Economies of scale

After six years of constancy, however, things are changing quickly for Cake, and the band is challenged to succeed while keeping intact the very factors behind that success. "Audience size definitely changes things," McCrea admits without sounding nostalgic for last year's Galaxy Club show. "It can make it feel like there's less of a connection with the audience, and we're trying to keep the venues that we play as small as possible; this isn't Viking stadium music."

McCrea himself is feeling the pressure that success can create. "I've got a lot of mixed feelings about getting up in front of a mike and shaking my guitar around; I mean, I do it, I think it's what I'm good at, but I don't want to put myself up there as some kind of totem--that's unhealthy for me and everybody else--but it's the nature of the beast, they're makin' T-shirts and shit, but I hope we can just keep it down...and make a decent living."

Cake plays Deep Ellum Live Tuesday, March 11.