Nothing Between Arkells and Us in Vancouver
- 15 hours ago
- 2 min read
Article by: Tucker McLean
May 9th, 2026
“Go home with a story, whether it’s true or not.” This mantra, shared by Arkell’s lead singer Max Kerman during the band’s concert last night at the Hollywood Theatre, bottles the spirit of their Between Us tour: to play a show that tells a tale hard to believe for those not there.
For their takeover of Vancouver, the band played three sold out shows, each one at a different venue across the city: first the Penthouse (a throwback to their first ever show in Vancouver 18 years ago), then the Hollywood Theatre, and finally, the Commodore.
While Arkells are no strangers to beguiling crowds of thousands, their choice to squeeze into iconic, intimate venues at each tour stop is the point: to collapse the space between stage and nosebleeds for a more personal night. It made for a singular experience – an anachronistic blend of the small shows of their early days mixed with the commanding presence, deep song catalogue, and impassioned fanbase of a seasoned, beloved band. Each one of us in the red curtained room last night seemed to recognize we were witness to something special.
Anyone expecting a stripped down performance fit for a smaller venue was quickly proven wrong. The Hamiltonians brought stadium energy to the compact theatre; look no further than their extended setlist. Not only did the band play the entirety of their new album Between Us, they then commenced to belt out nearly a dozen hits from across their back catalogue.
But it was the many loving exchanges with fans that told the story of the evening: Max holding aloft homemade merch thrown from young fan Baylor (“What Good Max?” scrawled on a plain white T), the band orchestrating the crowd in a three-part harmony for the chorus of “Never Thought That This Would Happen,” even lucky fans pulled onto the stage to sing along.
At the close of the show, after the diehards continued chanting “WE’RE-NOT-LEA-VING,” after the house lights went on, after the outro music had been extinguished, after the stage crew had striped down most of the instruments, with the crowd remaining steadfast, the band eventually relented, returning to the theatre, wading into the audience for an acoustic rendition of their classic “Leather Jacket.” On the second stop on their cross-Canada tour, Arkells lived up to the name of their new LP – they didn’t leave any space between us.
