Lance "The Shred" Kasten, of Severna Park, performs his air-guitar routine during a competition at the 9:30 Club in April. Kasten, 48, has been competing for 30 years but has yet to win the title of national champion. Performances usually involve mimicking the motions of a song's lead guitarist, complete with power chords, picking and solos.
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As Lance Kasten fixes dinner, his daughters -- Jenna, 9, left and Lexi, 7 -- and a neighbor break into an impromtu synchronized air jam in the kitchen at the Kasten's Severna Park home.
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Kasten rehearses an air-guitar routine in his "dude room" at home. Kasten is one of the perennial performers in the U.S. Air Guitar league. The art is popularly traced to Joe Cocker's legendary Woodstock performance.
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This year, the U.S. Air Guitar Nationals will take place on Thursday, July 22, beginning at 8:30 p.m. in Manhattan. Scores are based on a scale of 4.0 through 6.0.
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Regional air guitar champion Lance Kasten eats steak to boost his energy level before defending his title in Washington in April.
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Kasten stretches in the alley behind the 9:30 Club, where this year's regional competition was held. The local contest has sold out the 1,200-person capacity club three times.
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Kasten adds finishing touches to his makeup as he becomes "The Shred."
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Kasten dons his rock gear for the competition. " 'Air-ness.' You can't define it," says Craig Billmeier, the national champion in 2006 and 2009, and a judge at this year's regional competition in the District. "You just know it when you see it."
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"The Shred's" outfit sits in a bin, which contains a spiked dog collar, his gold-and-black Converse high-tops and his Hot Topic black vest patterned with sparkling revolvers.
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Kasten checks out his look as "The Shred."
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In the dressing room before the regional competition, Kasten and other competitors applaud as they draw numbers to determine the lineup for performers.
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Kasten heads down the stairs on his way to defend his regional title.
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The crowd goes wild as hometown favorite Lance Kasten performs in the finals at the U.S. Air Guitar Regional Championships in Washington. Kasten's oldest daughter Samantha, 19, says she and a group of friends once "made these shirts with puffy paint and ripped them up so they were all shredded. On the front they said 'Little Shreddies' and on the back we had nicknames with 'air' in them." She was Mariah C-air-y.
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Kasten defends his title in Washington. "Air guitar keeps you alive," Kasten says. "It keeps the blood flowing. It keeps you young."
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Chris Paxton, a.k.a. "Sanjar the Destroyer," performs at the 9:30 Club. Paxton and Kasten shared the 2009 D.C. regional title.
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"Sanjar the Destroyer" reaches out to fans. "It has a sense of coolness to it that's just indescribable," Kasten says of his air guitar hobby. "It gives you a rush every time you do it."
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Competitor "Dr. Fret Ning" performs in bare feet and a white lab coat.
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A rocker with dual mohawks who calls himself "Mystery Meat" competes in the D.C. regional air guitar championship..
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"Air-Mageddon" performs in the regional contest.
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Athena Kopsidas is known as "Shreddy Boop." She's one of a few female air guitarists.
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Del-Kun "G. Tso Money" Chen competes.
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"Edward Shredderhands" performs.
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Kolb "Vlad DM Wailer" Ettenger takes the stage.
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Matthew "Airistotle" Burns leaps off a speaker.
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Mike "Juris Rocktor" Sacks does a split leap.
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Audience members join the competitors on stage in an air guitar jam at the end of the regional air guitar champion in Washington in April.
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Kasten takes to the front of the stage as he is announced the winner of the 2010 regional air guitar competition in Washington. He advances to the national competition, which takes place July 22 in New York.
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Hometown favorite Kasten celebrates his regional victory. "I'm not quitting until they pry this freak' air guitar from my cold, dead hands," Kasten says.
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Gallery Credits:
Photo Editor, Producer Troy Witcher
Text Editor Judith S. Gillies
