The Blurred Knuckles Saga

(Page created Jan 8 2008; updated Mar 2 2010)
(Expanded Story & Photos added Apr 5 2010)
(Page updated AGAIN August 2011)

PREFACE:  My lone youtube performance from Minneapolis 2007:

'07 - Blurred Knuckles airs it out!

In June 2007, I finally participated in my first proper U.S. Air Guitar Competition under the stage name Blurred Knuckles. I “followed” the tour that year and competed in Wash D.C., Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, and finally Minneapolis.  Each region has its own winner – they all then gather to compete for the U.S. Championships, and the U.S. Champ then goes to Oulu, Finland to compete in the World Championships.

In 2007 I did not win in any city.  Nor would I win in Cleveland or Pittsburgh in 2008, OR in Philadelphia in 2009. I have to mention that because when the subject comes up, that’s the question everyone asks.  What they don’t know – and which I do from being amidst it – is that I’m pretty much a lock to not win, but I get to do something I’ve enjoyed all my life in the way that I do it:  as an old-school purist.  It may lack a bit of flash and “airness” (that most elusive judging category), but I bring a zeal and (I think) one of the strongest technical performances the competition sees.

You see, I have been playing air guitar all my life for pleasure and enjoyment, and the most important thing about being a part of the competition is to BRING that pleasure and enjoyment out for everyone to see.  Blurred Knuckles spans the globe and the years; amidst fierce competition and grueling judges, I’ve enjoyed wonderful, celebratory times, met outstanding people, made friends…and, of course
ROCKED.

'09 - Knuckling Down in Philly (same shirt)

June ’07, Blurred pulls into a rest stop @ 3am somewhere east of Minneapolis – he’d just aired his life away to the Yes song “Heart of the Sunrise” not two hours ago – the last song in a long journey that started in Pennsylvania six days and five competitions ago. He was tired, and he’d come so close – 2nd place overall.  So many strangers came up and told him he was robbed…as he tried to find a comfortable position and get a little sleep before the long drive home, he wondered what might’ve happened, and whether it mattered.  Blurred slept briefly but awoke shortly after dawn and in little time was again droning on an interstate highway @ 76 miles/hour…this time headed home with his brain filled from his tiny little odyssey…back towards the coast to Pennsylvania.  It might have taken ten minutes when Blurred discovered once again that all is indeed very, very well.  He thought of the memories he’d created, and began with those most recent:  Several hours ago he ‘played’.  Shortly after – now – he drives…into the heart of the sunrise.

And in the 2010 Championships, they held the Philly Regional on Apr 8 at Johnny Brenda’s
Blurred places fourth overall (again)!  You can read about this WITH video & a WXPN radio interview on the Blurred Knuckles 2010 post!

The Blurred Knuckles Story – Expanded & Photos

(from a Mar 14 2010 post “Blurred Knuckles Photo Gallery”)

I was NOT sweating my first performance

It all started in Washington DC at the 930 Club in June of 2007. (Well, actually in truth it started years and years and years ago. The Blurred Knuckles version began here.) This year, I’d finally thought to investigate the contest before it started, and I entered thinking I would only get the one shot. I was anxious, but not nervous, for I’ve been air guitaring for many many years (as I could pull testimony if need be). I took my shot, I did NOT make the finals, and almost thought it was all over. At least someone took photos, as I’m quite pleased with the live shot.

first-ever competition

(The complete list of the songs Blurred has used in competition and all results appears at the bottom of the page.)

While I was there, I found out you could compete in more than one city! And in this particular summer, I was flush with both cash and time, so I made a bit of a sojourn…an odyssey, if you will…across the Midwest. Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, Minneapolis – all in June of 2007.

Not only was I typically older than most of the contestants, but for the most part I was doing songs no one had heard of. But in a large way it didn’t matter, because I was having fun just doing it and having a place where I could do it the way I do it – that is, playing air guitar – in front of hundreds of people!

Wowin' them in Columbus!

Cleveland rocked!

2007 wrapped up in Minneapolis where I came in second place.  But now, having made a five-city trek, I became a small, tiny “name” among the even smaller air guitaring community. US Air Guitar invited me to the Finals although I’d not won (as a spectator, not a contestant) –  there’s a whole anecdote about that evening, but that’s a person-to-person story…

Minneapolis and Zepplin’s “Heartbreaker”

Shortly after the 2007 Saga, I began my first-ever Shakespeare production with the Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival, and I would begin working with them on a regular basis. This would impact Blurred’s ability to compete in the upcoming years…

2008: Blurred competes in Cleveland and Pittsburgh on the Monday & Tuesday in between runs of 08’s Free Shakespeare in the Park, “Love’s Labours Lost.” He did not advance to the finals in either city. (No photos of Blurred at those events were ever discovered.)

earning my stage name

2009: The East Coast competitions come during tech week for 09’s Free Shakespeare park show, “Cymbeline.” Magically, there is not rehearsal on that Saturday and Blurred competes in his hometown of Philadelphia first time ever! His old school purity advances him to the finals, and moves himself up to 4th overall with a stnning rendition of a never-before-heard Anthrax song!

2010: Performances of “Macbeth” keep him from taking the act to New York and Wash DC, but Blurred competes in Philadelphia and takes yet another Steve Morse song into the finals, finishing (yet again) fourth overall.  See an expanded writeup (with video & a radio interview) on the Blurred Knuckles 2010 post!

Smoking fingers in 2011!

2011:  Again, it is possible only to compete in Philly because of resource constraints…BUT, without precedent, I am able to create SMOKING FINGERS (without pyrotechnics) during Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do” which carries me into the finals and helps to land me 2nd place overall.  Johnny Brenda’s is again the venue (without peer!) and with Ari’s help, the dry ice effect combined with Frampton and Lamb of God (deftly edited by Mike Banks) brought me to a new level.  As wonderful as it was, I’m challenged now with wondering how to top it!  We’ll have to wait until 2012!

2009: Good night, Philly!

was it the wardrobe or the devil here on my shoulder?

Blurred Knuckles Song Choices and Results
Jun 07 Wash DC: “Travel Tunes” by Dixie Dregs (did not advance)
Jun 07 Cleveland: “Heartbreaker” by Led Zepplin (advanced; 4th overall)
Jun 07 Columbus: “What If” by Dixie Dregs (advanced; 3rd overall)
Jun 07 Chicago: “Egocentric Molecules” by Jean-Luc Ponty (did not advance)
Jun 07 Minneapolis: “Heartbreaker” by Led Zepplin (advanced; 2nd overall)
Jun 08 Cleveland: “Odyssey” by Dixie Dregs (did not advance)
Jun 08 Pittsburgh: “Ticks and Leeches” by Tool (did not advance)
Jun 09 Philadelphia: “Starship Trooper” by Yes (advanced; 4th overall)
Apr 10 Philadelphia:  “On the Pipe” by Steve Morse (advanced; 4th overall)
Jun 11 Philadelphia:  “Do You Feel Like We Do” by Peter Frampton (advanced; placed 2nd overall)