Summer To Do #6: Watch a band play live. Arkells rockin' it at Vogue!

I can’t say I’ve never seen bands play before or went to a music festival, but I’ve never paid for one nor deliberately went to see a favorite band before. That is why “watch a band play live” was on my summer to do. How lucky was I that Arkells, one of my top 5 favorite bands, came to Vancouver yesterday!

Nothing says bromance like 3 bands coming together for one song! (Arkells, The Maine and Lydia)

There’s a huge difference watching a band you don’t know and a band playing songs you actually can sing along to.  The thing I love about this band from Hamilton, Ontario is that even when you don’t know them, you can enjoy the show as if you did.  The first time I heard them was when they played before Our Lady Peace at one of the free shows during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.  Even though my friends and I had never heard of them, their tunes were so catchy we managed to sing along anyway and had a great time.

Here is one of my favorites off their first album, Jackson Square. (Of which I thoroughly enjoy every track, how many CDs can you say that about?):

Sometimes I can’t figure out why I would want to go to a concert.  No flying elbows, secondhand smoke, ringing ears, and I can sing and dance along with less self-conscious hindrances when I’m in my own room.  Plus I’m only 5’2 so the view isn’t always so awesome.  But meeting people who hold that music as close to themselves as you do, that feeling is just something else.  There are no awesome opening acts of a band you’ve never heard of at home either (well… sort of.)

Vogue Theater on Granville

This was also my first time watching a show at Vogue… boy did I feel like a concert virgin when I joined the line 3 blocks away.

Tip: go early to line up if you want to get the best standing spot. Maybe an hour and a half? If the band starts tweeting about the line, you should put down your terriyaki bowl and haul it (and pay first of course, not condoning dine and dash!)