IN PHOTOS | Arkells bring The Rally back to Hamilton, a show 848 days in the making
Arkells brought thousands of happy fans to Tim Hortons Field this past Saturday for The Rally, the second edition originally scheduled for June 2020.
Thousands of fans packed Tim Hortons Field Saturday for a long-awaited return of the Hamilton band
CBC News ·
Arkells fan Marie-Soleil King came from Ottawa for the show, wearing a jacket inspired by one singer Max Kerman wears. (Eva Salinas/CBC)
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Arkells brought a second round of The Rally back to Hamilton this past weekend — a concert 848 days in the making.
"This is a long way from the Casbah lounge, our first ever gig in Hamilton," singer Max Kerman shouted to a sea of around 27,000 fans.
The show capped off a few days of Arkells energy pumped into the city, after the band also brought out local politicians, Raptors coach Nick Nurse, reps from Basketball Canada and players of all ages to celebrate the opening of an upgraded basketball court at Woodlands Park on Friday.
Saturday's festivities kicked off with a bike ride lead by members of the Juno award-winning Hamilton band to Tim Hortons Field, where the band last played during the Grey Cup halftime show in December.
The show — which was originally set for June 2020 before the pandemic hit — follows the success of the 2018 inaugural edition of The Rally.
Show openers this year included Toronto rapper Haviah Mighty, U.S.-based singer K.Flay, and band Mt. Joy. Arkells took the stage around 9 p.m.
From left: Hamilton resident Marc-Anthony Armenio; Hayley Downer, who lives in Belleville; Rachel Percy from Pickering; and Evan McLaughlin from Timmins. The friends, who met while studying at the University of Guelph, reunited in Hamilton for the show. (Eva Salinas/CBC)
Hamilton residents Wendy Lai and Jordan Wilde bought their tickets for the original date of June 2020. (Eva Salinas/CBC)
Arkells brought The Rally to Hamilton for a second time on June 25, 2022. (Eva Salinas/CBC)
Dylan Garlow, from Six Nations of the Grand River, attended the show with his friend Ryan Pineau, from Hamilton. It was Garlow's first time seeing the band but says he loves "Iive music no matter what concert it is" and has tried to support artists as much as he could throughout the pandemic. (Eva Salinas/CBC)
The show felt like Christmas, singer Max Kerman said, after such a long wait to hold it. (Eva Salinas/CBC)
Gillian Moore, left, and friend Mikayla Manners, are both from Hamilton. Moore said the show was her first concert ever. (Eva Salinas/CBC)
Rodrigo Narro Pérez, lower right, came to the show with a group of friends. Narro Pérez studied at McMaster University, where the Arkells band members first met more than 15 years ago. (Eva Salinas/CBC)
Arkells superfan Justice Hargrove, left, from Windsor, Ont., was seeing the band for the 17th time. Hargrove attended the show with friend Nikki Douglas, from Ajax, Ont. "Seeing all these people here repping their hometown is kinda beautiful," Hargrove said. (Eva Salinas/CBC)
Around 27,000 people attended the show at Tim Hortons Field. A first edition was held in 2018. (Eva Salinas/CBC)
Young fans, from left: Madeleine, 6, Owen, 8, Kelan, 7, Xavier, 6, Henry, 9, and Avery, 9, all from the Milton area. (Eva Salinas/CBC)
