This summary provides an overview of Arkells' first tour of the United States: Arkells, an award-winning rock band from Hamilton, embarked on their first tour of the United States with a tight budget and schedule. As a do-it-yourself operation, the band members were responsible for driving themselves in a van, handling finances and logistics, and ensuring they received enough rest between shows. The multi-week tour required dedication from the band members to balance their musical performances with the challenges of life on the road.

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WEEKEND READERTHE HAMILTON SPECTATOR ❚ AUGUST 14, 2010 ❚ THESPEC.COM
BY ANDREW BAULCOMB
ick Dika is strolling across
a simmering blacktop
parking lot in rural Penn-
sylvania. It’s early after-
noon and Arkells are
preparing to depart for
Washington, DC.
“We’re running a little
late this morning,” says
Dika. He’s neither angry nor pleased, just
stating the obvious to lead singer Max Ker-
man.
It’s 30 C in the shade and everyone is
already sweating through their tight cotton
T-shirts. Dika hands out bottles of water.
“Don’t worry about it,” he says, cutting
the mild but obvious tension brewing in the
parking lot.
Twelve hours earlier, the band agreed to
be up and on the road by 11 a.m. By the time
everyone is showered, dressed and standing
in the parking lot, it’s almost noon.
Nobody panics. Nobody steps out of
line. Dissent is the kiss of death for any
touring band and everybody bites their
tongues as suitcases and bags are loaded
into the van.
“We’ll stop in a little while and get every-
one some breakfast,” says Dan Griffin, who
promptly shifts the band’s 12-seat Chevy
into drive and pulls onto the highway.
This is the reality of life on the road for
Arkells, the five-piece, Juno Award win-
ning rock ’n’ roll band from Hamilton.
Local celebrities. Hometown heroes.
Out here in between the gigs, the awards,
the parties and the seemingly endless acco-
lades, it’s all about making sure the wheels
don’t fall off.
Out here, it’s just five guys, one van, little
money and even less exposure.
Welcome to Arkells’ first U.S. tour.
Back on the road, Dika looks much more
relaxed, but still focused. It’s all part of a
delicate balancing act the 25-year-old
maintains daily, and it isn’t easy.
Onstage, he’s the band’s stalwart bassist
— one half of a thunderous and hard-dri-
ving rhythm section, along with drummer
Tim Oxford.
Dika plays with precision. With purpose.
But there’s also an element of reckless
abandon in his demeanour. For 30 minutes
each night, he puts everything on hold and
gets lost in the music.
Offstage, it’s a different story. Arkells
have a tour manager in Canada but, with
limited resources and a razor-thin budget,
it’s up to the band to take care of themselves
in the U.S.
It’s a role Dika both enjoys and loathes.
“In music, when you’re going to lose
money, everyone will sell it to you as an
‘investment tour.’ Essentially, this tour is a
loss for us, and we knew that going into it.”
On this investment tour, Dika estimates
the group will spend between $20,000 and
$30,000 of its own money, without know-
ing how much will come back to them.
Arkells are signed to Dine Alone Records
in Canada, home to bands such as Alexison-
fire, Bedouin Soundclash and tourmates
Tokyo Police Club. But there’s no financial
support this time around.
Dika hides his emotions well but it’s obvi-
ous that money looms large on everybody’s
mind. After all, this isn’t just a rock band,
it’s a small business.
“We’re incorporated in Canada as Arkells
Music Inc.,” says Dika. “We’re learning a lot
about how to run a business.”
The band’s clean but tightly-packed tour-
ing van was a cool $24,000 used and the
gear trailer was another $2,500. Insurance
on the van is $9,000 a year, and it costs
more than $100 to fill the gas tank. Expens-
es don’t stop there.
Touring the U.S. means everybody needs
additional health insurance and work visas.
It costs money to ship any new merchandise
across the border and the band must pay
withholding taxes on any income made in
the U.S. Long distance cellphone bills are
another story.
Without a U.S. bank at their disposal,
money has to be transferred back to Canada
immediately.
“On this tour, we’re getting cheques for
shows and cash for merchandise,” says Di-
ka, gazing out the front window as we drift
through the Pennsylvania countryside.
The midday sun beats down hard on I-99,
and the view is an odd mix of beautiful
rolling hills, expansive country farmland
and monolithic billboards. This is the
American heartland in all its picturesque
and kitsch-filled glory.
“I need to take the cash, go to a bank or
post office, get a money order, put the mon-
ey order with the show cheques and send
them back to Canada. I’ll process it all when
we get back.”
It’s a full-time job on top of a full-time job
for Dika, and he’s not the only one with a big
responsibility.
“I don’t like to go out or stay up too late
when we’re on the road,” says Max Kerman,
reclining in a rigid motel bed in Clearfield,
Penn., fiddling with his MacBook Pro lap-
top.
It certainly isn’t the Hilton but it isn’t a
dump, either. On average, the band will
spend $230 a night on two hotel rooms with
two beds each and you get what you pay for.
At this particular $90 motel room, the
sheets are fresh, the sink is clean and no
strange odours are emanating from the toi-
let. This is a good find for the price.
“Keeping my throat in shape is really de-
pendent on getting a good amount of sleep
every night,” says Kerman, curling up in a
paisley-coloured motel comforter.
Continued on WR2
Arkells, a hard-driving rock ’n’
roll band, was formed in
Hamilton in the fall of 2006.
Four of the five members met
at McMaster University and
two lived in a legendary
student house on Arkell Street
in Westdale.
Not one band member is from
Hamilton but the city and its
people are a continuing source
of inspiration.
The group has a successful
album titled Jackson Square,
toured Canada multiple times
and won the 2010 Juno Award
for New Group of the Year.
This is the story of their first
American tour: the good,
the bad and the sweaty.
Punchin’ in
Punchin’ out
Welcome to Arkells’ first U.S. tour:
Five guys, a van, a tight budget
and a lot of driving rock ’n’ roll
N
‘Head on the wall ...’
— from John Lennon
‘We’ve got deadlines to meet ...’
— from Deadlines
MIKE DEANGELIS, SPECIAL TO THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR
Keyboardist Dan Griffin and the rest of Arkells are driving to California and back, playing 19 gigs in 18 cities, to capture the hearts and ears of Americans.

2. WR2 THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR
SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2010 thespec.com
WEEKEND READER
Arkells
Max Kerman
Age: 23
Lead vocals, guitar
Hometown: Toronto
Nick Dika
Age: 25
Bass guitar
Hometown: London, Ont.
Mike DeAngelis
Age: 24
Lead guitar, vocals
Hometown: Guelph
Dan Griffin
Age: 25
Keyboard, harmonica,
vocals
Hometown: Mississauga
Tim Oxford
Age: 25
Drums, percussion
Hometown: Newmarket
MIKE DEANGELIS, SPECIAL TO THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR
Mike DeAngelis keeps a photographic record of the band’s trip across America, sometimes from the back seat of the van.
MIKE DEANGELIS, SPECIAL TO THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR
Tim Oxford and Dan Griffin tuck into one of many deep-fried meals on the road.
ANDREW BAULCOMB, THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR
Mike, Nick, Dan and Max arriving in Columbus, Ohio.
Continued from WR1
“When I have a chance on an off-day to get a
full eight or nine hours of sleep, it really makes a
difference.”
Kerman is the band’s frontman in every sense
of the word. He’s the lead singer, principal song-
writer and the voice of nearly every Arkells in-
terview. He’s the first man at the merch table
after a show and the last man shaking hands and
signing autographs when the band is loading out.
“If you’re drinking beer, only sleeping five or
six hours, sitting in the van and talking all day,
the combination of those things is really bad. I
try not to do any of that stuff when we have a
bunch of dates in a row.”
It may not be a Led Zeppelin-esque lifestyle
but temptation is always there. Girls, booze and
drugs are never hard to come by for a touring
rock band in a major U.S. city.
In Washington the following night, the band is
presented with a complimentary case of ice-cold
Yuengling beer in their dressing room and it’s
hard to resist cracking open a few bottles back-
stage.
“Some bands are non-stop,” says Kerman,
sinking even further into the sea of pillows and
blankets. “Their energy level goes way beyond
showtime and into the late hours.
“With our band, we have to put so much effort
into getting the merch set up, loading the gear in,
putting on an energetic show, talking to man-
agement and driving. All of that stuff is stressful
enough, so when the show is over we’re usually
pretty tired.”
Oddly enough, Kerman spends most of his
downtime reading, making phone calls and lis-
tening to syndicated sports podcasts on his lap-
top.
Music is always the focus, but most band
members say they enjoy a little breather in
between shows.
“Here’s what I’m reading right now,” says Ker-
man, handing over John Feinstein’s Living On
The Black, a textbook-sized reader about former
MLB pitchers Tom Glavine and Mike Mussina.
The band’s charismatic leader grew up in
Toronto a self-professed “basketball fanatic.” He
played shooting guard as a teenager and idolized
players such as Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, and
Damon Stoudamire during his youth.
“I was obsessed with sports until the age of 12
or 13, but like most guys, that’s roughly the time
when I fell into music ... and girls,” he says, grin-
ning.
Across the street in Clearfield, Kerman’s
bandmates are doing their best to catch up with
loved ones. Only one room was available at each
roadside motel, and the group is forced to split
up for the night.
The Arkells’ frontman is single, and so is key-
boardist Dan Griffin, but Dika, Oxford and gui-
tarist Mike DeAngelis are slowly coming to terms
with another month on the road without their
girlfriends.
DeAngelis, 24, is slouched in the hallway with
laptop and headphones in hand, attempting to
link up with his girlfriend for a brief but all-too-
important chat.
The band is only 48 hours into their four-week
tour and the emotional distance is already taking
its toll.
Inside this spacious and brightly lit motel
room, Oxford is absently pulling on his T-shirt,
exposing an arm half-covered in tattoos.
“We’ve been together for six years,” says Ox-
ford about his girlfriend back home. He misses
her already.
“I actually worked with her mom and she
hooked us up. We lived together at her parents’
place when I went to school in Mississauga and
we eventually got our own place in Newmarket.
Now we’re living in Richmond Hill.
“It’s definitely a challenge, but the more we
endure, the stronger it gets.”
Missing his girlfriend isn’t the only heartache
the 25-year-old has dealt with during the past
two years. Oxford’s mother, Nancy, took a turn
for the worst in her battle with cancer while the
band was touring western Canada in 2008.
“I kept insisting on cutting the tour short but
she wouldn’t have it. She wanted nothing more
than for me to take every opportunity and not
stop working.”
Like Dika, he’s a calm and quiet soul who hides
his emotions but there’s no doubt the loss of his
mother was a watershed moment in the young
musician’s life.
The band cut the tour short in November and
Oxford spent Nancy’s last few days on earth by
her side.
During the band’s Juno acceptance speech for
New Group of the Year some 18 months later,
Kerman dedicated the award to Nancy, whom he
called “the greatest supporter of the band.” Ox-
ford smiled at his bandmate and slowly bowed
his head.
Dika says the longest he’s gone without con-
sistently seeing his girlfriend is three months.
Continued on WR3
Oh, the band is coming
‘Your eyes light up, always the same…’
— from I’m Not The Sun

3. C M Y
thespec.com THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR
SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2010 WR3
WEEKEND READER
Continued from WR2
“We had a pretty crazy stretch where we did
a Canadian tour, then we went to South by
Southwest (Austin, Texas), then we went to the
Junos (St. John’s, Newfoundland), then we
went back to Whistler for a ski and snowboard
festival. The longest complete stretch was
probably four or five weeks.”
The band has been to British Columbia five
times during the past two years and this tour
will take them to the California coast and back.
It’s a long haul at the best of times but Dika
and Oxford admit a little distance between
girlfriends can be a blessing in disguise.
“There’s enough stress on five guys and their
relationship with each other,” says Oxford. “If
you add any kind of friction between someone
and their girlfriend, at least internally within
the band, that’s really hard.”
DeAngelis enters the room, and decides it’s
time to play a little Nintendo and wind down
for the night. Everyone agrees wholeheartedly.
Rolling into Columbus, Ohio, a few days lat-
er, Kerman pulls out his laptop and begins por-
ing over new song lyrics.
There’s no immediate pressure to finish the
next album, but it has been 21 months since the
band’s debut album Jackson Square (named for
the aging mall downtown). The time to hit the
studio is creeping up day by day.
“I really admire people like Cam Malcolm,
Aaron Goldstein and Adam Melnick, they’re
some of my best friends,” says Kerman, refer-
ring to three-quarters of Hamilton riff-rockers
Huron. “Cam is one of the most prolific song-
writers I know, and his stuff is always incredi-
ble. I wish I could write that easily.”
Onstage, Kerman is a force to be reckoned
with. He’s a manic and confident performer,
with a booming voice that falls somewhere be-
tween Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Webb of
Constantines.
But when the lights go out and Kerman is
alone with his thoughts, the 23-year-old is no-
ticeably self-deprecating.
“I’m really trying to improve my ability to
sing harmonies. Dan (Griffin) can do it natu-
rally and he adds so much to our band. I want to
be on that level as well.”
Griffin joined the band in the fall of 2006 and
is often described by Arkells as the musical
glue that holds everything together. He’s the
group’s Renaissance man — a quiet leader who,
at age 25, can play multiple instruments, sing
and compose songs with equal proficiency.
“I originally played the drums, but it was ob-
vious that I could contribute in different and
better ways,” says Griffin, who transitioned
over to keyboard when Oxford was brought in-
to the fold later that year. Nobody has to spell it
out but it’s easy to tell Griffin is held in high re-
gard by all four of his bandmates.
Flipping through a CD wallet, Kerman pulls
out Yer Favourites, a compilation of classic
Tragically Hip singles.
Quietly singing along to Long Time Running,
he drifts in and out of a light sleep as the con-
voy pulls into yet another McDonald’s. It’s
dinner time, and with a limited budget, it’s 99-
cent salads and cheeseburgers for everyone.
Enjoying a meal at a proper restaurant is rare,
so everyone shares an “eat fast food or go hun-
gry” mentality, like it or not.
Several hours later, with the sun setting be-
hind the Basement nightclub in Columbus, the
band shifts its focus to playing. Putting on a
good show is crucial, especially in untested
waters.
The split-level club is long and narrow from
front to back and quickly becomes dark,
cramped and sweaty as fans of Tokyo Police
Club filter through the front door. It will be an-
other full room when Arkells hit the stage.
DeAngelis is easily the band’s most intro-
spective member, both on and offstage.
Strands of long dark hair fall over a set of deep
brown eyes and it often feels as if he’s the
largest presence in the room even while being
perfectly silent.
“I usually play this Fender Jazzmaster, it’s
my go-to guitar,” says DeAngelis, standing
over his large and fully-customized effects
board with multiple fuzz, distortion and delay
pedals at his disposal.
“I also have a backup Stratocaster that I
bring on the road but I love this guitar,” he says,
caressing the woodgrain-coloured Jazzmaster
while quietly setting up his gear.
After the band sound checks, all five mem-
bers regroup in the parking lot to change into
fresh collared shirts, stretch out their arms and
lather on some deodorant. There won’t be a
laundromat available until next week in Oma-
ha, so nobody even blinks if the same outfit is
dusted off for multiple gigs.
Each show is the culmination of countless
hours in the van, tight scheduling, little sleep
and terrible fast food, so it’s important to nail it
every night.
The Columbus gig goes well and with a
shorter drive the next day to Indianapolis,
everyone has a few drinks with headliners
Tokyo Police Club on their massive and fully-
furnished tour bus.
Everyone except Dika, that is. He returns to
one of the band’s tiny hotel rooms at the Red
Roof Inn to send business e-mails and count
the band’s earnings. Even if he wanted to go out
for a beer, a job still needs to be done.
“He’s such a good guy, he’s invaluable to us,”
says DeAngelis, strolling back to the hotel sev-
eral hours later.
Seizing a chance to finally sleep in the next
day, the band relaxes in their quiet seventh-
floor hotel rooms before setting off for Indi-
ana. Pack, drive, play, repeat. It’s a vicious cy-
cle, but one the group has fully accepted and
embraced.
abaulcomb@thespec.com
905-526-3299
‘Hit the street, on your feet ...’
— from Blueprint
DUSTIN RABIN FOR DINE ALONE RECORDS
From left, keyboardist Dan Griffin, bass guitarist Nick Dika, guitarist and vocalist Max Kerman, drummer Tim Oxford and lead guitarist and vocalist Mike DeAngelis.
ANDREW BAULCOMB, THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR
Max Kerman, left, and Mike DeAngelis prepare for one of the band’s performances in America.
By the
numbers
5band members
4weeks on the road from July
25 to Aug. 20
18cities
19concerts
1vehicle, a 12-seat touring
van, driven by the band (plus
trailer)
12,000kilometres driven by
tour’s end from New York to
California, including stops in
Nebraska, Arizona, Utah, and
the Pacific Northwest, among
many others
6-7hours a day on average
spent in the van
100dollars or more for each
fill-up of gas
24,000dollars to pay for the
van
2,500dollars for the gear
trailer
9,000dollars a year for in-
surance
99cent menu at McDonald’s
for fast food. Some restaurant
meals.
6dollars for 10 guitar strings.
Bass strings are double or
triple the cost. Replaced as
needed.
120dollars a night per hotel
room. With five band mem-
bers, Arkells usually book two
rooms.
20,000 to 30,000dollars
overall tour costs including
health insurance, phone bills,
withholding taxes and ship-
ping costs for new merchan-
dise.