More concert photos: Arkells, Lights, and more from Empire Rockfest.

July 29, 2025 Alan Cross 0 Comments 4 min read

[If traffic numbers are to be believed, people really love checking out concert photos. Virgina Meeks, a photographer from Kingston, went to Belleville on Saturday (July 26) to cover an event called Empire Rockfest. Here’s her report. – AC]

Arkells, Rainstorms, and Rock ’n’ Roll in Belleville

Belleville got a double dose of Arkells this past weekend, and so did I. It started with a Try Hard book signing, and ended with the band headlining Empire Rockfest in front of a rain-soaked, screaming crowd.

As a long-time fan and photographer, I came prepared – book in one hand, business card in the other (the kind with a photo I once took of the band). One for Max Kerman to sign, one for him to keep. The meeting was brief, I had to race back to Kingston to shoot Rockin’ the Square, but it was meaningful. Nerve-wracking, too. It’s not every day you meet someone who’s shaped the soundtrack to your last 5 years.

Max, of course, is as generous in person as he is onstage. He arrived fashionably late but made time for every fan in line, exchanging stories, smiles, and Sharpie signatures. He’s a gifted frontman, but also a gifted writer, both lyrically and literally.

Empire Rockfest: From Bookstore to Barricade

The next evening, the Arkells capped off Empire Rockfest, an annual outdoor festival hosted by the Empire Theatre in the heart of downtown Belleville. By the time gates opened, fans had already staked out their spots at the barricade, eager for an intimate experience.

First up was Kingston’s own Tony Silvestri, who delivered a sun-drenched set of original songs marked by emotional vocals and genre-blurring instrumentation. His energy was understated, but magnetic.

Tony Sylvestri

Then came The Jake Clemons Band, whose gospel-tinged rock and brassy soul charged the crowd. Clemons himself climbed the barricade mid-set, sax in hand, rallying the audience like a preacher at a tent revival. The mood was set.

Jake Clemons Band

And then: Lights. The crowd chanted her name before she even took the stage. What followed was a set as personal as it was powerful. She locked eyes with fans, reached into the pit to clasp hands, and even climbed the barricade herself. Her energy was relentless. Part pop star, part punk spirit, and it was clear she loves the music as much as those singing it back to her.

The Headliner: Arkells Take the Rain and Run With It

When Arkells finally took the stage, it was with precision and purpose. They opened with the defiant “You Can Get It,” and from there, barely let up. Kerman worked the stage like a man possessed, raising his mic stand to the crowd, darting from side to side, and eventually diving into the pit to sing face-to-face in a sea of fans.

Just as “A Little Rain (Song for Pete)” began, the sky answered. Rain wasn’t in the forecast, but nobody flinched. It was cinematic and the band playing on as the crowd danced, drenched and grinning.

Lights returned for the emotional anthem “Human Being,” while Jake Clemons added Springsteen spirit to “Nowhere to Go.” The set, curated by Arkells’ official “keyboard-masher” Anthony Carone, balanced explosive hits like “Knocking at the Door” and “Relentless” with deep cuts like “Your Name,” a nod to the diehards.