Las Vegas bands invited to Fremont Street Experience competition
If you believe the Las Vegas music scene needs a tad more competition, you’re in luck. Rock The Canopy, a live-music contest with a Vegas focus, culminates Oct. 3 on the Fremont Street Experience.
You might remember the project under its former name, Rock The Block. That was its title for a few hours Thursday until it was updated in the afternoon. Officials said they wanted to focus on the “canopy” of FSE. But a like-named Rock The Block LA Festival also runs annually, among many other such named events across the country.
The downtown event is a partnership of Neon City Festival and FSE, its centerpiece of course the Viva Vision light-show canopy. The Neon City Festival returns for its second year Nov. 21-23, running concurrently with the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Rock The Canopy has opened submissions for Vegas bands at neoncityfestival,com through Sept. 21. Finalists are announced Sept. 26, with up to a half-dozen bands plucked from the field to play Oct. 3. That night is also the finale of FSE’s Local Originals concert series.
Judges are to be announced. There is no cover for the show.
The Rock The Block victor is awarded a spot during Neon City Festival. This year’s headliners will be announced “soon,” say organizers.
Neon City Festival CEO Jeff Victor said in a statement, “Rock the Block is our way of giving back and elevating the emerging talent in our own backyard. We’re proud to partner with Local Originals to create a real pathway from the streets of Vegas to the big stage.”
From FSE CEO Andrew Simon, “Las Vegas has always been a city full of fresh energy and bold talent, and Rock the Block will celebrate just that.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.