‘Just book off work on Friday’: Arkells excited to resume tour in Kelowna on Thursday

If you’re on the fence about whether to see Arkells in Kelowna on Thursday, frontman Max Kerman has some sound advice.

“Thursday is Friday junior,” he told KelownaNow. “Just book off work on Friday and let’s have a great time!”

Seeing Arkells in person is always a good time, as they’ve earned a reputation as one of the most exciting and energetic bands in Canada over the past 15 years or so.

Thursday’s show at Prospera Place, part of the Big Feelings Tour, will come with a bit of pent up energy as well since the group has enjoyed a bit of a break since their last show in Calgary on Nov. 2.

“We had this last weekend at home, but now I think everyone can’t wait to get on the plane, get to Kelowna and pick it up again,” Kerman said.

From their humble beginnings as a virtually unknown band out of Hamilton, playing venues like The Habitat, to the group we see rocking stadiums like Prospera Place today, it’s been quite the journey for Arkells.

With nearly 10 albums and dozens of popular songs, it makes the task of creating a 20ish-song set list for a two-hour show a bit of a challenge.

“For a band that’s been around as long as we have, people have gotten on board at different times,” Kerman explained.

He says there’s plenty of people who have been around since day one who want to hear early material, but many of those fans are now bringing along their kids who want to jam out to their newer tunes.

They’ve managed to create a set list that pays homage to their entire career, with at least one song from every album and even a cover or two from their recently-released Disco Loadout Vol. 1.

And if there’s a certain song you want to hear in Kelowna, the band still has a request line that you can call at 1-888-426-8856.

At each show, Arkells will take a moment to answer the phone and play a recording of a heartfelt message left by a local fan before jumping into their deep-cut request.

Connecting with fans and hearing those stories, and how Arkells’ music fits into so many different lives, is one of Kerman’s favourite parts of hitting the road.

“It really just grounds everything that we do,” he said, noting that their music has been the soundtrack for positive milestones like weddings or graduations as well as challenging times like a cancer diagnosis or the death of a loved one. “We’ve heard a lot of amazing stories this month.”

For a band that has hit the road as many times as Arkells has, the main focus for each tour date is how they can beat the last show they had in that city.

Their last show in the Kelowna area was a headlining gig at AltiTunes 2022, and Kerman says the unusual, winter wonderland of a venue was an “amazing time” and “special experience.”

But a festival gig is much different than a band’s own tour and it’s been five years since Arkells last played a show in Kelowna at Prospera Place in 2019.

With control over every element of what fans will see on Thursday, they’ve had plenty of time since their last visit to re-imagine their live show and create an unforgettable experience for their Okanagan supporters.

It won’t just be Arkells putting on a show in Kelowna either, as they are bringing K.Flay along as an opening act for the British Columbia leg of their tour.

If you’re not familiar with K.Flay, she’s featured on the Arkells song “You Can Get It” and has a few of her own tunes that have made it big on Canadian alternative radio or even social media platforms like TikTok.

“She’s an electric performer. She really matches our energy in a great way,” Kerman stated. “Most of all, she’s just kind of a kindred spirit. She’s just a really kind, polite, hard-working person and we like to surround ourselves with that kind of person.”

Tickets to see Arkells and K.Flay at Prospera Place on Thursday, Nov. 14, are still available through Select Your Tickets.

Following their Kelowna show, they'll be off to Vancouver and Victoria this weekend before finishing up the Big Feelings Tour in Ontario later this month.