Get ready to rock the invisible strings: U.S. Air Guitar Championships return to San Diego

by Debbie L. Sklar • Times of San Diego

Think you’ve got what it takes to shred a guitar that isn’t there? The US Air Guitar Championships are back in San Diego in June for another night of wild performances and invisible Rock ’n Roll.

The event is on Friday, June 27, at 7 p.m. at Booze Brothers Brewing Co.’s Vista location.

Competitors go head-to-head miming guitar solos with skill and flair, combining music and theatrical performance without any actual instruments.

Founded in 2003, US Air Guitar is the official organization behind the US Championships and other events, and a member of the World Air Guitar Association. The championships take place in about 24 countries worldwide, including the USA, Belgium, Canada, Japan, and more.

The 2024 World Air Guitar Championships are scheduled for August 25 in Oulu, Finland.

Kriston Rucker, co-commissioner of US Air Guitar, said, “It is for good reason that competitive air guitar is widely considered the purest form of human entertainment. By making the heart of the matter invisible — by objectifying nothing — air guitar derives its legitimacy not from some received expectation of cultural value, but rather from the mere presence of the people gathered to bear witness. The competitors, the judges, and the crowd are the only proof that this event even exists. And as a result, its meaning is purely subjective. Every air guitar is an empty vessel, resistant to banal interpretation. And thus, impossible to destroy.”