Los Angeles had a lot to live up to with their qualifier, which took place on Saturday. Not only are they the entertainment capital in the first place, but that is also where the US Air Guitar National Finals will be taking place on August 17th (get your tickets now!). So they can't half-ass their qualifier.
Trust, they did not. Their judging panel alone is evidence of being up for it in a big way. Not only did they have a woman from Playboy, Leia Christiana (who totally got it, by the way - she wasn't there in just a decorative capacity at all and shame on you for thinking it), and also the legendary Rockness Monster - three-time LA champ and 2005 US champ! The evening was hosted by Six-String General, last year's LA winner. Boston-related side note! There is a band out of Providence named Six Star General, and I cannot ever get their name right. I know in my mind that they are a there guitar and not air guitar band; I know that while they are handsome and stylish gentlemen, they're not running around with the diamond-honed cheekbones and pink camouflage pants of the LA champion - but I always confuse them anyway.
Six String General
photo credit April Wade
The competition was fierce. Apparently it was down to the wire to determine who made it to the second round what with all the high scores, and they had so many ties that they rivalled the 2011 Dark Horse in Chicago for sheer numbers of people in the second round (there, the top 5 included 10 people; here, 3 at first place, one at 4th place, and 4 at 5th place brought the total to 8.
While LA was unusual among this year's qualifiers in that only one woman (Arora Nasty) competed, it was also unique for another reason: Andres SegovAIR. He brought the classical reference and a fully seated performance, and rode that all the way to the second round. They were also terrified by a masked man in a prison jumpsuit - Soulstice - and put on notice by Airy and the Fendersons (which was actually just one guy, Airy himself). By the time the 8 people had qualified for the second round, it was time for MORE PLINKO! That's right, the Plinko board to select the second song migrated up from San Diego.
When all was said and done in the second round, the winner was Soulstice - who stripped down to his undies (and mask) - with a second runner-up of Satan's Only Bastard. They will be competing in the San Francisco US Air Guitar Semi-Finals on August 3rd... and who knows, we may be seeing some of these folks at the Dark Horse on August 15th, before the national finals! I would not be surprised at all.
Soulstice
Photo Credit Cassondra Love
Los Angeles, ladies and gentlemen.