Arkells

James St. North, Hamilton ON, September 12

Photo: Atsuko Kobasigawa

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Sep 13, 2014

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As one of Hamilton's most successful musical exports, the north end of James Street quickly filled up with those eager to watch their homegrown heroes Arkells come back to where it all began. While the set was relatively predictable in terms of the material included, watching the band feed off the home crowd proved crucial in creating a unique concert environment.

Fighting through some technical difficulties onstage early on, lively lead man Max Kerman turned just about every song into a singalong for those in attendance. The hometown pride was at a high, with each mention of Hamilton or a local landmark in the band's lyrics drawing cheers from the crowd. A rocking cover of the Clash's "Rock the Casbah" was included as a tip of the hat to their younger years of performing, while set closer "Cynical Bastards" was a fitting tribute to the recent growth of the city's arts and culture community, proudly urging the naysayers to "get out of town."

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