Tonight is the kick-off of the US Air Guitar Championships in Washington, DC. The tour is going to 14 cities before air guitar world domination is estabilshed. At each stop on the American tour the competitors will perform a song of their own choosing in Round 1, then the top five performers will have to perform a "surprise" number in Round 2. The contestants are judged on stage presence, technical merit and “airness" (allegedly "the extent to which the performance transcends the imitation of playing a real guitar and becomes an art form in and of itself" or whatever). And, in case you were wondering, the rules actually stipulate that "All guitars must be invisible."
Sounds rad. But can it be as exciting as karaoke championships on cruise ships? Hard to say, but who cares? It's gotta be about the only way to cash in on Guitar Hero skillz. (Ok, maybe not.)
Dates for the tour and vids of past US Air Guitar Champship star C Diddy and a promo by, natch, Björn Türoque after the jump.
2007 US AIR GUITAR TOUR DATES
June 6 • Washington DC • 9:30 Club
June 7 • New York NY • Bowery Ballroom
June 8 • Boston MA • Harper's Ferry
June 13 • Cleveland OH • Cambridge Rm @ HOB
June 14 • Columbus OH • The Basement
June 15 • Chicago IL • Metro - Smart Bar
June 16 • Minneapolis MN • Varsity Theater
June 20 • Dallas TX • Cambridge Room @ HOB
June 21 • Austin TX • The Parish
June 22 • Houston TX • Scout Bar
June 23 • New Orleans LA • The Parish
June 27 • San Jose CA • The Blank Club
June 28 • San Francisco CA • The Independent
June 29 • Los Angeles CA • Key Club
US AIR GUITAR NATIONAL FINALS: NEW YORK CITY
August 16 New York, NY @ Fillmore New York Irving Plaza
(one winner from each city will be flown to NYC to compete in the US Championships)
AIR GUITAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
September 2007. Oulu, Finland.
(One winner from the US Finals will be flown to Finland to compete against 15 other countries in the Air Guitar World Championships).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFU1pME3vGY
