In celebration of their newest album, Between Us, Arkells embarked on a North American tour with stops across Canada and the US. They recently spent three nights in Calgary (May 19-21), intentionally choosing intimate venues such as The Palomino, the Royal Canadian Legion, and The Palace Theatre.
Primarily rooted in alternative rock, Arkells are known for their high-energy, anthemic performances and emotionally open songwriting. The new album centers on human connection — something the band wanted to bring into the tour experience.
The Palace crowd was filled mostly with millennials, though both younger and older ones could easily be spotted. Arkells T-shirts appeared everywhere.
The Palace’s rounded interior made the sound feel rich and immersive while adding to the intimacy of the night. Even from the balcony, the entire room felt unusually close and connected.
DJ Ernesto Barahona warmed up the audience with dance tracks and trombone playing. The energy built slowly but steadily as anticipation grew.
Once the band hit the stage, the atmosphere shifted immediately. They launched into “What Good?” with playful energy. After nearly 20 years together, Arkells have clearly mastered the art of holding an audience’s attention. Kerman shook hands, jumped into the crowd, and constantly pulled the audience deeper into the performance.
Much of the set focused on songs from Between Us, the new album. Tracks like “Next Summer” and “Imagine Barcelona” shared the warmth, movement, and summer-night optimism, while a song like “Desire’s Got Some Questions”— a lyrical reflection on uncertainty and the questions we all carry. During that one, the audience sang together, filling in gaps in the chorus, which, with the Palace acoustics, felt almost like a choir.
The night moved through an entire spectrum of emotions. One moment, it felt like a rave; the next, it became intimate and almost tender.
“Imagine being 22 again,” they said between songs. The show gave that feeling: sweet, vulnerable, and full of hope.
Arkells disarm and then enchant you. It’s like a tornado that pulls you in so completely that you don’t even notice the moment you become part of it.
Before the show, we spoke with frontman Max Kerman about the tour, the new album, and nearly 20 years of Arkells.
Q&A with Max Kerman
You’ve been touring with Between Us since April — how has this felt for the band so far?
“It’s been amazing. Actually, gone better than expected. There’s a direct line between the band and the audience. They totally are down for what we’ve been cooking up. It’s been really fun on this tour to be able to play all these new songs. It feels like there’s a new life within the band.
“There are all these moments that can happen within a song that are hard to predict until you start playing them live in front of an audience. We feel like the live versions have a whole other kind of energy.”
What drew you to this format of three nights in small venues?
“It’s our ninth album, and it’s really hard to play a lot of new material if you’re touring big venues. But when you’re playing in a little club, I think you can get away with more. The audience engages in a different kind of way. The people who bought tickets really want to be there, and there’s a good chance they’ve heard the new music.
“For this round of touring, we wanted the shows to feel small so we could really connect with the audience.
“Usually on tour, you’re in and out of a city, and you have no time to enjoy it. This time around, we wanted to plant some roots for a couple of days, see friends, go to our favourite coffee shops, and enjoy the city a little more.”
What brought human connection to the center of this album? What brought human connection to the center of this album?
“I think that’s always been a key part of our band — that in-person relationship we have with our audience.
“But coming out of the pandemic, we really wanted to feel that power of being in a room with people again. There was so much isolation, and it was hard for everybody. It was hard to be in a band during that time.
“So I think it’s remembering that the stuff with a little bit of friction can sometimes be the best stuff. It’s easy to stay at home and watch Netflix. The harder thing is putting on your shoes, leaving the house, standing in line, and waiting for a band. But I think it’s more worthwhile.”
It’s been almost 20 years since Arkells started. Looking back, what transformations in the band feel the most meaningful to you now?
“I feel like we’re always changing. When we first came out, CDs were still for sale. If your song could become a ringtone, that was an important marketing measure. And now TikTok exists, and that’s how people discover music.
“The guys in the band have kids now. We’re older. But what remains is that we still want to be excellent as musicians, performers and songwriters. We’re always trying to push ourselves and beat the last thing we did.”
Even across different albums, your music still feels romantic and hopeful. How have you managed to hold onto that over the years?
“I just ended up leaning into that because it’s what feels best to write about. I want to see the good in people. I want to hope for the best. Writing allows me to take comfort in those ideas — that tomorrow can be a little bit better.”
