The fifth round of the 17th Annual High School Rock Off, which took place yesterday afternoon at House of Blues featured another 11 bands competing for a spot at the upcoming Final Exam. With the exception of a solo singer-songwriter, the bands loosely fell into the pop-punk and pop-rock category.
The Hudson-based band Hit the Ground Running started the four-and-a-half show off with an engaging set of pop rock material that included a mix of originals and covers. Sounding a bit like the Goo Goo Dolls, they struck a good balance between pop and rock and never sounded too light or too heavy. The pop-punk band Ohio Caught Fire followed with a pop-punk set that concluded with a cover of Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi.” One Day November also had a pop-punk approach that would have sounded right at home on a Warped Tour side stage.
