By Yuri Woodfall – Western Lead, Photojournalist – Sound Check Entertainment
For most bands, playing three nights in one city is ambitious. For Arkells, it became a full-scale Edmonton takeover.
The Between Us Tour wasn’t just another stop through Alberta – it felt like a carefully crafted celebration of connection, community, and live music culture itself. Three nights. Three venues. Three completely different setlists. And by the time the final chorus rang through Midway Music Hall on May 16, Arkells had successfully turned Edmonton into their city for the weekend.
A major part of the tour’s identity comes from Arkells performing their new album Between Us front-to-back each night before shifting into a rotating collection of fan favourites, deep cuts, and older material unique to each venue. It gave every show structure while still allowing each night to feel wildly different from the last.
It all began on May 14 at The Buckingham – a venue Arkells had somehow never played before. The sold out room was packed shoulder-to-shoulder long before the band hit the stage, with fans crammed against walls, packed near the bar, and spilling into every possible viewing angle the venue could offer. There was a very real sense that everyone in attendance knew they were witnessing something special. Myself and my friend Mike Scott stood among the crowd watching the anticipation build as fans eagerly waited for the band to appear in a room far too small for the level of excitement inside it.
The Buckingham setlist immediately established that Arkells were not approaching this Edmonton run like a standard multi-night booking. Opening with the Between Us material including “Next Summer”, “What Good”, “Ride”, “Money”, “Barcelona”, “Desire’s”, “Universe Talking”, and “Escape Door,” the band balanced newer material with the emotional weight and massive hooks that have defined this era of Arkells. Once the album portion concluded, the set opened up into a rotating collection of fan favourites and deeper cuts. The smaller venue transformed tracks like “On Paper”, “Book Club”, and “And Then Some” into deeply communal moments, while the closing run of “Leather Jacket”, “Years In The Making”, and “Boss Is Coming” turned the packed Buckingham crowd into one massive singalong.
Night two shifted the party over to the Starlite Room on May 15, continuing the tour’s concept of giving each venue and crowd its own identity. Rather than recycling the same set nightly, Arkells treated Edmonton fans like collectors chasing rare versions of songs across all three evenings. Deep cuts surfaced, fan favourites rotated in and out, and each venue developed its own personality.
The Starlite Room set especially leaned into longtime fan favourites and deeper emotional cuts. Songs like “Michigan Left”, “Come To Light”, “Private School”, “Pulling Punches”, “Quitting You”, and the encore performance of “John Lennon” gave night two a more intimate and nostalgic atmosphere compared to the explosive Midway finale that followed the next evening. Rather than simply replaying the same concert three times, Arkells approached Edmonton almost like a residency – giving fans completely different emotional experiences depending on which night they attended.
By the time the band arrived at Midway Music Hall for night three, the atmosphere felt victorious – like the finale to a city-wide celebration.
The Midway setlist reflected that celebratory feeling immediately. Arkells once again opened with the full Between Us album, powering through “Next Summer”, “What Good”, “Money”, “Barcelona”, “Desire’s”, “Universe Talking”, and “Two Hearts” before launching into the rotating back half of the evening. The flow constantly evolved between emotional introspection and explosive indie-rock energy, with songs like “Rumour”, “Escape Door”, “Past Life”, “Book Club”, and “And Then Some” giving the crowd plenty of opportunities to scream every lyric back toward the stage. By the time the band closed the night with “Leather Jacket”, “Years”, and “Boss”, Midway Music Hall felt less like a concert venue and more like one giant celebration.
And Edmonton gave every ounce of energy right back.
Throughout the night, entire sections of songs were handed over to the crowd. Max Kerman repeatedly stepped away from the microphone to let fans finish choruses themselves, smiling as thousands of voices carried lyrics back toward the stage. Arkells concerts have always excelled at creating belonging, but Midway felt especially intimate despite the packed venue size.
Kerman remains one of Canada’s most effortlessly charismatic frontmen because he never performs at a crowd – he performs with them. Whether joking between songs, acknowledging fans who had followed all three nights, or simply standing back and taking in the noise during massive singalong moments, he constantly reinforced the feeling that everybody inside Midway was part of something together.
Musically, the band sounded airtight. Mike DeAngelis and Anthony Carone layered shimmering guitars and synth textures seamlessly throughout the set, while Tim Oxford and Nick Dika kept everything driving forward with infectious momentum. Arkells have reached that rare level of chemistry where even spontaneous moments feel perfectly locked in.
Visually, Midway’s lighting setup added just enough spectacle without losing the intimacy that defined the weekend. Warm reds, golds, and deep blues washed over the room while the crowd moved almost as one unit beneath them. Phones occasionally appeared for quick clips or photos, but for the most part, fans seemed more interested in actually living the moment than documenting it.
That’s what made the Between Us Tour Edmonton run feel bigger than just three concerts. Arkells didn’t simply play the city – they embedded themselves into it for an entire weekend. From the sweaty intimacy of The Buckingham to the Starlite Room celebration and finally the explosive Midway finale, each night became another chapter in one larger shared experience.
Three nights. Three venues. Three different setlists.
One unforgettable Edmonton takeover.
