Cake brings humor, advocacy and three decades of hits to Beak & Skiff
Cake brings three decades of hits to Beak & Skiff
Against a backdrop of rolling orchards, the alt-rock band delivers a two-set performance featuring fan favorites.
Alt-rock veterans Cake opened the 2026 Summer Concert season at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards on Saturday night, drawing a sold-out crowd to the LaFayette venue.
Known for lyrics that blend deadpan humor, conversational storytelling and sharp observations of modern life, Cake delivered an evening of music, environmental advocacy and political commentary.
Against a backdrop of rolling orchards and a warm spring sunset, the Sacramento-based rock band delivered a two-set performance featuring fan favorites spanning its more than three-decade career.
The first set included “Frank Sinatra,” “Sheep Go To Heaven,” “Opera Singer” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle,” while the second half of the show featured songs such as “Love You Madly,” “Never There” and “Meanwhile, Rick James…”
Between songs, frontman John McCrea frequently addressed environmental and political topics, a longstanding feature of the band’s live performances.
One of the night’s most memorable moments came during an intermission tree giveaway, a tradition tied to the band’s “Forest” initiative. A Honeycrisp apple tree was awarded to a member of the audience, continuing the group’s effort to encourage environmental stewardship. McCrea told the crowd the giveaway stemmed from the band’s belief that everyone should plant a tree at some point in their life.
As the sun set over the orchard and temperatures settled into the mid-50s, the energy peaked during the encore. The crowd sang and danced along to covers of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” and Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” before erupting for “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” and the band’s signature hit, “The Distance.”
