There are a couple things I learned at the Commodore Ballroom on Tuesday night. One is that I am well on my way towards that point in time where people flock madly to see a band because it reminds them of carefree highschool days and lazy summers with zero responsibility. And the other is that nothing brings a room to its knees quite so easily and completely as a good Beatles singalong.

Somehow, the Waking Eyes toured across Canada opening for Collective Soul. Collective Soul! Did you hear me?? I said Collective Soul! That's right, they're back. I know, I know, I didn't hear anything about them in the past few years either. Suddenly they sprung a tour and an album without me even being aware of it. For shame! And okay, so the Waking Eyes and Collective Soul share a label (...or former label I suppose) - but then again, so do Michael Buble and Spongebob Squarepants. Now that, my friends, would be a show...

There were so many moments in this show that would have really warranted photographic evidence, but unfortunately, a knee injury kept poor me from dragging 20 lbs of camera gear along with me, and so as such, you're really going to have to use your imagination for this one. Go ahead, whatever colourful images this review brings to mind, I can pretty much assure you that watching it all go down live was even more ridiculous. This was the last show on this particular tour, so these two unlikely sets of band members, who had evidently become fast friends on the road, were going out of their way to sabotage one another's performance.

It all started so innocently. At the appointed start time, the lights dimmed, and the Waking Eyes calmly took the stage amid many cheers in the already-packed room. I haven't mentioned that yet. This show was sold-out... very sold-out. That's something I didn't really expect, and even so, would never have thought I'd see so many of that sold-out crowd in attendance already before the opening band went on. The audience was thickly piled up behind the barricade, waiting eagerly. The first couple rows of people contained some very enthusiastic Waking Eyes fans. They've been back here so many times in the last while, it's no small wonder that they've ammassed a faithful following. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving bunch. They always put on a top-notch, energized show.

As they took up their instruments and began the song, heads around the room started bopping away. We were on for the ride. Speaking of riding... As the guys approached their microphones to begin singing, they suddenly all catapulted backwards and began falling all over themselves in fits of laughter, so much so I thought they might have to stop and have a drink of water or something to calm down. During the spontaneously-longer intro, a stage tech came out, also reeling with giggles, and began grabbing and pulling some translucent, stretchy material off each microphone before tossing it casually behind him. Once all the mics were free of their mysterious coverings (were these new mics someone forgot to unwrap? Was the last person to use them reeeeeally phlegmy?), the song began and carried on, still with the occasional headshake and snicker. After the song was done, the banter between the chuckling Waking Eyes gave away the mystery. Condoms. Yes, condoms. Those sneaky Collective Soul guys had made the first strike by placing condoms over all of the 'Eyes' microphones. Brilliant! Well-dressed Matt Peters stated (you know, just to assure us all of his chaste lifestlye), "Well now I finally know what one of those tastes like on my lips." Laughter continued, now transferring over to the crowd who finally knew what had just happened, and the guys kept making faces about how latexy their mics now smelled.

Rusty Matyas foretold, "It's the last show of the tour - and so the pranks begin..." No more crazy pranks would surface for the rest of their set, but they did have themselves some fun while going through their tunes, mostly from the "Video Sound" disc. They did one gentle acoustic number where all four band members sang in glorious harmony. It reminded me a bit of Marianas Trench, a Vancouver group that has remodelled itself in the last couple years, but has the ability to sing the most amazing vocal harmonies and used to do this a cappella version of Billy Joel's "And So It Goes..." Anyhow... I don't recall ever having heard bassist Joey Penner do such a deep, booming baritone. it really doesn't look like he should be capable of such a sound. He's a riot to watch though, he's practically flat on the ground half the time, swinging around, bopping away like mad. Ah, nothing like show spirit. They did a wee interlude which was introduced by Matyas so charmingly. "This song is about everyone in Collective Soul's mothers." And they went on to sing about mama I'm coming home, we're gonna get it on... doo doo.

Another huge highlight was, in the midst of I believe "Takin' The Hard Way," they melted the song down into a jazz jam. Penner dragged an upright bass from somewhere at the back of the stage, Matyas dragged his trumpet out of hiding, and Peters took up the keyboards. Terribly entertaing. I realize I'm not saying much about drummer Steve Senkiw, but alas, due to the pulsating throng at the stagefront, I was barely able to see him from where I was standing. That would change later on. Oh but did I ever want to dance to his crazy beat action... stupid knee ruining my life. Hey you know what else is ruining my life, speaking of dancing? Okay, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic. But a couple days after this show, in the absolute height of the time that I want to plunk the Waking Eyes CD into my stereo and fling myself around my living room now that my knee is in fine enough shape to do so, some asshole decides to break into my apartment and nick, among the weirdly and kinda creepily selective items stolen, both copies of Video Sound that I have (had!) in my possession. Argh! Ownership is a mere few dollars away again, but on a day when nothing would have cheered me more than losing myself in the peppy world of the Waking Eyes, it was not to be found. Bloody hell.

Between a couple songs, Matyas drew his head sharply back from his mic again and then explained that it still smelled like the condom. Poor fella. Sticking to tradition, they ended the set with a Beatles tune! The song of choice for the evening was “Come Together,” which is a pretty popular one for them. Oh, how the crowd livened up, even more so than before. The audience was instructed to join in on the come together… right now… over me parts, and wow, did they ever deliver. The band was positively beaming, as they roared and rasped their way through the whole thing. At the end, while waving valiantly, Matyas confessed, “Thanks to Collective Soul. They’re good guys… they’re a pretty good band, too.” Proving just how good they are, Collective Soul bassist Will Turpin came strolling out on stage at this point with a tray full of shots to hand around. The Waking Eyes partook in said shot, to a chorus of whoops and cheers from the spectators.

If you want to see what these guys look like in action, check out some of the Cord archives - from the Media Club, and from the Commodore. Don't forget our interview and ten questions feature with them where you can learn about potatoes and aliens.

After the stage was cleared completely (ooh, no stage monitors, how fancy), Collective Soul was ready to come out. Holy smokes, what anticipation. I know I was rubbing my hands together with devilish glee. I could already feel myself naively trotting down the halls of my junior high school, completely unaware of what a doorknob I was. Who cares, I was happy, I had “Gel” on my Walkman headphones from the cassette I’d “borrowed” (so what if she didn’t know it?) from my sister, and “Precious Declaration” in my guitar songbook. What else does a kid need anyhow?

Ed Roland took up the stage with his presence, taking advantage of the extra stage space afforded by those nifty in-ear monitors they all had. Coiffed in a shorter, blonder hairdo than we’re used to seeing him, and sporting a pink polo shirt that for some reason said “prepster” on the back of the collar in a Blackletter font, he cavorted about firmly connecting with audience members, posing for their cameras, smiling and pointing. He informed us right at the outset, along with a laugh, “tonight’s going to be a long night, trust me. I can feel it already.” It was pretty long, in fact over two hours, and it was the type of set that makes you realize just how ingrained a band can be in your life without you even really knowing it. Shock and delight passed over my face and the faces of some folks around me numerous times as yet another song was recognized. They really had a stranglehold on the 90’s crowd. Where have they been the past few years??!

Certainly not making any attempt at taking away from the musical contributions of the rest of the band, but as so often the case in a group, the singer is the best showman. While the rest of them slid around in their designated stage spots, Ed Roland (not to be confused with guitarist brother Dean) flew across the stage in mad hops and dashes, and doing tossing and spinning tricks with his microphone stand the likes of which are usually reserved for the skilled hands of a drummer and his drumsticks. How does one man so easily command the clumsy bulk of a microphone stand? He was a total magician up there. The band as a whole was far far heavier than I was expecting. The walls shook with every note. They even managed to get some crowd surfing going, which was a tad out of sorts but I guess when music reaches a certain volume, that’s just what happens. They played mountains of songs spanning their entire career - it was very “best of” in nature - including “Shine,” “Precious Declaration,” and “Where The River Flows.” Throw in some AC/DC and we’re good to go.

Leave it to the opening band, to the Canadians, to pull the most awesome prank/sabotage on Collective Soul. During what is certainly their most astronomical single, “Gel,” the Waking Eyes re-emerged on the stage brandishing various small percussion instruments, and certainly with their dancing shoes firmly in place. Most of them were reasonable enough, merely doing their best to cause a ruckus and get in the way of the Collective Soul guys. The laughter didn’t end, and escalated when the Eyes drummer Steve Senkiw, with the most self-satisfied, cocky (…um) look on his face came strolling confidently out to the stage with a tambourine and not a stitch on save for his underpants, which were, to the amusement of many as he turned around and shook his thang, yoinked straight up his rear. Scrawled on his chest in magic marker or something else bold and black, was the word GEL. Ohhhh awesome. I though Ed Roland was going to lose his mind and fall of the stage. After the song, the stage now vacated of the Waking Eyes, Roland said, with laughter still rattling him, “People make fun of southerners being inbred, but I don’t know, maybe there’s a little inbreeding going on in Winnipeg. What do you think?” These antics would be repeated later on during Collective Soul’s encore, where they too shared a shot, only this time Senkiw came out fully clothed before doing a little striptease up against Ed Roland's hip, seductively undoing his belt and dropping his pants, and showing everyone the CS written on his bum cheeks. What a riot. I can only assume these two bands had a darn lot of fun with one another on the road…

As a testament to Collective Soul's fan loyalty and popularity, their merch was completely sold out by this time on the tour. Many fans were upset at this, and I have to say, it was one sad-looking merch booth. This cavernous area created by the curve of the stairwell to the balcony, and in the middle of the huge wall was one Waking Eyes CD with a little piece of paper stating the price. Still, many of those were purchased and subsequently autographed by the band. Senkiw endured a bottom-related comment from every second person who walked past him on the way to the coat check line-up. I gather that's a memory that will stick the showgoers for years to come. Yes, a legend was made at the Commodore Ballroom this night.

Collective Soul is one of those bands that have flown under the radar for such a while, completely eclipsing the sound and styles of the years that made them famous (it sounds like we’re talking about the 50’s or something, but really, mid-90’s weren’t that long ago!) and emerging again very much in the same wavelength, but with a mildly modern tone… but because you hadn’t heard a peep from them for a few years, you tend to forget just how much you enjoyed them in the first place. It brings you right back to the 90’s, to high school and summer and the Jerky Boys… and it reminds me that my record collection is full of memories and great stuff I really should listen to more frequently. Perhaps it’s my way of burying the past, but come on, who can deny something this much fun? Oh man, I’m really turning into one of those old sods you find now at band reunion shows from the 80’s… get out your… billowy satin shirt and sensible dress pants!

Elsewhere

By Andy Scheffler
Photos : mtv.com
Published : May, 2005.