SMARTS has offer for Swifties
Assorted ramblings from the world of entertainment:
• SMARTS in Youngstown is raising money by raffling off a pair of the hottest tickets in the country.
The arts school has a pair of VIP floor seats to see Taylor Swift on June 16, 2023, at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium. When Swift announced her tour this fall, it caused a frenzy among her fans that overwhelmed Ticketmaster online system and left many fans without the seats they craved.
The tickets, which sold for $1,100 each, were donated to SMARTS by Larry Mohn III and Sarra Mohn specifically to be used to raise money for future programming. Both have children who have taken classes at the school, located in the Ohio One Building at 25 E. Boardman St.
According to Larry Mohn, “As a past board member of SMARTS, I have seen first-hand the work that goes into the day-to-day operations. Music and performance are areas of focus for SMARTS, so it made sense for SMARTS to be the recipient of these tickets.”
Raffle tickets are $100 each and will be available through Jan. 31, 2023, online at one.bidpal.net/taylorswift. Raffle ticket sales will be limited to 1,000. The winner will be chosen Feb. 1.
If the concert is canceled or the date is changed. SMARTS will not refund the raffle ticket donation. If Ticketmaster offers refunds, the winner will receive the $2,200 face value of the tickets.
SMARTS is an organization worthy of support regardless. Joining the Swifties on the field at Acrisure is a bonus.
• Winter Thunderland will bring area artists and makers and music from Americana to metal to Westside Bowl in Youngstown on Saturday.
This is the second year for the event, created by Kate Butler and Rusty Waters Apparel, a T-shirt company that specializes in apparel celebrating the history and the quirks of the Mahoning Valley, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
The event starts with an artists market at 4 p.m. with local vendors selling jewelry, clothing, woodworking, fine art prints, lotions, candles and other goods.
A raffle and photo opportunities with “Heavy Metal” Santa will be offered with proceeds benefiting the Rescue Mission of Youngstown. Last year’s event raised more than $500 for the mission.
Music is scheduled on both stages starting at 8 p.m. The main stage will feature Lake Lake, Papers and Neighbor Dan followed by Greywalker, voted Pittsburgh’s best metal band.
The lineup in the trophy room downstairs will include Americana / folk acts Austin Sterling, The Rollin’ Rust and Leo D’Angelo & The Dead Foxes.
Admission is free.
• For those who take their ’90s alternative rock very seriously, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland is bringing in a university musicologist to discuss “Soft / Loud” song structure.
Theo Cateforis of Syracuse University will look at the songwriting phenomenon who will speak on the songwriting twist popularized by bands like Nirvana ( “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” with its quiet opening building to a sonic assault, is a perfect example).
Cateforis will look at the history of the songwriting form and showcase examples that predate the grunge era using classic rock from the ’60s and ’70s as well as the power ballads of the ’80s.
The program starts at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Rock Hall in Cleveland. Admission is free. For more information, go to rockhall.com.
Andy Gray is entertainment editor of Ticket. Write to him at agray@tribtoday.com