consisted of the new song, Billionaire in Space, Short Skirt / Long Jacket and The Distance.
By Solveig Werner, who wore a long skirt and a short jacket to the gig.
I won’t bite, seriously!