 In the obscure world of air
guitar, Denver’s Randy “Big Rig” Layman may be the next king of
airness.
Summertime in Aspen kicks off weeks of concerts, and in June, that roster included Ani DiFranco and the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Festival.
Predictable offerings, for sure.
But it also included something a bit more esoteric…one of 24 U.S. Air Guitar Regional Championship
events (which this year included Aspen as well as Denver).
Air
guitar, for the uninitiated, is just what it sounds like: you pretend
to play a guitar in a choreographed performance to your favorite rock
songs (60 seconds worth, to be exact). It’s been called “musical
self-expression,” “competition sport,” and a form of “performance
art.” It’s definitely quirky, it definitely has a cult-like following,
and it definitely is destined for people who love to let loose and rip
to jammin’ guitar licks. In recent years, air guitar has gone from
laughable hobby (who hasn’t feigned a few riffs to their favorite
Aerosmith song?) to serious national and international competition.
Every
year since 1996, Oulu, Finland hosts the Air Guitar World Championships .
This year, the 13th annual championships will take place
from August 20-22, with an air guitar “boot camp” comprised of the
various nations’ air guitar delegates preceding the competition.
Here in America, air guitar is governed by U.S. Air Guitar, the national
sanctioning body that holds the regional qualifiers and crowns a national
air guitar champion, who goes on to compete in Finland.
Competitors’
performances are judged on the basis of three primary criteria: technical
merit (how well does your invisible fretwork compare to the music that’s
playing?), stage presence, and “airness” (an indescribable quality
best summed up simply as “you know it when you see it”).
Perhaps
as all forms of artistic expression inevitably do, air guitar has diverged
into various categories of style. They are the Schools of Air
Guitar. Airtistic Airdeology: a philosophical approach in which
air guitar takes on almost meditative or Zen qualities as you become
one with the flow of your performance. Pure Air Rock ‘n’ Roll:
technical skill reigns supreme here, with authentic imitation the name
of the game. Air Extravaganza: think Kiss, without their guitars
– glam rock all the way, with flashy clothing and tons of attitude.
And Futur d’Air: artistic to the point of pushing all boundaries of
known air guitar.
The
air guitarists themselves tend to assume devilishly clever stage names
and personas. Bjorn Turoque. Shreddy Mercury. Rockness
Monster. Shred Nugent. And Colorado has its own hometown
hero, Denver’s Randy Layman. But he’s not just the hometown
favorite. Big Rig, as Layman is known on-stage, is also a national
air guitar force to be reckoned with, a member of the U.S. Air Guitar
Hall of Fame as the first and only competitor to win a regional championship
in four different cities, and just maybe the United States’ “air
apparent” to represent Old Glory at the World Championships in Finland.
Randy
and his brother, Ryan, play real guitars in the local band, Brainhammer.
In 2004, one year after U.S. Air Guitar held its first stateside championship,
Randy watched as Ryan competed in the Denver regional under the stage
persona, Stryker, a cocky air guitarist fueled by testosterone.
Randy was hooked, and one year later, he won the Denver regional as
Big Rig. When it comes to Big Rig, think “biker” meets “rocker.”
Cut-off denim shorts. Metal-studded belt. Silver-tassled
forearm sleeves. A sleeveless t-shirt. Plenty of tattoos.
A beard. And maybe a tight leather cap and pair of dark shades.
Big
Rig is known for his signature move, a synchronized tongue and fret
shred-fest. He’s performed to Van Halen’s “I’m the One,”
and Judas Priest’s “Hell Bent for Leather.”
Since
2005, when Big Rig won the Denver regional and placed 7th
at nationals, he’s been on an ascendancy to air guitar stardom.
In 2006, he won the Tulsa, Oklahoma regional and placed 5th
at nationals. In 2007, he took the Houston, Texas regional and
placed 3rd at nationals. This year, he swept the Aspen
regional, and if past trends were any indication, this year’s nationalchampionship in San Francisco just might have belonged to Big Rig.
But it didn’t. The U.S. title went to Hot Lixx Hulahan in a
clear victory.
But
Big Rig’s loss at the national championship almost doesn’t matter.
His spot as Colorado’s most celebrated and accomplished air guitarist
seems as solid as the granite of Lumpy Ridge. And as much as fame
(if not yet fortune) have followed him, Big Rig has remained committed
to the local fans that adore his absolute airness.
On
Wednesday night, June 18 – one night after the Aspen regional –
a crowd filled Denver’s Bluebird Theater. It was the Denver
Regional. Less than 24 hours before, Big Rig won the Aspen Regional.
Earlier on the regional tour, Stryker took Detroit (he’s touring with
U.S. Air Guitar as its Chief Airness Officer). Not wanting to
disappoint their Denver fans, both brothers registered for the Denver
regional, all the while hatching a plot. Desiring to leave the
door open for a new Denver regional champ, Big Rig and Stryker conspired
to violate one of air guitar’s few standing rules and disqualify themselves:
performances must be solo; no duos or backup bands allowed.
Big
Rig took the stage and began his performance. Moments later, Stryker
appeared on stage as well, and the two commenced a round of tandem shredding.
For their finale, they unveiled their signature shoulder riding to the
hoots and hollers of the audience. The judges entered their scores
– perfect sixes all around. Which were immediately reduced to
across-the-board zeroes. But that didn’t matter. Big Rig
and Stryker were already headed to the national championship, the appetites
of their hometown fans were satiated, and Big Rig’s status as Colorado’s
ultimate air guitarist was confirmed.
Cairn note: We apologize for not having a picture of "Big Rig" himself. Seems he is shyer of the spotlght than we thought (no not really). But here are a two photo and video links for your enjoyment. US Guitar Association blog
and the US Air Guitar Photobucket group .
Photos courtesy of: Alexandra Lipsitz and Tommi Kohonen
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