NY Air Guitar Championship Gets Wild

Author: Gabi Porter
Posted on: Friday April 16, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Filed under: news, justin timberlake, justintimberlake.com, us air guitar championships, ny regional air guitar championships, american idol

Only in an Air Guitar competition could a man in hot pink leggings and a black spaghetti-strapped dress named RICKY STINKFINGERS take judges' and the crowds' hearts. But that is exactly what happened in the New York Regional Air Guitar Championship, Friday, April 9, at Williamsburg's Brooklyn Bowl. And it was delightful.

RICKY rockin' it out for the crowd

The annual US Air Guitar Championships offers the dorkiest-of-dorky, nerdiest-of-nerdy, and awesomest-of-awesome a chance to compete in the most wacky of spectator sports/musical events. For those who have not experienced the cult-like phenomenon of air guitar contests, it's sort of like figure skating without the athleticism and a lot more booze.

As chronicled in the award-winning documentary, Air Guitar Nation, the championships are held in cities all over the country, with American Idol-style judging that can be meaner than Simon Cowell at his meanest. The competition culminates to a national stand-off: a mishmash of the regional champs, to crown the one and only U.S. Air Guitar Champion. The champ then goes on to Oulu, Finland to compete for the GRAND PRIZE - WORLD Air Guitar Champion.

WILLIAM OCEAN in the limelight

This year's NY Regional Championship was held at Williamsburg's Brooklyn Bowl, and brought out new talent as well as air guitar all-stars, including special guest performances from reigning U.S. champion ANDREW 'WILLIAM OCEAN' LITZ, and an opener from always-the-bridesmaid-never-the-bride, MC and air guitar memoirist DAN 'BJORN TUROQUE' CRANE and former U.S. and World Champion CRAIG 'HOT LIXX HULAHAN' BILLMEIER.

BJORN getting clever with his fingers...

BJORN & HOT LIXX

New York competitors included crowd favorite SHREDDY MERCURY, San Francisco transplant RICKY STINKFINGERS, MIT ÜMLAUT, SANJAR THE DESTROYER (aka STD), JURIS ROCKTOR and TOMMY FRETLESS. The contest was judged by the boozy trio of JASÖN JÖNES (Daily Show), BEN WIZNER (ACLU senior attorney), and HOT LIXX HULAHAN (duh).

SHREDDY, a crowd fav

MIT ÜMLAUT

JURIS ROCKTOR

There was EVEN some drink tossing and insulting from the audience when they didn't agree with judgments. It was also rumored that Drew Barrymore attended, but we couldn't see her over the rim of our beers.

Being in the front row of an annual air guitar contest feels like a family reunion - or sitting next to the same season ticket holder at a sporting event. Although no one lost a toe at this year's NY contest, fun was had.

TOMMY FRETLESS in the air...

If you live in any of the following cities, and enjoy a good, sweaty, guitar-loving fun, you should check it out:

April 6 || Harper's Ferry || Boston, MA
April 8 || Johnny Brenda's || Philadelphia, PA
April 9 || Brooklyn Bowl || Brooklyn, NY
April 10 || 9:30 Club || Washington, DC
April 12 || House of Blues || Houston, TX
April 13 || Highball || Austin, TX
April 15 || Metro || Chicago, IL
April 16 || Cactus Club || Milwaukee, WI
April 17 || Varsity Theater || Minneapolis, MN
April 19 || Fox Theater || Boulder, CO
April 20 || Bluebird Theater || Denver, CO
April 22 || Dante's || Portland, OR
April 23 || Casbah || San Diego, CA
April 24 || Troubadour || Los Angeles, CA
May 28 || Hard Rock Café || Las Vegas, NV
June 5 || The Fillmore || San Francisco, CA
July 22 || Irving Plaza || New York, NY

Links:
Air Guitar Nation
Air Guitar Memoirist
No One Lost A Toe
US Air Guitar