Friday was a good night to be a 90s bitch. The Arkells snuck in a cover of Icona Pop’s I Love It, and their opener Cailin Russo returned to the stage for the anthem featuring Charli XCX. This was definitely a highlight and somehow more exciting than seeing the Arkells perform Robyn’s Dancing On My Own with Tegan and Sara in 2024. But it couldn’t trump the surprise of their throwback to ABBA’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) at Scotiabank Arena in 2022.
Max Kerman was eager to make a Heated Rivalry reference and asked fans, “Who’s going to the cottage this summer?”
Overall, it felt like a classic Arkells show with a slightly elevated production quality. They invested more effort in lighting to transition from campfire vibes to rock and roll bangers. With the help of a machine, Max made it rain with fake cash while performing the new song Money. An overhead video screen also displayed the 11:11 clock during their hit song, as well as a farewell message when the lights came up. Plus, gold pyro added to the magic at RBC Amphitheatre.
Years In The Making seems to be the go-to song for Max to sing in the middle of the crowd. This time, Max stepped off the stage to sing Ride first. Every achievement is years in the making for the Arkells. When Max thanked fans for showing up, he said it’s “just as meaningful as when we were 22.”
From Toronto to London and Hamilton and back, it’s been fun to watch their growth over time. Every show is worth it if you can get tickets. However, the setlist at an Arkells concert is always hit or miss.
After playing new songs from Between Us for the first half of recent shows followed by old school favourites, they totally mixed it up at RBC Amphitheatre. They skipped Rumour, which is my favourite track on Between Us! It’s a fun melody that reminds me of how tabloids thrive on gossip.
The Arkells notably distribute souvenirs on tour and I’m not talking about LED wristbands. A gift with purchase is rare at concerts! This time, the free Diet Coke towel tied in with the “diet Coca-Cola” lyric in Imagine Barcelona. It’s my favourite design so far, although I’m biased about my red and grey colour scheme. Plus, I finally found must-have Arkells merch: a keychain that looks like the street sign that inspired their band name. I love it!
The pre-show experience at RBC Amphitheatre is a fun summer tradition. You never know who you’ll reconnect with and the Arkells created the perfect photo op. Fans posed with the iconic Arkells branded Bell payphone that’s been seen onstage for years during Leather Jacket!
The band captioned their concert photos by saying “It was a movie.” Nailed it!
As Max Kerman enters a new era as a film producer, it will be interesting how that perspective translates to the stage. Max and manager Ashley Poitevin produced The Tower That Built A City, a documentary about the CN Tower. I had a chance to interview director Mark Myers about the documentary and ask him about directing music videos for the Arkells! You can jump to that section here.
Perhaps an Arkells concert film could be next, especially if they have an ongoing deal with Bell Media and Crave. It’s possible, but it would be hard to fully capture why you need to see the Arkells live. After all, their latest album is all about going offline.
Follow me on Instagram & YouTube to see what’s hot in Hollywood, including my latest interviews and reviews!
P.S. This concert review about the Arkells is long overdue. My first article about their parking lot show sponsored by Samsung screams intern in an influencer marketing agency more so than music criticism.
Find the whole setlist for the Arkells concert in Toronto here.