Going into this improv show you know that you are entering a stage set for a rock concert. Counting 3 microphones, a keyboard, 4 guitars and a few amps, and the black wires hooking up all this gear, a big drumkit cover with the bold initials JF. Yup it definitely gives off rock band vibes.

On entrée everyone gets handed a cd cover called : “Falls for Anything – the very best of Jericho Falls & the Crooked Walls 1994-2024” by our fabulous host of the evening and also crowd warmer, Jennifer O’Sullivan. It has their 12 best hits written on the back but you know it is improv because key words are left blank and felt pens are handed out. This is a creative audience participation device for supplying the inspiration to help create the amazing anthems Jericho Falls and the Crooked Walls are so famous for.

Jennifer endows the audience as the fans of this amazing rock band that hasn’t had a live tour in 10 years and we are part of the live recording that will be broadcasted to all of their fans. Counting us in to go live and under loud applause she introduces the individual band members.

We see Maxxine Payne (Lia Kelly) wearing an elaborate headdress and showing off the muscle arms of her pro wrestling days taking her spot on the keyboard and the first mic on the left. Next up is Ernie Fontaine (Matt Hutton) wearing sunglasses and head band, also fitted with a mic and a guitar. The third member of the group is Patchouli (Ollie Howlett) on percussion and the only one without a microphone, but with his white joint between his lips. Reason given is that he was a silent protestor protesting against the war in Vietnam. It would make it tricky to sing with a joint most of the time hanging out of his mouth anyway.

Last but not least is Jericho Falls (Matt Powell) with hair that would make Bon Jovi proud, sunnies and the attitude of a real rockstar. The audience behaves like a fan base crowd and once the music starts these musicians have us tapping our toes, clapping our hands and belting out the chorus of most songs like they know and love these core songs of this band.

As these are the best ever hits, there is meaning behind every song and there is joy in seeing the band members justify the song with the title ‘I can’t grow without milk’. Or dealing with a tricky song, ‘Her Name was Orange’ – which by the way was the name of the actual elephant of Patchouli, which was the reason for the breakup of the band. 

We learn about the dark period from Jericho Falls, where he could not hold his guitar and where he discovered that you can still make music without the guitar. “But what do I do with my left hand?”

Jennifer skillfully glues the crowd-pleasing songs with talk of their origin, influencing the Crooked Wall members to reveal deeper emotions and secrets. Skillful lighting tech Hedy Manders uses the mood setting to enhance the vibe of the songs the band performs …

Personally, I am in awe that people can make up a song on the spot, and sing it like they own this song and have sung it a million times. But even more amazing is that you can get a crowd of a nearly sold-out BATS Dome singing and clapping and counting (Feels like six ghosts), whooping and cheering for this band that actually didn’t exist yesterday and won’t exist tomorrow, but for this moment it is fully live.

What a privilege.

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