Hamilton band prove that they’re the “People’s Champs”
It’s rare that a Canadian musician becomes popular enough to embark on a cross-country arena tour, and even rarer when it’s an indie rock band. After over a decade in the making, the Arkells have solidified their place as one of the great Canadian modern rock bands with their Rally Cry album and tour.
What some bands struggle with as they grow in popularity is how to connect with fans when they upgrade to an arena-sized venue from small clubs. On Thursday, Feb. 14 at The Aud in Kitchener, the Arkells showed that this wasn’t a problem for them and played comfortably to an audience of thousands.
Every song during the Arkells’ set received a special treatment that made it stand out from the rest of the concert. There was confetti, choreography, a disco ball, and more. The band was joined onstage by their touring brass band, backup singers who were called the Arkettes, and even invited a few fans who wore homemade versions of vocalist/guitarist Max Kerman’s iconic fringe jacket from the Rally Cry album art to sing during “Only for a Moment.” At one point during the show, Kerman made his way through the audience and wrote “doctor’s notes from the desk of the Arkells” to audience members so they could try to skip work the next day.
The band reminisced on their memories of the Kitchener area; Kerman spoke about playing shows at nearby venues like the Starlight Social Club in Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo, Conestoga College, Hillside Festival in Guelph, and opening for The Tragically Hip in 2013, many years ago at The Aud. It was a particularly special moment for the band to play their song “Relentless” during the concert, because the lyrics had been inspired by The Tragically Hip’s frontman, the late Gord Downie, and his battle with brain cancer.
Arkells concluded their Canadian tour on Feb. 19 in Montreal, and will be continuing on the U.S. leg of the tour until March 30, with support from The Greeting Committee and fellow Canadian band, Dear Rouge.
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Feature photo by Karen K. Tran/The Ontarion.