Arkells hope to 'Rally' fans in Hamilton during second stadium show

"Its been years in the making" sings the Arkells lead singer Max Kerman in the band's latest single — a lyric that couldn't be more true for fans who have long-awaited the band's hometown return.

Following the success of their 2018 concert, the rock group is coming back to Hamilton for another "Rally" at Tim Horton's Field. The June 20 show will be their only one in the Golden Horsehoe this summer. From every ticket purchased, $1 will be donated to Indwell, a local charity trying to end homelessness.

"We've always been of the mind that it takes a village to do anything meaningful," Kerman said. "We've been really lucky that we've had really good support along the way and we're really grateful for that, but we're also aware that there's a lot of people who don't have the luck that we have and could use an extra hand and Indwell offers that." 

Indwell offers people living on the street or in shelters affordable and supportive housing, meaning residents have access to services like counselling. 

Along with the opportunity to give back to cause that's important to them, Kerman said the band is excited to partner up with community members again. 

"We had such an incredible experience the first time. It really exceeded our expectations in every possible way," he explained.

"It just felt really good to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves, so we figured we should run it back and we haven't played in Hamilton since then. It's been two years and its felt like the time was right."

At their first Rally show in Hamilton, the Arkells rocked an estimated 24,000 attendees — making it the city's largest outdoor show in decades, according to Tourism Hamilton. 

Before the show, the band actually joined fans for a ride on the city's Sobi bikes from Gore Park to the stadium. 

Vendors also set up outside the field's Cannon Street entrance prior to the show to sell local art and food. 

Kerman says they plan to hold the same events this time around and are eager to add more. 

As for their decision to make this show the only one in the region, Kerman said Hamilton was specifically selected beacuse the concert gives people an opportunity to take in the city.

"It's also just a chance for people to come to Hamilton that wouldn't necessarily visit and that's another thing that's important to us — being able to show off the town and for people to see the neighbourhood around the stadium." 

Tickets go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster and  Arkellsmusic.com.