E Airness Unum: 2013 USAG Mid-Atlantic Semifinals (Part 1)

    For the halftime entertainment on July 19th at the 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C., air guitar legend The Shred performs Rush's 2112 which was then followed by 2012 Air Guitar World Champion Nordic Thunder (Chicago, IL) tearing up the stage with a six-minute-sixty-six-second medley tribute to Jeff Hanneman and Slayer.

E Airness Unum: Shred Dawn

    Coming soon to the Bluebird Theater in Denver, Colorado - featuring regional champions Danny Tanner Tantrum (Boston), Flying Finn (Minneapolis), The White Flame (Chicago), Um (Seattle) and Tommy Fretless (Washington, D.C.) among an ensemble cast of over a dozen of the most talented airists in the United States! One night show only on July 21st, 2012, so get your tickets *NOW* at the US Air Guitar website!!!

Co-starring five of the top air guitarists in the USA!

E Airness Unum: Airosol

    Just scant few weeks remain until the 2012 US Air Guitar tournament kicks off across the nation in its search for an ambassador to carry a message of peace to the World Championships in Oulu, Finland. Having birthed three of Earth's mightiest air guitar heroes since 2003, America is clearly primed and ready to bring home a fourth world title.

    While one can easily make the assumption that air guitar is exclusively a boys' club, there would be some sistAIRs who take exception to that - Airosol (nee Cami P.) from the Land of 10,000 Lakes has proved that a healthy mix of brio, beauty and brilliance is more than enough to warrant a place among other air guitar legends. With a trademark leg-flip that has yet to replicated or even attempted in competition, this diminutive firebrand from Minnesota always leaves the fans clamoring for more.

    A veteran gymnastics instructor and first-time mother (the video above was taken mere months after receiving her bundle of joy), this winner of four regional championships has since pirouetted gracefully into the halls of royalty as Emeritus Queen of the USAG Northwest Territories. The legacy of Airosol is a testament to the equality and respect that is shared among all air guitarists.

E Airness Unum: Epigone with the Wind

    Finally appearing in the second round of the US Air Guitar Championships after numerous attempts since 2009, the air guitarist known as G. Tso Money now stood among veterans such as The Shred (Lance K.), Tommy Fretless (Adam L.), MathRomancer (Paul M.) and Mitt Umlaut (Tom C.) as a legitimate contender to win the 2011 USAG Washington, D.C. Regional title.  Faced with the daunting task of rising above the assembled elite in addition to stiff competition from Doug the Thunderstruck (Doug S.), Shreddy Boop (Athena K.) and Airmageddon (Michael S.), a slight edge of being tied for the second seed with D. Thunderstruck behind Tommy's outstanding display of Round One airness instilled enough confidence that this battle for the crown was far from over.

Twitter update from @usairguitar on 6-11-11

Twitter update from @usairguitar on 6-11-11

     One by one as ranked earlier, each air guitarist in the compulsory round performed with wild abandon, frantic energy and animal magnetism whilst the crowd and judges responded in kind.  Following a near-perfect feat of face-melting lunacy by Doug (the rookie prodigy of Juris Rocktor, aka Mike S.) that elicited overwhelming roars of approval from all at the 9:30 Club, the moment arrived for G. Tso Money to win the audience back.

Twitter update from @usairguitar on 6-11-11

Twitter update from @usairguitar on 6-11-11

   Sixty seconds later, a thousand cheers fell on adrenaline-deafened ears and only by revisiting the video did it become apparent that perhaps a worthy successor to the mantle of "Asian Fury" (aptly describing past US Air Guitar champions C-Diddy, Sonyk Rok and Rockness Monster) had arrived.  However, Tommy Fretless once again shone brightest of all and earned his spot at the National Finals in Chicago to rightfully represent the Mid-Atlantic air guitar spirit.

Twitter update from @usairguitar on 6-11-11

    Battered but not broken, G. Tso Money (Yeah Right's recap) was just getting started as the season rolled on further north to NYC...

Appetite for Creation Part 3: Proposition Fate

    At this point, a fairly reasonable understanding of the Samsung SCH-u540 phone/camera gave rise to pushing its photographic limits due to lack of interest in representational accuracy.  Though conventional snapshots of everyday subjects can provide a more comfortable experience to the viewer, successful artists must offer increasingly unapologetic and unique perspectives in order to distinguish themselves from the average hobbyist. 

    The appeal in consuming and/or producing mainstream imagery is not without its merits when attempting to establish connections with a wide audience, but taking risks to solidify one's individuality via alternative expressions is oftentimes just as rewarding.  Familiarity can sometimes breed contempt, and for those who feel that recycled regurgitations of cliched insights en masse is counterproductive to ideological advancement, the answer to escaping creative stagnation requires an influx of unorthodox approaches.  Simultaneously, a separate outlet must exist to facilitate the gradual dilution of defunct essences that can no longer contribute to the evolutionary process - as the Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, "You could not step twice into the same river, for other waters are ever flowing on to you." 

    Whether some may fathom such disjointed meanings or not, actions speak louder than words and the images below should illustrate what can achieved during moments of imaginative desperation. 

8-24-11: Backyard (click to enlarge)

8-29-11: Solar-powered speed sign (click to enlarge)

8-30-11: Playground (click to enlarge)

8-30-11: Playground (click to enlarge)

8-30-11: Fire hydrant (click to enlarge)

8-30-11: Sidewalk lamp (click to enlarge)

9-7-11: I-278 billboard (click to enlarge)

9-8-11: Utility tower (click to enlarge)

9-8-11: LIRR train signals (click to enlarge)

9-13-11: Flushing to Manhattan train (click to enlarge)

    All opinions aside, visionary excellence still remains in the eye of the beholder.  While most people indulge in their own ambitions to stand apart from the crowd with personal pursuits in photography, tradition and history dictates that radical manipulation of the standards or bold departures from the norm is crucial to augmenting one's influence.  The path that is forged alone ultimately belongs to whoever dares to lead.

E Airness Unum

    The Thrash Prince of Hell Air, G. Tso Money, debuted on the US Air Guitar circuit two years ago and has since gained much more recognition within the community - from raucous jeers to thunderous cheers, this aspiring air guitarist has heard them all and will not stop until earning a chance to represent America on the main stage at Oulu, Finland for the Annual Air Guitar World Championships.

    Trials by fire in 2009 and 2010 proved that after bottoming out, the only other way was up; enthusiastic yet lackluster and forgettable performances as a budding rookie, coupled with brutally honest reactions from judging panels and discerning audiences, nearly derailed the quest for spreading a personal message of world peace by air guitar (one cannot bear arms when playing invisible strings).  Upon the realization that no less than a 200% effort would suffice in attaining this goal, meticulous planning and research was then invested in preparation for the 2011 campaign.

    After witnessing the US Air Guitar Nationals at Irving Plaza in New York City last summer, the next ten months involved music selection, stage choreography, costume design and attitude readjustment.  In addition to repeated viewings of "Air Guitar Nation" (the 2006 documentary film chronicling both C-Diddy and Björn Türoque's emergence as world air guitar superstars), a thorough understanding of the art form's philosophy was made possible by establishing more personal connections with fellow practitioners from all over the world.  Some have said that it's best not to meet one's heroes, but even those who excel under the spotlights are real people with real lives that anyone can relate to on one level or another.  Most notably, the friendships with Cold Steel Renegade (San Francisco, CA) and Brock McRock (Houston, TX) was invaluable in making a total commitment to upholding the true spirit of air guitar: for the love of music, for those who love music and for the individual freedom that no one can ever take away.

    In returning to the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., on June 11th, all bets were off when a third performing slot was drawn for the Round One elimination.  At a disadvantage once again by going early, there was only way to see if the training would pay off:

 

Twitter update from @usairguitar on 6-11-11

    With such validation and regardless of the outcome, it finally became certain that everything up to this point had been a step in the right direction...

Appetite for Creation

    Despite all appearances, the first two images in this ongoing series were slightly modified in Adobe Photoshop solely for size, color and contrast - what is shown here are pictures taken with a Samsung SCH-u540 phone/camera and the distortion effects are entirely generated by physical manipulation during the capture process.

    Both pictures below were taken three miles from Delaware while standing on the shoulder of northbound I-95.

6-22-11 (Click to enlarge)

6-22-11 (Click to enlarge)

    Being informed that the camera lens is a line scanner rather than a radial opening allows for some less conventional photos should one be famished for entertainment; by synchronizing the camera movement with the direction of passing vehicles, the oppositional stretching of subjects became food for thought upon eventually returning to New York City.

    With a renewed appreciation for this outdated hardware, the idea of exploiting what seemed to be near-obsolete technology intensified.  Although recent scientific advancements in the world of photographic imaging has leveled the playing field between amateurs and aficionados, crude ingenuity alone can still accomplish in mere moments what would perhaps require professional digital artists exponentially more time to duplicate.  By observing the limitations of this device in camera mode, it was noted that rapid hand motions caused the sluggish lens to drag itself along in attempts to reacquire a stable image on the low-resolution screen.  Encouraged by this discovery, further experimentation was imperative.

    The six images below were taken at various highway locations while traveling south through Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

8-8-11 (click to enlarge)

8-8-11 (click to enlarge)

8-8-11 (click to enlarge)

8-8-11 (click to enlarge)

8-8-11 (click to enlarge)

8-8-11 (click to enlarge)

    Establishment of ground rules and confirmation of theories now solidified, this project soon spiraled into unexpected realms...

Air on a G.T.M. String

On a lonely night called Friday
without a real guitar.
Listenin' on the headphones
to a one-minute-edit song.
You can tighten up the strumming
or the moves devised the night before.

But our heads will soon be banging
the way they always do;
when you hear that blist'ring solo
there's nothing else to do.
And you just feel like stage divin'
while your friends are there to catch you.

Here I am - power chord again.
There I am - up on the stage.
Here we go - playin' air guitar again.
There we go - to melt your face.

As you rock out just the way you want
to Hendrix or to Rhoads,
you can feel all eyes upon you
as you're wailing out the notes.
You extend the mighty metal horns
and the crowd wants to explode.

And most times we can't hear 'em mock,
other times we can.
All the same old cliches:
"Learn for real and join a band."
And we always seem outnumbered
'cause they don't understand.
Understand?

Here I am - power chord again.
There I am - up on the stage.
Here we go - playin' air guitar again.
There we go - to melt your face.

Out there in the spotlight
we're living life today.
Kicking ass and taking names;
who cares what they say?
Sweat pours out our bodies
like the airness we display.

Later in the evening,
as I lie alone in bed
with the echoes of Jack Daniels
pounding on my head;
I sweep the last air guitar fret,
and remember why we shred.
Why we shred...

Here I am - power chord again.
There I am - up on the stage.
Here we go - playin' air guitar again.
There we go - to melt your face.