Cake

Currently on tour to promote their 6^th studio album Showroom of Compassion, alternative rock band Cake from Sacramento, California made a stop at the Sound Academy in Toronto on May 21^st.

Opening with “Sad Song and Waltzes” from their 1996 album Fashion Nugget, fans sang along with lead singer John McCrea’s melodic vocals and moved their bodies to the soothing trumpet solos from Vince DiFiore.

After taking to the stage with a late start, audience members were thrilled when McCrea announced that the evening would be divided into two sets. It was met by a cheerful response from the crowd and he continued saying, “we are here to serve you.”

The evening with Cake started off with a set filled with fan favourites, such as “Opera Singer” and “Satan Is My Motor,” and was followed by a focus on songs from their newest album including “Long Time,” “Mustache Man (Wasted),” and “Federal Funding.”  The first set ended with “Sick of You” where McCrea invited audience members to join in on the chorus.

The second set featured songs such as “Love You Madly” and “Short Skirt, Long Jacket” which featured McCrea’s half-spoken energetic vocal style for which he is so famously known.

The evening took a semi-serious turn when the band took a break for their performance to talk about an environmental project they have been working on. The project has the band giving out trees on every stop on their tour to an audience member who promises to plant and take care of the tree, making the young gentleman who promised to plant the tree in his aunt’s backyard one lucky man.

An evening filled with singing, dancing, cheering, and laughing came to a sombre end as the band played their encore songs “Never There” and wrapping up with “The Distance” the second single from their 2^nd album Fashion Nugget which was truly the icing on the cake.

Check out the release of The Junction‘s video for “Level With Me.” They are currently touring Canada with a stop in Toronto on February 25 at the Sound Academy.

Alexisonfire @ Sound Academy - Photo by Jon Teigesser

Alexisonfire got fans warmed up by opening their set at the Sound Academy on December 16th with the single “Young Cardinals” off last year’s album Old Crows/Young Cardinals, following openers La Dispute, Norma Jean, and Four Year Strong. Judging by the turnout though, it seemed as though the headlining Canadian band had lost some of their devoted fans. This is may be due to their change in sound that became obvious with the release of their 2009 album, which received a mediocre response in comparison to their previously released highly-praised albums. This may be why the band stuck to what they do best by playing crowd favorites like “Accidents,” “Boiled Frogs,” “No Transitory,” and “This Could Be Anywhere in the World,” which got fans singing along with great enthusiasm. “Dog’s Blood” off their Dog’s Blood EP and “Midnight Regulations,” “Old Crows,” “Sons of Privilege,” and “Accept Crime” from Old Crows/ Young Cardinals were also part of the captivating set list.

Alexisonfire had an overall great performance though it was difficult to make out Dallas Green’s vocals over the live, high-energy instrumentals. It’s fair to say that at some points of the act only intense fans would have been able to decipher what was being played because of the band’s unclear delivery. The show was a toned down version of their past performances. Overall, in comparison to their past concerts, Alexisonfire was not up to par and lacked some of the magic that their old shows brought out in everyone. Hopefully their new musical direction strengthens in time, allowing them to withhold their strong, hard-earned reputation.

Check out photos of Alexisonfire by clicking HERE.
Check out photos of Four Year Strong by clicking HERE.
Check out photos of Norma Jean by clicking HERE.
Check out photos of La Dispute by clicking HERE.