Outer Battery Records is thrilled to announce the release of Cake Shop, a previously unreleased live recording capturing Obits’ very first show, performed at New York City’s legendary venue of the same name in 2008.
In the early days of Obits, with Hot Snakes on hiatus and Rick Froberg having relocated to New York, the band began jamming as early as 2006. With the addition of bassist Greg Simpson in 2007, the pieces finally fell into place. By the time Obits took the stage for their first-ever show at Cake Shop on 12th January 2008, the band was fully formed – and, as luck would have it, the performance was recorded.
What followed would become the stuff of underground rock folklore. Tapes of the show circulated through the underground circuit before eventually landing on the desk of Sub Pop’s Chris Jascob. Hearing the recording, Jascob immediately recognised something special and knew he had to sign the band.
The rest is history.
Over the course of three albums and countless singles released through Sub Pop, Obits established a formidable catalogue and a fiercely devoted fanbase, combining the raw intensity of punk with a singular, groove-heavy take on rock ‘n’ roll.
Now, nearly two decades later, Outer Battery Records is proud to make this crucial piece of Obits history available for the first time as a limited-edition vinyl release. Featuring 11 tracks, Cake Shop captures the band at the very beginning, already sounding fully formed and ferocious. Alongside future fan favourites including ‘One Cross Apiece’, ‘Widow of My Dream’, ‘Talking to the Dog’ and ‘Run’, the LP also features previously unreleased songs including ‘You Took an Axe’, making it an essential document of a band on the cusp of something much bigger.
Pressed on limited edition clear vinyl, Cake Shop will be released on 13th November 2026 via Outer Battery Records | Pre-order
Listen to the track ‘You Took An Axe’ here
