Last Friday, first-years were welcomed to Queen’s with music and a surprise performer.
The Orientation Roundtable (ORT) Mystery Concert took place Sept. 8 at the Miller Hall parking lot. Lizzo, Nessa Barrett, Central Cee, and Twenty One Pilots were all rumored to be this year’s mystery concert headliner. Instead, Canadian popular rock band Arkells took the stage at Miller Hall to welcome the class of 2027, and they didn’t disappoint.
Student-based alternative band Kings of Queens, and hip-hop rap artist Boslen opened the concert.
Given the lack of care the ORT and AMS provided The Journal, I only saw the last song Kings of Queens performed.
Luckily, that was enough to show me just how talented they really are.
Kings of Queen’s consists of four Queen’s alumni and one current student. Stephen Swim, ArtSci ’23, Nico Pare, Sci ’25, Lachlan Pope, MA ’24, Coleman Campbell, ArtSci ’23, and Sean Pollen, Sci ’23 who have played several Kingston shows in the last year.
The alternative band adheres to all requirements and stereotypical characteristics of what it means to be a rock star. Their sweaty bodies bounced all over the stage as they sang six original songs and three covers. Groupie energy took over the crowd as fangirls swooned over lead singer Swim.
Their confidence and comfortability on stage transcended their performance, as did their talent. Swim’s strong vocals and stage presence kept listeners engaged, singing, and dancing despite the band being new to most of the audience.
Their overall style and stage presence were perfectly matched to their rock-alternative setlist. Performing covers provided audience with a sense of familiarity. The guitar and bass were played to perfection, prompting a rowdy audience.
As the first-years started mosh pits, The Journal’s arts team requested to be removed from general ission due to safety concerns. These concerns were met with unnecessary hostility by ORT and AMS staff. I was told to stand at the tent next to the exit at the back of the venue, which would’ve hindered my coverage of the event further.
It wasn’t until two of our staff were injured that ORT and the AMS executive took our concerns seriously—so seriously they kept us in general ission but simply moved us to the opposite side.
After a brash run-in with the AMS and ORT staff, DJ PK and rapper Boslen took to the stage.
Boslen, a budding artist from Vancouver, embodied star potential. Even if you had no prior knowledge of him before his performance, it is doubtful you would forget him after this performance.
He connected with and controlled the crowd. First-year students were responsive to his music, jumping, chanting, and dancing to the upbeat sounds. Boslen could’ve headlined the concert. One day he might, and I would love to be in the crowd.
Finally, Arkells took to the stage.
Many first-year students I spoke with showed apprehension when hearing the headliner, not because the band isn’t incredibly talented, but rather because they normally cater to an older audience.
While this audience might have preferred Central Cee or Ice Spice as a headliner, Arkells nonetheless put on one hell of a show.
At the beginning of the concert, the crowd lacked energy. As much as lead singer Max Kerman tried his best to be engaging and interactive, some people’s hesitation got the best of them, and they left early.
Unfortunately for them, the show only got better as it went on.
Kerman utilized “f— western” chants to get the crowd energized. Once that energy was there, the songs he sang became even more fun. The crowd started to dance and jump to the pop-rock stylings of songs like “11:11,” “Leather Jacket,” and “You Can Get It”.
For those who were unfamiliar with the musical stylings of the Arkells, the headliners found common ground with the younger audience in covers such as ABBA’s “Gimme Gimme,” and Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space,” which had the entire crowd cheering, singing, and dancing.
Their positive lyrics paired with their attention to detail in their music production is commendable.
Kerman was highly interactive with the crowd, whether that be by grabbing students’ phones to take pictures during the performance, or physically bringing students up on stage.
Arkells pulled out all the stops to give the crowd everything they had—including a trumpet and trombone performance—and it was met with positivity and applause from first-year students. As I left the venue, I interviewed a few first-years who noted just how much the Arkells exceeded their expectations and how fun they found the night to be.
I agree with them. I’ll be sure to see the Arkells again.
According to ORT, Boslen and the Arkells declined my request for an interview. I was saddened to hear that as a first-time arts editor rearing to speak with them—especially given how phenomenal both performances were.
Their performance is telling of the future of fun first-year students can look forward to at Queen’s University.
Corrections
An earlier version of this article incorrectly spelled the band “Kings of Queens” name, along with incorrectly describing the songs the band played at the concert. Incorrect information appeared in the Sept. 12 issue of The Queen’s Journal.
The Journal regrets the error
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