Arkells and Phantom Planet

Where do I even begin with Arkells? This band has captured my heart since the release of Jackson Square and they have stayed there since. However, due to my bad luck and conflicting schedules, I have only recently had the opportunity to see them live. And what an impression they left for my first show!

This pop-rock group from Hamilton, Canada love to have fun with their music and it really shows on stage. Arkells had the crowd going wild with tunes such as "Ballad of Hugo Chavez", "On Paper", and from their latest album, "Cynical Bastards". Speaking of their albums, Arkells are no exception in terms of experimenting with their music. While Jackson Square and Michigan Left have a more of an alternative rock feel to them, High Noon has bits and pieces of 90s and current pop music sprinkled within its tracks. Comparing the albums to high school tropes, Jackson Square is that chill senior on the soccer team with the great parties, Michigan Left is the best dressed guy at said party that all the ladies are loving, and High Noon is the crowd pleaser - it's not really a party without this one doing some crazy stunt.

Anyway, back to the show! Frontman Max Kerman has a commanding presence on stage. He had the crowd (myself included) enthralled whenever this fine gentleman opened his mouth. While Arkells could have the crowd in a riot, they could also be pulling on their heartstrings with songs such as "I'm Not The Sun". Arkells had the perfect mix of fast-paced and adrenaline-fueled tracks with slower, more emotional ones within their set. They also treated the crowd with an amazing encore - it was essentially a second set (with a great acoustic version of Book Club)! Their main set was none too short either. Arkells a great example of what Canadian music has to offer and I can guarantee that you'll be loving every second of their show if you see them live!

Phantom Planet - a band whose name is indelibly etched into the minds of all T4-watching-teenagers of the past decade. Who doesn’t hear that name and immediately hear a voice at the back of their mind wailing ‘Califoooorrrnniiiaaaa’?? This California four piece, consisting of Alex Greenwald, Darren Robinson, Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad, reached near-star status with their song ‘California’, made famous by the TV series ‘The O.C’ But are they more than a one hit wonder? Well their live shows tell you that they definitely are! Pedaling their own brand of surfer-rock pop, they have a talent for writing amazingly catchy pop records that translate very well to a live setting; so much so that they have chosen to release several live albums over the course of their career. It’s fair to say that ‘California’ will be the highlight of most Phantom Planet gigs, just because every audience member knows the words and loves to get involved with the show by belting out the chorus at the top of their lungs. However, more recent songs, such as ‘Do The Panic’ from their 2008 album, are just as fun to listen and bob along to. If you get the chance to see all four members of Phantom Planet play live together, just do it! Embrace the West Coast and just let loose!