![Game, set, and match. Corbin Atchley, sophomore, high fives Sanam Sidhu, freshman, after a rally with other club members. “I just joined [the club],” Sidhu said. “[I heard about it] on Instagram, they always post about it, I’ve been wanting to come. My parents used to play [net sports] too and they taught us, and then I learned from my brother.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MG_7715-2-1200x800.jpg)
![At the bottom of the third inning, the Lions are still scoreless. Rowe stands at home plate, preparing to bat, while Vandenbrink stands off to the side as the next batter up. Despite having the bases loaded, the team was unable to score any runs. “It’s just the beginning of the season. We’re just going to be playing out best by June, [and] that’s where champions are,” Rowe said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3077-1200x900.jpg)
![The teams prepare to start another play with just a few minutes left in the first half. The Lions were in the lead at halftime with a score of 27-0. At half time, the team went back to the locker rooms. “[We ate] orange slices,” Malos said. “[Then] our team came out and got the win.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2385-1200x800.jpg)
The stage was set, the disco ball was flashing, and the audience eagerly awaited five men to make their appearance. For this particular concert, there would be no opening band or opening routine whatsoever. It was simply an evening with Cake.
Cake came to McMenamins Edgefield on Friday, Sep. 16 as part of the venue’s Summer Concert Series.
As soon as lead singer John McCrae removed his white gloves and threw them into the crowd, I was transfixed. Being a 17 year-old who has grown up in a primarily hip-hop based culture, I didn’t exactly fit into the demographic of people at this concert.
Since Cake originated in the early 90’s and is considered to be a “post new-wave” band, the vast majority audience was in their 30s and 40s. However, I was not deterred at all by this fact, and found their music to be satisfying to any age group.
For about the first hour of the show, the majority of the songs that Cake played were from its new album, “Showroom of Compassion”. They then moved onto their classics, like “Short Skirt/Long Jacket,” “Jolene” and “Love You Madly”. To finish off their performance, the band played “The Distance” as their third and final encore song.
One thing that was unique to this concert and at some points aggravating was the openness of McCrae with the audience. At one point, McCrae went on a 30 minute tangent attempting to find a worthy owner for a tree that had been sitting on stage the entire show. Since Cake likes to categorize themselves as an edgy, alternative band, the drawn-out dialogue was befitting to the overall mood of the concert. I just wished they would’ve spent more time playing and less time speaking, as the musical quality of the band was impeccable.
There aren’t many other acts you can see for $40 a ticket that provide such musical excellence as Cake did. From my experience, McMenamins Edgefield provides a quaint concert venue that is pleasing to a pure musical connoisseur. The combination of this particular band and venue added up to one of the greatest musical experiences of my life.
Check out Cake’s website for news, tour information, and merchandise.