Ottawa played host to the Arkells on this leg of the #RallyCryTour. The Arkells are no stranger to the National Capital music scene having played many venues over their career like Algonquin College and Bluesfest.
The Arkells, who are based out of Hamilton Ontario, formed in 2006. Lead singer Max Kerman graduated with a BA in Political Science from McMaster University and this is where he met the rest of the band.
The originally went by the name Charlemagne until another band with the same name threatened legal action. The name “Arkells” comes from the the street they lived and practiced on.
The current tour is for their 5th studio album “Rally Cry”. The band was making a strong name for themselves and moving up the rock charts.
Lord Huron
Lord Huron, based out of LA, started the night opening with a full length set. This included playing some of their most noted tracks “Fool of Love” and “The Night we met”. Just to add that little touch of uniqueness they even played a Theremin.
The Arkells
Once the Arkells took the stage their front man Max Kerman wasted no time getting the crowd involved and letting everyone know the Arkells show rules. Sing along, Dance and Look out for each other.
The band set up a request hotline to allow fans to help make the play list for the nights of the shows they were going to. The crowd got to sing along to songs like “Blueprint” of the Jackson Square album and even a karaoke rendition of “Only for a Moment”.
You can tell these guys love what they do and have been doing this together for a while. They have a very dynamic stage presence and make for one hell of a show.
If you weren’t a fan of the Arkells before, seeing them live would certainly help change your mind with an energetic performance and some intimate moments connecting with the crowd.