Arkells in Vancouver

Arkells in Vancouver: An Intimate Three Nights Between Band and City

If there’s a Canadian band that deserves a full-on celebration every time they roll into your city, it’s Arkells. It’s been a few years since their last Vancouver stop, Rogers Arena being the stage for that one. This time around though, the band had something different in mind. Something way more personal. Three shows, three nights, three iconic venues. The Between Us City Takeover was Arkells in Vancouver the way it deserves. They kicked things off where it all began for them, at The Penthouse. Vancouver’s infamous strip club turned occasional concert venue. Night two moved the party to the Hollywood Theatre, a room that’s watched careers blossom, Chappell Roan’s included. But night three was the Commodore Ballroom, and there’s a reason artists consistently call it the best venue the city has to offer. The first two nights of Arkells in Vancouver felt like warming up the city, with Commodore being the main event.

Setlist

The night opened with the band’s tenth studio album, Between Us, performed in full. Now, anyone who’s been to a concert where an artist drops a new record on tour knows the drill. Heads nodding politely, people half-swaying because they kind of know it, kind of don’t. That wasn’t this crowd. Between Us has barely been out a month and Vancouver fans were belting every single word like they’d been living with these songs for years. Honestly, it’s not hard to understand why. The album sounds like it’s time-traveled from a golden era. Songs like “Ride,” “Imagine Barcelona,” and “Rumour” just dig themselves right into your brain and don’t leave. Twenty-three tracks made up the full night and it split neatly into two worlds. The new album front to back, then a celebration of everything that made Arkells who they are. “Money,” “Two Hearts,” “Fake Money,” “Past Life,” “Whistleblower,” and “You Can Get It” were just a few of the hits that unsurprisingly made the cut. Fans didn’t let a single track pass without giving it everything they had.

Moments

Frontman Max Kerman, who’s recently added author to his resume. Is known as one of the most engaging performers in the country and in an intimate room like the Commodore. That reputation was fully earned. Multiple times throughout the night Max stepped off the stage and into the pit. Singing and dancing right there with the fans. No barrier, no distance, just Kerman in the crowd doing exactly what Arkells are known for. Creating moments people actually remember. Opener Ernest Trombodo brought that same energy too, taking to the pit and performing up close and personal like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Then came the encore. The night closed with what many would call the hit, “Leather Jackets.” There was proper build-up to it, the kind that makes a room buzz with anticipation. When Arkells came back out, Kerman once again performed in a crowd, but this time near the bar where he played his guitar. He gathered fans to stage right, and for a moment it was just him and the people, word for word, that close and that real. The the full band kicked in and the Commodore absolutely erupted. Not just for the song, not just for the night, but for Arkells as a whole.

The End

It’s genuinely tough to put into words what an Arkells show feels like. From the first moment you’re in, you’re in their world. It’s full of joy, free of whatever’s weighing on you outside those doors, and it gives you full permission to just let go. For three nights, Vancouver did exactly that. As the City Takeover wrapped up, fans walked out with something that felt less like nostalgia and more like a memory worth holding onto. The kind that makes you want to keep the ticket stub and frame it.

Thank You

I’d like to thank Arkells In Vancouver and their wonderful team for allowing us to experience the Between Us City Takeover. If you’d like to find a future date of the tour, please visit here: https://www.arkellsmusic.com/live/

Arkells in Vancouver