Tasty Cake, and Nothing Is Wasted

The music of Cake does not aspire to epic proportions. It is intentionally small, almost comical in its economy, and so crisply played that the occasional bit of percussion from singer John McCrea carries the weight of a guitar solo. Nothing is wasted.

The Sacramento quintet put these minimalist chops to good use Sunday at the Mayan Theatre, where even the mammoth disco ball rotating overhead was employed with restraint. The sound was smart and festive, exploring the bright, melodic flavor of mid-’60s pop (more Bacharach than Beatles) as an effective balance against McCrea’s intense, deadpan delivery.

Part social critic, part wounded wise guy, McCrea, with his beard, cap, aviator shades and checkered shirt, looked as if he’d just stepped from an 18-wheeler. He turned the edgy rock ‘n’ funk riffing of “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” into a spontaneous call-and-response with fans, who also shouted along to the romantic frustrations of “Never There” as if they meant it.

Trumpeter Vince DiFiore is no Miles Davis, but his short, feisty melodies were as central to the Cake sound as McCrea’s vocals. And despite the band’s postmodern irony and the urban/suburban song content, Cake showed a continued weakness for classic country music, performing a loving version of Willie Nelson’s “Sad Songs and Waltzes.”

“Even though it’s not a modern rock song,” McCrea said to the audience, “we believe it does have value anyway.” Like Cake itself, sarcastic but true.