Let Them Eat CAKE: A Quirky Night at the Fairgrounds
Sioux Lyon Fairgrounds, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Some bands age like fine wine. Others age like off-brand whiskey. But CAKE? CAKE has aged like a surprisingly sturdy fruitcake—odd, colorful, slightly mysterious, and somehow still very much here.
Invited by a friend who won tickets through Sioux Falls’ very own KRRO (shout-out to local radio still doing the good work), I found myself at the Fairgrounds on a mellow summer night, ready to take in a band that technically predates me. That’s right—CAKE started in 1991, making them more than three decades deep in the alt-rock game, and still tossing out t-shirts, sarcasm, and trees like it’s nobody’s business.
With no opener on the bill, CAKE kicked things off themselves—and promptly made fun of anyone who showed up “strategically late” to skip a non-existent opening act. The self-aware banter never stopped, keeping the vibe light and weird in the best possible way.
The music? Well, CAKE is CAKE—you don’t show up expecting power ballads or circle pits. You come for the talk-singing, the dry humor, the random trumpet solos, and lyrics that feel like overheard conversations in a Portland dive bar.
They hit the classics:
🎶 “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” (a.k.a. the theme from Chuck)
🎶 That gloriously offbeat cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”
🎶 And of course, “The Distance”—which had the entire crowd shouting like it was the national anthem of the disenchanted.
But what really set this concert apart was everything around the music. Bubbles floated through the air like it was a toddler’s birthday party turned indie rock fever dream. T-shirt cannons launched merch into the crowd with the dramatic flair of a minor league baseball game. And then… there was The Tree.
Yes. CAKE gives away trees at their shows.
A literal cherry tree sapling was handed out on stage to one lucky fan who correctly guessed its species. You can actually check out their full forest online at forest.cakemusic.com—a living, leafy legacy growing one gig at a time.
It wasn’t exactly my usual scene, but it was undeniably fun. The band members—now brushing up against their sixties—played tight, cracked jokes, and proved that oddball energy doesn’t fade with age.
Final Verdict: 7/10
Strange lyrics, smooth horns, airborne t-shirts, and a side of horticulture. CAKE might not be everyone’s flavor, but for one night, they baked up a pretty sweet experience.