Be a Hero, a Guitar Hero

Can you wail on Ozzy's Bark at the Moon? Or, like Houstonist, do you just barely make it through I Wanna Be Sedated by the skin of your teeth? Either way, you should rock on down to Caroline Collective on Saturday, November 1st for the Rock Fest 2008 Guitar Hero Tournament sponsored by RSA Corp.

Why should you put your shredding skills (or lack thereof) on display for public consumption? Here's why: it's for a good cause. Rock Fest 2008 will benefit Alex's Lemonade Stand, an organization founded by a young cancer patient to help fund research for childhood cancer.

The price of a ticket into the tournament is a $25 donation to Alex's Lemonade Stand. Or if you'd rather come and watch the festivities instead of joining in on Guitar Hero, you can donate $20 for a spectator-sport ticket. Just make sure to print out the donation receipt that's emailed to you, as that will act as your ticket for admission.

Your ticket includes not only the Guitar Hero tournament itself, but also live music (by a real band, not just a bunch of guys with plastic Stratocasters), a raffle that includes six Guitar Hero 3 games (with guitar!), free food, and free drinks from Tito's Vodka, Saint Arnold's Brewery and Sweet Leaf Tea.

To purchase your ticket and/or register for the tournament, visit the official Rock Fest 2008 site and make a donation. Competitors can choose to participate in one of four categories -- easy, medium, hard and expert -- and the winner from each category will receive a grand prize (and even if you suck, you'll still get a T-shirt). But only the first 100 people to register for the tournament will secure a spot in the competition, so hurry up and get your place!

Rock Fest 2008 Guitar Hero Tournament
November 1st, 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Caroline Collective
4820 Caroline Street