The US is home to the world's most dominant air guitarists. And as such, the AirForce is home to the US' elite air guitarists. The AirForce was born out of the SF/Bay Area, in 2010, after an immortal showing at the legendary Fillmore West, and comprised of the Bay Area's most dominant airists, the Original 12, formed by SF master air guitarist, Tiger Claw.

The family first started out with a world champion (Hot Lixx Hulahan), a legend (Bjorn Turoque), and several veterans of the trade, of which four from SF went on to win multiple regional championships over the years since the US Air Guitar Competition came to SF in 2006. In 2010, US Air Guitar issued an award - the Profile of Excellence in the Field of Magnificence, to two individuals, both from SF.

2011 saw the expansion of the AirForce as a show of appreciation, a way to honor, and an effort to bring those who would express the same appreciation, honor, love, passion and dedication to the art the AirForce holds so dearly, together as one.

The AirForce is proud to be represented in other regions, in addition to SF's Golden Gate Chapter, throughout the US: Capitol (DC), Cascadia (Seattle), Chi-Town (Chicago), Mid-Atlantic (Charlottesville), MidWest (Kansas City), NorthEast (NY), Pacific Coast (Los Angeles), PacNorWest (Portland), SoCal (San Diego), SouthBay (San Jose, closed), Southern (Houston), Twin Cities (Minneapolis), the UK, and Russia.

We are the jedi masters of air guitar. AirForce Command, is strong, with the force.



Monday, May 23, 2011

Godfather of Air Guitar

I've said it all along. Not sure about Reed in 1957, but for me, the godfather of air guitar has always been Joe Cocker. his performance at Woodstock 1969, performing "With A Little Help From My Friends", and his subsequent air-guitaring to the guitar parts, was enough for me. In a later interview on Dick Cavitt, Dick asked him what was it that he was doing with his hands during the solo parts? Joe's response: "I always wanted to learn how to play guitar, but never did. I suppose that was my way of playing it." Or something to that effect.

In yesterday's SF Chronicle Sunday paper, and online here, we see a question alluding to the question or origin:

http://www.parade.com/celebrity/personality-parade/2011/05/22/joe-cocker.html

now, I don't know about Reed and his 5 seconds, after all, it was only 5 seconds, and the article doesn't say he was using a prop, where the music was supposed to be playing, but didn't, or Jimi's deal with playing a broom, which most of us did as a child (for the record, Claw used a tennis racket), props at a young age should be considered an early phase of air guitar, but not air guitar specifically, since at so young an age, and using a prop, should be more considered a tool to the next level. Jimi obviously moved up. Joe didn't. for Joe, it was air guitar, or what embodied air guitar at the time.

Thank you Godfather.

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