The US Air Guitar Championships

To be truly Finnish the only thing missing is air guitar.

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:17:28 -0800

To be truly Finnish the only thing missing is air guitar.

2011 US & World Champions Flow Into Germany

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:12:00 -0800

NORDIC THUNDER (Justin Howard, pictured above) demonstrates how concentrating upon a task is one aspect of “flow.”

2011 US Champion NORDIC THUNDER (Justin Howard) has been asked to accompany 2010 World Champion DEVIL’S NIECE to take part in the 2011 Flow Aus Spielen convention in Wolfsburg March 8-11.

For those unfamiliar with the psychological concept of flow, here’s the wiki. For those of you unfamiliar with the correlations between Flow and Air Guitar, I have pasted the first two paragraphs of the wiki below, with a blanket Mad Lib replacement of “flow” with “Air Guitar.” At their very core, the two concepts are clearly interchangeable. Of course, “masturbation” fits in pretty damn well, too.

Air Guitar is the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. Proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, the positive psychology concept has been widely referenced across a variety of fields.

According to Csíkszentmihályi, Air Guitar is completely focused motivation. It is a single-minded immersion and represents perhaps the ultimate in harnessing the emotions in the service of performing and learning. In Air Guitar, the emotions are not just contained and channeled, but positive, energized, and aligned with the task at hand. To be caught in the ennui of depression or the agitation of anxiety is to be barred from Air Guitar. The hallmark of Air Guitar is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing a task although Air Guitar is also described as a deep focus on nothing but the activity – not even oneself or one’s emotions.

Hazmat Turbans and Led Undies: Fro Saves the World 2009 US...

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:41:07 -0800

Hazmat Turbans and Led Undies: Fro Saves the World

2009 US National Finalist, THE FRO (Chris Harden), has declared war on war. For peace, justice, and the Amairican way reign free in this new video written and produced by the only professional air guitarist with his own comic book. This video features an all original FRO soundtrack and a guitar solo by 2008 World Champion HOT LIXX HULAHAN. Other notables from this video are LT. FACEMELTER (San Diego), THE CRUSHER (SF), SHREDBOY R D (Los Angeles), STEPHEN COLBAIR (Seattle), TOMMY FRETLESS (DC), AirLeigh Legal (Clevelandtown) and G. Tso Money (Queens).

Check out The Fro’s DIY Fender Stratocaster skateboard here and his comic book here.

It, plus many other things, is coming. Staple your fucking...

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:50:05 -0800

It, plus many other things, is coming. Staple your fucking eyeballs to your glasses.

Shreddy Mercury to yuppie toddler in shopping cart: “Your mother should have swallowed you”

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:34:26 -0800

I stumbled upon this fun post by New York champ and U.S. runner-up SHREDDY MERCURY (Seth Leibowitz) on his Mister Mom support group’s blog. All bullshit aside, as an erstwile au pair and hopeful stay-at-home dad myself (once Hot Lixx’s kid shoots out later this week), Shreddy sums up and cuts down some oft-overlooked stigma with aplomb.

“I just chopped off her earlobe with my samurai sword …” [read more]

Spiral16 Deconstructs the Great Decontructor: "Legendary Absurdity"

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:23:20 -0800

Perhaps my favorite turned phrase of the year and certainly the most fitting title for Magic Cyclops comes courtesy of MEAN MELIN’S (Eric Melin, of scene-stealers lore) recent post about this “legend of absurdity” on the Spiral16 blog:

But success, even if it was brought about by bizarrely deconstructing the most popular TV show in America, comes with a price. Yesterday, some wacky morning show DJs in Iowa brandjacked the Cyclops, saying that his entire act was an event they helped him plan five years ago. Bizarre. Needless to say, Thee Magic Cyclops — who has been performing music and playing the US Air Guitar circuit for at least 10 years — was not pleased. We contacted this legend of absurdity by phone and have this exclusive interview” (listen to the interview and delve into the Cyclops’ complete social media analysis here).

Fig. 1: Magic is a divisive figure. Sentiment (on the Internet) about Magic Cyclops’ American Idol appearance since last week on the Internet is 51% negative and 49% positive. (Graphic courtesy of the social genii at Spiral16).

Portland’s 2011 champ TONY TAPATIO (Antonio Cervantes) guest...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:00:30 -0800

Portland’s 2011 champ TONY TAPATIO (Antonio Cervantes) guest stars in the latest Red Fang video. We caught mighty wind of this story from Denver’s own DYIN’ CLETUS (John Humphrey) thusly:

I hadn’t seen this video on the USAG blog yet, which tells me ya’ll motherfuckers need some more Red Fang in your life. Guest appearances from Tony Tapatio and a non-officiated air guitar scoring committee. You will love.

Fun fact number one: the riff you hear during the opening shower scene (YES*) is part of the song that Juris played during the DC Halftime show last summer. The more you know…

Fun fact number two: this photo is one page two of GIS under ‘air guitar gay’, in case you guys were wondering how your hash tags are coming along. Salud!

Magic Cyclops is a hit on American Idol; Randy Jackson suffers a "going problem"

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:53:00 -0800

2008 Denver Champ and world renowned Quad City Madman MAGIC CYCLOPS (Magic Cyclops) is being featured on American Idol’s primetime broadcast to 46 million viewers around the globe. According to another Fox promo, that makes tonight’s episode their number one show.

At various times in his performance, you can see Cyclops fighting the urge to grind out a few power chords. I think “play air guitar for Steven Tyler” has got to be 3rd or 4th on his Magic List of Things to do Before Death. It comes just before “have zero gravity sex” but after “have zero gravity sex with a human girl.” Of course, the caveat-free “have sex” is probably on there, too.

And at long last, the world finally gets an explanation for the Iowa-born Cyclops’ mysterious cockney accent.

Also check out how seriously Tyler takes Cyclops for the entire performance, while his cohorts, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson, snicker the whole way through. That is, until Cyclops gets J-Lo and Tyler to drop a couple eff-bombs upon detonating his hidden spine-mounted confetti bomb.

We have breaking reports that long time BPH enlarged prostate sufferer, Randy Jackson, did eventually find a restroom and relieve himself.

Nine years later Heather Temple, on a draconian deadline, has...

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:26:35 -0800

Nine years later Heather Temple, on a draconian deadline, has released Air Guitar Gods, her documentary following the 2003 Air Guitar World Championships. And it only took team USAG 9 days to post the link. Nailed it!

This is a different take on the same competition made popular by C-Diddy and immortalized by Alexandra Lipsitz in the cult classic Air Guitar Nation.

This shocking exposé reveals the truth behind how USAG started...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:00:19 -0800

This shocking exposé reveals the truth behind how USAG started out.

Denver’s legendary MAGIC CYCLOPS has a cameo in the newest...

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:59:45 -0800

Denver’s legendary MAGIC CYCLOPS has a cameo in the newest American Idol promo reel.

BROCK McROCK (Taylor Fullbright) does a quick no. 2 then washes...

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 10:04:05 -0800

BROCK McROCK (Taylor Fullbright) does a quick no. 2 then washes his hand on a flannel in Behind the Brock.

On November 18, 2011, Björn Türoque rocked the MIM Music...

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:11:38 -0800

On November 18, 2011, Björn Türoque rocked the MIM Music Theater, playing many favorites, even with an impromptu air band.

AIR BEAR’S (Jacob Calle’s) sizzle reel....

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:54:34 -0800

AIR BEAR’S (Jacob Calle’s) sizzle reel. Don’t-try-this-at-home backstory: Jacob is a stuntman by day, so go back and read the first clause of this statement. Now once more.

Be safe, Air Bear. And good luck with the plumbing.

This article about the soon-to-be Super bowl XLV champion 49er’s...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:40:02 -0800

This article about the soon-to-be Super bowl XLV champion 49er’s Linebacker begins, “Tavares Gooden has been known to get down and start strumming an air guitar before practice.”

2011 US Champ NORDIC THUNDER (Justin Howard) raises awairness at...

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:04:00 -0800

2011 US Champ NORDIC THUNDER (Justin Howard) raises awairness at a winter camp shredding workshop with the kids at Piccolo Theatre. The next generation of competitive air guitarists is upon us, and the ladies finally outnumber the dudes.

Blonde bombshell SHREDDY FUCKING MERCURY (Seth Leibowitz) took...

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:34:58 -0800

Blonde bombshell SHREDDY FUCKING MERCURY (Seth Leibowitz) took over lead vocals at a CATEGORY SIXX concert at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory.

Football underdog "Rudy" sacked for stock fraud

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:11:43 -0800

Football underdog "Rudy" sacked for stock fraud:

2012 celebrity judge?

Photo

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 08:00:06 -0800

This animated flipbook comes courtesy of LT. FACEMELTER (Jason...

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:01:11 -0800

This animated flipbook comes courtesy of LT. FACEMELTER (Jason Farnan) for all your electronic stocking stuffer needs. Happy holidays from your family here at US Air Guitar to your family out there in reality.

Yours in yuletide air,
Kriston, Cedric, Björn & Zero Prospects, Hot Lixx, SS of $, LFM & ATC