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Rock Off returns to Rock Hall of Fame

Assorted ramblings from the world of entertainment:

l Applications are being accepted for the 22nd edition of the Tri-C High School Rock Off at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.

Organizers have scaled back this year’s event, one more sign that in the age of singing competitions like “The Voice” and video games that let you pretend to play guitar without putting in the effort to actually learn guitar, there are fewer kids annoying the neighbors with over-amplified, under-rehearsed rock ‘n’ roll.

Six semi final rounds were announced last year, but there were enough acts to only fill four rounds. This year’s announcement includes four semi final rounds Jan. 20 and 27 and Feb. 3 and 10. The top three bands from each semi final round will compete in the Final Exam concert Feb. 17.

The winning act will get the chance to perform at the 2018 Vans Warped Tour at Blossom Music Center and play the Rock Hall Plaza Stage as part of its Summer in the City concert series. One of the finalists also will be chosen to perform next summer at the Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland.

The winning band will receive $1,000 cash and $250 for its high school music program. Second place will receive $250 cash and $100 for their school, and the third place finisher will receive $100 cash.

All of the bands that make it to the Final Exam will get to record an original song at Tri-C’s Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts, and the recordings will be available as free downloads on the Rock Off website.

The contest is open to all genres of music. All performers must be enrolled in grade 12 or lower at the time of the competition to be eligible, and at least half of the band members must be high school students.

Two-song demos can be submitted on CD or online at www.soundcloud.com/ high-school-rock-off. Entry forms are available at www.rockhall.com/rockoff. There is a $60 entry fee per act. The deadline is Dec. 1. Registration fees will be refunded in full to performers not selected.

Over the years, several Mahoning Valley acts have competed in the annual showcase.

l This needs to stop.

On Friday, Brad Paisley will play the final concert of the 2017 summer season at Blossom Music Center. That same day, tickets will go on sale for Niall Horan at Blossom Music Center on Aug. 29, 2018 — that’s right, nearly 49 weeks from now.

It’s ridiculous that concertgoers are expected to pony up money that far in advance. With tickets ranging from $37 to $107, the potential gross sales for the date has to be around $1 million. Even with today’s pathetic interest rates, the artist or the promoter can collect a tidy little bonus from parking all that money in an account for nearly a year.

Horan was a member of One Direction, which was the most egregious exploiter of this. They put tickets on sale more than a year in advance for a show at KeyBank Pavilion in Burgettstown, Pa., a few years back. At the time, I figured the band’s management team was worried about the fickle taste of the group’s young audience and decided to cash in while demand was high.

But it’s not just boy bands that do it. Tickets for Shania Twain’s 2018 tour went on sale nearly a year in advance. Nine-month lead times aren’t uncommon anymore, and six months in advance seems to be the norm for most stadium concerts and many arena / amphitheater shows as well.

On the plus side, the money was spent so long ago that by the time the concert actually happens, it must feel like you’re going for free. I wonder if folks are more likely to spend $40 on a T-shirt at the show if that $100+ ticket came out of last year’s budget.

l Standup comedy returns to Warren this weekend.

Magician / comedian and Warren businessman Eric Thompson first operated the Warren Comedy Club at Sunrise Inn’s banquet room starting in 2012, but he’s bringing the monthly comedy shows back to a new venue, Cafe 422, 442 Youngstown Road SE.

Katrina Brown will headline Saturday’s opening event with feature act Kevin Whelan.

Future shows will include Bill Boronkay and Greg Smrdel on Oct. 21, Kenny Miller and Thompson on Nov. 18 and Kirk Bogos and Jerry Jaffe on Dec. 16. Show time is 8 p.m. and admission is $20.

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