“The pastiche outfit from sleepy Sacramento have achieved a virtually impossibility in our post-post-modern era of mutual sameness — they’ve remained unique.” — Rolling Stone

Coming to the concert on Sunday? Everything you need to know is here.

To cap off the opening weekend of an expanded MASS MoCA (a project that will nearly double our space for exhibitions and that we hear will make us the largest contemporary art museum in the country), we chose CAKE, a five-piece band whose mission from the outset was to make its lyrics smart, its sound pure, and its music a good time. Trumpet, anyone?

CAKE made its mark flying in the face of convention — an anti-grunge, post-pop band who scripted smart lyrics, stripped away the original over-engineering of its live shows in order to broadcast those lyrics with laser beam precision — and above all, always have fun doing it. This high-minded, low-tech approach manifested an impossible-to-pin-down, witty and gritty, yet wildly welcoming and familiar sound — and a mainstream following of cult-like devotion. The New York Times says, “Cake’s songs are lean and catchy, harking back to the 1960’s and ’70’s. John McCrea sings and occasionally raps over blues licks, folk-rock strumming, and country twang along with pre-disco funk.”

We’ll take that, and you, for a weekend-capping concert to celebrate 120,000 sq. ft. of new galleries and do as we do on this weekend every year: kick off summer, MASS MoCA-style.

All ticket-holders receive $6 off museum admission on May 28 and the galleries will be open late.

What to Expect
Tickets are general admission, standing room only, outside. Preferred ticket area is standing room by the stage. Camp-style folding chairs are allowed. There will be food trucks galore so please leave your coolers at home. Concert held rain or shine.

Photo by Robert McKnight