aeblog

the utility man

So it turns out the John McCrea is an ass. Or at least he comes across on stage as if he would be a total ass in person. Now this is not to say that he didn't make me laugh, or that I didn't enjoy last night's show, and this is really not to say that he isn't still a great song-writer; but it is to say that his onstage demeanor was the biggest detractor from the overall good experience of seeing CAKE live and in person.

The biggest protractor (now I realize this word isn't the opposite of detractor and, in fact, means something entirely different - and happens to bring me back to my geeky successes in grade-school geometry class - but I am using it anyway because, well, just because) was the guy who I will refer to as the Utility Man. Every band should have a utility man (Calexico would shrivel up without theirs), and CAKE's was just great. Now what do I mean by that? This guy did so many different things on stage and each one of them was the key extra sound or melody or moment of coolness that made the song what it was. He played trumpet, and we all know how great the trumpet in CAKE is, but he also produced piano, organ and synth sounds on his keyboard, played various percussive instruments and did a fantastic job with the backup vocals. He wasn't over-powering ever; always fit into the mix as he should, and provided a nice humble alternative to Mr. McCrea. Oh yeah, and he was wearing Red Sox hat; not a cap, but a knit hat, so it was even cooler. Thank you, Mr. Vince Difiore, for protracting so effectively.

And one final thing: I couldn't help but think about how interesting it would be to hear a band with Mr. McCrea on drums. He has the wackiest sense of timing. I don't think he sung one note on the beat...but it just works so well.