Regional Air Guitar Championships are once again drawing nigh across the globe, prompting figurative plectrists of every shape & stripe to sharpen their fictional chops for a shot at the World Title. Thanks to an embarrassing absence of a sponsor last year, the Twin Cities sat out the ’05 spectacle. A friend and I vowed to stave off a repeat situation in ’06 and set about contacting the proper channels several months ago to ensure Midwest representation on the schedule. Subsequently, a rival outfit usurped our claim on producing the event, but the upshot is that we’re now free to participate as contestants. To that end, I’ve once again been auditioning songs as potential picks and researching the competition as best I can.
The Oulu Music Video Festival page contains clips of last year’s contenders for the World Championships. You be the judge; but Michael Heffels alias The Destroyer’s crown-earning performance doesn’t strike me as all that visionary or transcendental with its lame robotic kitsch & even lamer soundtrack selection. My choice for the honor would probably be fellow compatriot Dan Crane. He has a sweet Paul Stanley thing going on facially & the synchronicity between licks and Sweet’s “Set Me Free” is tight, not to mention the playful pause for a toke built into the choreography. His eighth place finish just doesn’t seem fair, but the AGC’s a tough, bloodthirsty racket (no pun intended) and there’s always this year.
Oulu’s still months away, but U.S. heats start in Asheville, N.C. with a dozen more cities in succession. Minneapolis is slated for 6/1 with the venerable Triple Rock Social Club once again serving as venue for the beer-soaked pneumatic madness. That leaves a little more than thirty days for total transformation into an air guitar god…
Posted by derek on April 27, 2006 10:26 AMI'm feeling AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" for you this year, D.
Posted by: Jason at April 27, 2006 1:20 PMGuitars are so yesterday. What the world needs now is an Air Laptop Championship!
Posted by: Brian Marley at April 28, 2006 3:19 AMMy friend Jace is going to be at the national competition in NYC this summer. He will win.
Posted by: Lars Gotrich at April 28, 2006 5:55 AMJason: awesome pick, I’m going to start practicing the tablature in the mirror posthaste.
Brian: the regional event two years ago culiminated in a massive jam with all the contestants, some slinging air guitars, others opting for air keyboards, basses, drums, even a saxophone; so I’m thinking air laptops can’t be far behind on the curve.
Lars: sounds like a clear case of greased-palms payola to me, how else is your man skipping regionals & going straight to nationals? Either way, I look forward to meeting him on the field of battle in Oulu, imaginary axe pitted against imaginary axe.
Posted by: derek at April 28, 2006 7:10 AMderek: jace competed in the first collegiate competition. they went to 10 or 15 colleges across the U S of A. he won athens, GA, then in austin, TX. don't know all the rules, but when we all heard about the competition, we all knew jace was a shoe-in. i'm sure you both will both powerfully summon the volcanoes of valhalla.
Posted by: Lars Gotrich at April 28, 2006 12:12 PMLars: Aha, the college tour, very cool. Jace sounds like he’s got some serious air fret skills. My own nonexistent Flying V has zero victory notches so far, but I’m hopeful for a win here in the heartland.
Posted by: derek at April 28, 2006 2:21 PMDerek, isn't it time for an update on your adventures (and on this competition generally)???
Posted by: walto at August 29, 2006 12:28 PMThanks for asking, Walt. I don’t like to talk about it as the sting of a victory postponed still smarts. A last minute registration snafu precluded my participation, but I did catch most of the competition.
Here’s a Youtube link to NYC footage of the Minneapolis Regional winner, Airy Belafonte. Doesn’t do his performance justice, but it’s still a taste, however brief:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKa7b8L1zsc
And another of Hot Lixx Hulahan, the winner in NYC who is set to compete at the World Championships in Oulu, Finland on September 8th:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-IkMtICKxc
My song pick of the Bobby Fuller Four's epic live version of "Miserlou" & its skyscraper-sized wave of reverb will have to wait for next year.
Posted by: derek at August 30, 2006 8:30 AMThanks, Derek. Sorry it didn't work out for you this year.
Posted by: walto at August 31, 2006 9:51 AM.................................................. © 2003 - 2006 bagatellen ..................................................