March
      11,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
      her
      Prints
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      KENT
      DRISCOLL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      Mother
      Earth
      is
      one
      of
     
     
      those
      bands
      that
      you
      must
      see
     
     
      to
      truly
      appreciate,
      and
      on
     
     
      February
      19th,
      the
      students
      of
     
     
      UPEI
      were
      able
      to
      fully
      ap-
     
     
      preciate
      these
      young
      Toronto
     
     
      rockers.
      From
      beginning
      to
      end,
     
     
      IME
      put
      ona
      live
      performance
     
     
      that
      stands
      among
      the
      best
     
     
      shows
      to
      ever
      grace
      the
      de-
     
     
      crepit
      walls
      of
      The
      Barn.
     
     
      Through
      their
      energetic
      stage
     
     
      performance,
      “rock
      boy”
      an-
     
     
      tics
      and
      solid
      performance,
      the
     
     
      crowd
      was
      changed
      from
      the
     
     
      typical
      “drink
      till
      you
      drop,
      let’s
     
     
      play
      Black
      Knight”
      Barn
     
     
      crowd,
      to
      a
      seething
      mass
      that
     
     
      was
      obeying
      the
      every
      com-
     
     
      mand
      of
      Edwin,
      the
      charis-
     
     
      matic
      lead
      vocalist.
     
    

    
     
      If
      you
      can
      characterise
     
     
      a
      band’s
      music
      with
      one
      word,
     
     
      the
      word
      for
      I
      Mother
      Earth
      is
     
     
      rhythm.
      For
      the
      tour,
      the
      band
     
     
      added
      a
      rhythm
      percussionist,
     
     
      and
      when
      combined
      with
      the
     
     
      already
      rhythmic
      music
      of
      the
     
     
      four
      members
      of
      IME,
      the
      re-
     
     
      sult
      was
      hypnotic.
      Rhythm
      lay-
     
     
      ered
      over
      rhythm
      is
      the
      key
      to
     
     
      their
      music.
      These
      powerful
     
     
      beats
      moved
      the
      crowd
      to
      form
     
     
      the
      largest
      mosh
      pit
      in
      UPEI
     
     
      history,
      extending
      from
      stage
     
     
      to
      the
      sound
      board,
      filling
      the
     
     
      entire
      dance
      floor.
     
    

    
     
      When
      opening
      act
     
     
      Glueleg
      left
      the
      stage,
      IME
     
     
      made
      an
      entrance
      in
      the
      true
     
     
      classic
      rock
      tradition.
      All
      lights
     
     
      are
      were
      out,
      and
      the
      drums
     
     
      begin.
      The
      guitar
      joins,
      and
      the
     
     
      murmurs
      begin
      in
      the
      crowd.
     
     
      Flashes
      of
      light,
      and
      then
      a
     
     
      giant
      roar
      from
      the
      fans
      as
     
     
      they
      realise
      that
      the
      first
      song
     
     
      of
      the
      show
      was
      “One
      More
     
     
      Astronaut”,
      IME’s
      hit
      single
     
     
      from
      their
      smash
      album
      “Scen-
     
     
      ery
      and
      Fish”.
      By
      starting
      out
     
     
      with
      the
      song
      that
      everyone
      in
     
     
      the
      building
      knew,
      IME
     
     
      grabbed
      the
      crowd,
      and
      made
     
     
      them
      theirs.
     
    

    
     
      Their
      stage
      presence
     
     
      was
      reinforced
      by
      the
      actions
     
     
      of
      lead
      vocalist
      Edwin
      (one
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SRaRS
      SEES
      ESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      edwin,
      egos
      &
      earth:
     
     
      |
      Mother
      Earth
      does
      The
      Barn
     
    
   
   
    
     
      word
      name,
      ie
      Cher,
      Madonna,
     
     
      Prince),
      who
      is
      at
      worst
      a
      ham,
     
     
      and
      at
      best,
      a
      showman.
      The
     
     
      immediate
      hormonal
      response
     
     
      from
      the
      women
      in
      the
      audi-
     
     
      ence
      didn’t
      hurt
      his
      showman-
     
     
      ship
      either.
      The
      most
      common
     
     
      words
      heard
      in
      the
      Barn
      that
     
     
      were
      “‘isn’t
      he
      hot?”
      One
      can
     
     
      only
      assume
      they
      weren’t
      talk-
     
     
      ing
      about
      the
      sub-tropical
      feel
     
     
      the
      Barn
      gets
      during
      main
     
     
      events.
      Edwin
      was
      slapping
     
     
      hands,
      talking
      to,
      and
      generally
     
     
      enjoying
      the
      crowd,
      and
      they
     
     
      certainly
      enjoyed
      him
      right
     
     
      back.
     
     
      Edwin
      is
      full
      of
      cliches,
     
     
      but
      through
      his
      sincere
      deliv-
     
     
      ery
      and
      stage
      presence,
      the
     
     
      crowd
      believed
      him.
      A
      per-
     
     
      fect
      example
      is
      when
      he
      scaled
     
     
      the
      balcony
      and
      leaned
      over
     
     
      the
      crowd.
      While
      you
      may
      have
     
     
      seen
      Eddie
      Vedder
      do
      this
      in
     
     
      the
      video
      for
      “Even
      Flow’,
      but
     
     
      did
      Eddie
      manage
      to
      climb
      a
     
     
      balcony,
      in
      bare
      feet,
      holding
      a
     
     
      microphone,
      lower
      himself
      into
     
     
      the
      crowd,
      and
      still
      manage
     
     
      not
      to
      miss
      a
      word
      in
      the
      song?
     
     
      Edwin
      did.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      His
      other
      large
      “rock
     
    
   
   
    
     
      star”
      gesture
      was
      to
      pick
      the
     
     
      spotlight
      up
      off
      of
      the
      stage,
     
     
      and
      shine
      it
      toward
      the
      crowd.
     
     
      While
      U2’s
      Bono
      is
      famous
     
     
      for
      this
      move,
      Edwin
      tied
      it
      in
     
     
      IME’s
      show
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nicely
      with
      He
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SSeS
      RaRSEE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      used
      a
      red
      light
      during
      their
     
     
      song
      “Raspberry.”
      Sure
      it
      was
     
     
      obvious,
      but
      damn
      it,
      it
      worked.
     
    

    
     
      Edwin
      remained
      sin-
     
     
      cere,
      even
      when
      saying
      the
     
     
      obligatory
      things
      heard
      at
     
     
      shows.
      Instead
      of
      asking
      the
     
     
      crowd
      to
      stop
      pushing,
      he
      sim-
     
     
      ply
      commented,
      “You
      are
      kill-
     
     
      ing
      your
      friends
      up
      here.”
      How-:
     
     
      ever,
      that
      didn’t
      completely:
     
     
      stop
      the
      pushing,
      and
      a
      number
     
     
      of
      dehydrated
      fans
      had
      to
      be'
     
     
      removed.
     
    

    
     
      During
      the
      mandatory
     
     
      "gee,
      we're
      really
      happy
      to
     
     
      be...
      ah...
      where
      the
      hell
      are
     
     
      we?"
      section,
      Edwin
      again
     
     
      made
      the
      crowd
      roar.
      Feeling
     
     
      apparently
      as
      one
      with
      the
     
     
      audience,
      he
      recounted
      his
      tale
     
     
      of
      hiding
      in
      the
      bathroom
      at
     
     
      the
      Barn,
      and
      listening
      to
      peo-
     
     
      ple
      talk
      about
      the
      band.
      One
     
     
      comment
      he
      overheard
      was,
     
     
      “Why
      the
      hell
      are
      IME
      playing
     
     
      here?”
      His
      simple
      and
      true
     
     
      answer,
      “How
      can
      you
      call
     
     
      yourselfa
      Canadian
      band
      when
     
     
      you
      haven’t
      played
      PEI.*
     
    

    
     
      Aside
      from
      Edwin’s
     
     
      actions,
      the
      band
      put
      on
      an
     
     
      amazing
      display
      of
      live
      jam-
     
     
      ming
      technique.
      When
      they
     
     
      jam,
      IME
      seems
      greater
      then
     
     
      the
      sum
      of
      their
      parts.
      Each
      is
     
     
      talented,
      but
      the
      way
      they
     
     
      weave
      their
      talents
      together
     
     
      makes
      for
      a
      unique
      musical
     
    
   
   
    
     
      experience.
     
    

    
     
      Aside
      from
      their
      songs
     
     
      from
      “Dig”
      and
      “Scenery
      and
     
     
      Fish”,
      they
      added
      large
      solos
     
     
      and
      percussion
      features,
      and
     
     
      even
      threw
      a
      few
      cover
      songs
     
     
      into
      the
      mix.
      They
      musically
     
     
      tipped
      their
      hats
      to
      Led
      Zeppe-
     
     
      lin,
      Santana,
      and
      The
      Doors,
     
     
      either
      through
      introductions
      to
     
     
      songs,
      or,
      as
      in
      the
      case
      of
      The
     
     
      Doors,
      they
      delivered
      a
      full
     
     
      version
      of
      “LA
      Woman”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “When
      not
      Wading
      if
      bathroom
      stalls;
      1
      Mother
      Earth
      enjoy
      long
      walks
      ©
     
     
      on
      the
      beach
      and
      catering
      to
      swooning
      females.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      photos
      J.
      Clow
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Instrumentally,
      the
      high
      point
     
     
      of
      the
      night
      was
      when
      the
      lead
     
     
      guitar
      player
      joined
      the
      rhythm
     
     
      percussionist
      for
      a
      rhythmjam,
     
     
      which
      lasted
      at
      least
      ten
      min-
     
     
      utes.
      Selfindulgent,
      but
      again,
     
     
      damn
      it,
      it
      worked.
     
    

    
     
      1
      Mother
      Earth
      is
      with-
     
     
      out
      a
      doubt
      one
      of
      Canada’s
     
     
      best
      performance
      acts
      right
     
     
      now,
      and
      can
      only
      get
      better
     
     
      with
      time.
      IME:
      get
      'em
      while
     
     
      they’re
      hot.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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