If the name Argo Thompson strikes a chord, it’s probably because he was the founder and is a current advisor to Santa Rosa’s Left Edge Theatre. The theater is, in turn, now housed at the California Theater, also in Santa Rosa, which Thompson opened in 2022.
But not everyone may know him as his darker, more outrageous alter ego, Riff Raff, a true rebel and champion of the local competitive air guitar circuit. If one’s first response is to scoff and think, “Air guitar competitions? You must be joking,” they’re not alone. Thompson was himself once a skeptic.
Speaking via email, Thompson says, “Two years ago, I was directing a play called Airness at Left Edge Theatre. The play centers on characters from the world of competitive air guitar.”
Airness is “an exuberant reminder that everything we need to rock is already inside us,” he notes. “I have to admit that when I first read the play, I thought the whole world of competitive air guitar had to be a joke. It was fictitious, right?
“But the author, Chelsea Mercantel, wrote a recommendation in the script that anyone producing the play should contact the nearest air guitar organizers for help and/or guidance. Chelsea went on to say that individuals from organized competitive air guitar would be invaluable collaborators and most likely happy to help for little or no compensation,” Thompson continues.
This forthright and, well, free support and information convinced Thompson that, while still fairly ridiculous, the world of competitive air guitar was clearly not a joke.
Indeed, the multi-hyphenate musical act-performance-art-competition has roots back as far as 1996, when it was part of the Oulu Music Video Festival in Finland. We’ll talk about Finland, the unlikely birthplace of air guitar championships, a bit later.
But interestingly (and also, pretty ridiculously), the concept of pretending to be a musical virtuoso dates back to the 1930s, when fans of orchestra music would air conduct, using their hands to emulate the great conductors of that time. Another milestone in air playing came some 30 years later when Joe Cocker was filmed playing air guitar while covering The Beatles’ “A Little Help From My Friends” at Woodstock in 1969.
While Cockers’ influence is arguable, the prominence of rock music gathered steam alongside people driving cars or attending concerts where playing an instrument would otherwise be challenging, as air guitar slowly worked its way into the mainstream and can often be seen in the wild at any given stoplight.
Back here in modern times, Thompson took Mercantel’s advice and says he “did some research and got in touch with Justin Hypes, who is the Master of Airemonies (yes, one must be prepared for lots of “air” puns) of the U.S. Air Guitar, San Francisco region. Justin had heard of the play, and he and two other Bay Area air guitarists (ChewRocka and Human Airer) jumped at the chance to meet with the cast and mentor our production. We were blown away by their skills, positive outlook on life and insights into this new world we didn’t know even existed.”
From there, interest was piqued, and Thompson was plugged in. Hypes “suggested that we hold our own Santa Rosa qualifier during the run of the play, which we did. He helped us organize and produce, and that was the first time I competed,” he recalls. Yet, Thompson admits, he wasn’t very good to start.
“Though I am a professionally trained actor with [more than] 25 years’ experience and have performed in hundreds of plays, nothing prepared me for the sheer adrenaline rush of becoming a rock star for 60 seconds. I was hooked,” he adds. But, as is the key to mastering any craft, virtual or real, practice makes perfect.
Interest in competitive air guitar has built steadily, perhaps due to the popularity of the 2006 air guitar documentary, Air Guitar Nation. Thompson says, “From my point of view, there are about 20% new folks at each qualifier I attend. The rest have done it before. I believe there were 20 city qualifiers this year, and those winners get sent to the U.S. finals in San Francisco on July 26.”
Obviously, that was last weekend. But, we can let you in on a little secret as Thompson confides, “I have recently been invited to the world air guitar qualifier in Finland on Aug. 21, and if I place high enough there, will earn a spot in the world air guitar competition the next day in Oulu, Finland. Regardless of what happens at the U.S. Air Guitar Competition in San Francisco (last weekend), I plan on going to Finland in August.”
As is the case for any competition, some prep work is involved. “Everyone who competes in air guitar has a different process,” Thompson says. “Since I come from the world of theater, my routines tend to be more like performance art. I start with a story I want to tell, then find music and choreography that supports that concept. Adding crowd pleasing situations, moves and ideas.”
While most air guitarists lean towards metal, rock, glam rock and hair metal, there have been others rocking to ’80s music, new wave, country, jazz and Spanish flamenco.
Thompson continues, “To prepare, I watch a lot of concert videos. Prince, Muse, Bowie, Ozzy (RIP). Trying to emulate their charismatic stage presence and moves. The windmill, power kicks, playing behind the back or between the legs, the power slide, are all important moves for budding air guitarists to be able to employ. Part of the fun, for me, is trying to come up with something that no one has done before. Something that is an expression of me and that moment. That’s where the ‘airness’ lives.”
He also has quite the costume for his persona—or make that, “airsona.”
“My costume is split down the middle, with Riff on my right side and Raff on my left. Riff is a punk rocker dressed primarily in red with denim and chrome. Raff is a classic rocker dressed in blues and leather,” he explains. And he also sports some heavy makeup and eyeliner to round out the ensemble.
Speaking of airsonas, Thompson (or is it now Riff Raff speaking?) says some of the bigger names in air guitar he’s looking forward to seeing and performing against include Japanese two-time champ “Seven Seas” as well as Nicole “Mom Jeans Jeanie” Sevcik, Justin “Nordic Thunder” and Howard Luke “Van Dammage” Sevcik. There’s also the biggest name in the game, Matt “Airistotle” Burns, a two-time air guitar world champion, and four-time U.S. champ.
Thompson closes out saying he’s “amped” to possibly hit the stage at the World Cup of Air Guitar in Oulu and is thrilled to be among competitors representing their nations vying for that top spot, but also rooting each other on. He asks, “Because what is really at stake here? The winner gets a real guitar. That’s the top prize. How silly is that?”
Learn more about air guitar at usairguitar.com and stay tuned to the ‘Bohemian’ to follow Riff Raff’s journey to Finland.
