Boquebiere plays host to Sherbrooke’s first ever official Air Guitar Competition
In early October my friend, and fellow Townships (pop)culture enthusiast Hani Ferland sent me a message regarding emceeing an upcoming event. Sherbrooke microbrewery Boquébière would play host to the area’s first-ever official air guitar competition.
Now, I am very familiar with air guitar. I grew up with two brothers and a whole lot of rock ‘n roll. My brothers once took ukulele lessons, and both have a bit of a musical ear, but no one ever played an actual instrument as well as the invisible one we occasionally wailed on.
That’s right – an ‘air’ guitar is invisible. And you can play one just as well as all of your favourite folks that smoked their way up and down a Gibson, a Gretsch, a Fender or a Stratocaster, or any other axe.
On hand as part of the three-person jury for that evening would be Hélène Laurin, Quebec Air Guitar Champion for 2015, that took her to a Toronto competition for the national level. Facing off against five other competitors (all guys) Hélène took home the National Air Guitar Championship for 2015-2016. Her ability with the unseen had surprised even her, when she found herself competing at the international level in Finland following that win. Hélène said that air guitar changed her life in a way she never would have imagined.
Are you still wondering if you’re being punked, spoofed, fibbed to? Well, you’re not, folks. Some listeners love rock ‘n roll enough to skip the lessons, leave the genius to the pros and just fake it ‘til they make it, in all of the right ways.
When Hani contacted me for this contest there was no way I couldn’t attend. A music junkie (and in particular, a rock ‘n roll fan) for life, former radio deejay (I miss you, CJMQ) even my children sport names in part inspired by guitars (Angus inspired in part by Angus Young of AC/DC and my youngest son with Harrison as a middle name, in fond memory of Beatles’ guitarist George Harrison) – I needed to be there. A few days before November 23rd’s Thursday night antics (I was happy for a school planning day the next day), Hani suggested that my significant other could help out with the announcing and emceeing.
He may have had a (albeit very mild) heart-attack receiving that message as he worked on his usual plumbing job, reading that he could potentially be up there with me for the evening. He agreed, however, and in usual form, hyper-focused on a task. He came up with the joke of misunderstanding the concept, and arriving on stage with a guitar shaped as the letter R – that sounds a lot like “air” in French.
For two days he glued pieces of wood together, ban-sawed it into shape, and painted himself his very own air-r-guitar.
He would be the only one allowed with one on stage that was actually visible. The rules for the official air guitar competition state that the air guitar MUST be invisible .... although the player may choose electric or acoustic...or even BOTH. The organizers were aiming to cap off participation at a dozen competitors. Each would have sixty seconds to perform a snippet of their chosen song. Not permitted for this official level were also air roadies (the hiredhands who unload air equipment and install it on stage), air groupies (air-guitar-star-crazed-fans whom I can only assume rush the stage), or air managers (professional air guitar musical coordinators representing said stars – I guess things can get a little messy with them around).
The night was a hoot. And not just any old hoot – it was organized in support of two incredible important organizations in the Sherbrooke area – Arrimage Estrie and CALACS.
Arrimage Estrie is an autonomous community action organization focusing on positive body image development, and accompaniment of people experiencing difficulties related to eating disorders (such as anorexia, boulimia, hyperphagia, bigorexia, orthorexia or obsession with being thin), or who have preoccupations related to their body, their weight or their appearance. Arrimage Estrie is dedicated to body diversity, and work towards an antidiet approach based on listening to the body’s cues of hunger, fullness and the pleasure of eating. (Loosely translated from their website: www.arrimageestrie.com)
CALACS (Le Centre d’aide et de lutte contre les agressions à caractère sexual) Agression Estrie is a feminist community organization coming to the aid of women and teenage girls twelve years-ofage and older who have been victims of sexual assault, extended support as well to their loved ones. The centre offers direct care services, prevention and sensitization services, and also participates in many other ways on the politically-active level. (CALACS comes to the aid of sexual assault, whether these events occurred recently or otherwise. Legal proceedings or the intention of pursuing legal action are not necessary in order to receive services, as CALACS honours those decisions as being up to the women in question.) (Translated from their website: www.calacsestrie.com)
Support of these organizations, and the concept of positive body image was outlined in the whole idea behind air guitar – that anyone can play, regardless of their gender, appearance, orientation, or sex.
The night opened with a full performance from National Air Guitar Champion Hélène Laurin, setting not just the stage but also the bar for competitors. Her enthusiasm, smile, charisma, the way she waded right into the crowd and interacted made the charm that led her to the national title quite obvious.
Following her solo, she took a seat with fellow judges, local non-stop rock guitarist Johnny Maxximum and illustrated radio show host with CIAX 98.3 FM Luc Lainé. The line-up of competitors was ready, with a handful of surprise last-minute entries, allowed until the halfway point intermission.
From Carlos Santana to Van Halen to Les Deux Luxes, the stage shuddered as fingertips calloused their way on invisible strings, as the competition came on plain-clothed, masked, costumed and even twirling in glitter.
As is the case with some competitions, however, it was one performer who had the whole crowd wowed – Jeanine Suture (as her stage-name went – imagine an English version would be Iva Stitch) took the whole cake – the jury’s price, the people’s choice and even the emcees’ (that is, our) R-guitar award. Her boldness, bright smile and big gold glasses had the whole place wrapped around her little finger (whichever one was free from strumming, of course).
Her prizes for the night: a turquoise Gretsch air guitar courtesy of Air-plav (a nod to Plav Audio for their constant commitment to Townships tunes), participation in the provincial Air Guitar Championship, the Blazes of God trophy and a pair of tickets to the Paul Mccartney tribute show courtesy of The Granada Theatre.
Congratulations to all who participated – and to the commitment to care provided by CALACS and Arrimage Estrie, and thank you in particular to my sister in the ‘Ships, Hani Ferland for her dedication to living the good life.
A great Christmas gift idea is Hélène Laurin’s book, Les Filles Aussi Jouent de L’air Guitar – please visit www.tamere.org, or inquire via your favourite bookseller’s.
A second edition of this event was already confirmed during the first – so lovers of rock ‘n roll, watch for news of next year’s Townships riffsky business!