Air guitarist rock Area 506 stage in Saint John

Paul LeGace rocks his air guitar at the Air Guitar Canada East Coast Regional Qualifier in Saint John. (CTV/Avery MacRae)

Saint John’s waterfront is no stranger to talent musical acts taking over the Area 506 Waterfront Container Village stage, but usually a few more instruments are involved.

The stage hosted the inaugural Air Guitar Canada East Coast Regional Qualifier Saturday afternoon, where contestants rocked out for the crowd with nothing more than their air guitar.

Genevieve “The Phoenix” LeBlanc is co-director for Air Guitar Canada and was also crowned national champion in 2017. She says the national contest has been happening since 2014, but never before has a regional qualifier been held in the Maritimes.

LeBlanc says air guitarists are judged on their originality, ability to be taken over by the music, artistic impression, accuracy, and the most important being “airness.”

“It’s that little ‘je ne sais quoi’ quality that when you know it and see it, you know you’re looking at an air guitar champion,” says LeBlanc. “The biggest mistake that people tend to make is they play teeny tiny air guitars. You got to make it big, you’ve got to make it weighty, have a little extra special move that you like to do.”

The winner of the regional qualifier will be flown to Toronto next weekend to compete in the national championship. The best air guitarist from that event will represent Canada at the world championships in Finland later this summer.

The event feature both competitors who signed up ahead of time, and also those who decided to take the stage after seeing what the event was all about.

Paul LaGace is an air guitar enthusiast, and when he heard about the event he know he would be making the hour and a half drive from Moncton to rock out on stage.

“This is awesome I couldn’t believe it,” he says after his performance to AC/DC’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.

“All these years that I’ve been watching like stuff for air guitars, and you guys hosted it. I was amazed.”

Others came to the event in full character.

“It’s always been in my blood,” says one person who went by the alias of “Moe.”

“If I’m competing against you, sorry about your luck, but go to some other town and just give it all.”

Those who took to the stage tell people looking to try air guitar themselves to just be themselves and have fun.

“It brings together such wonderful people who just want to have fun and play,” says LeBlanc. “It’s something that we all do a little bit of air guitar now and then, but this is about celebrating those little moments of joy.”

The air guitar contest is one of the first of many events that kicked off opening weekend at the Area 506 Waterfront Container Village. Area 506 president Ray Gracewood says it’s exciting to still be bringing new events to the space in what will be its fifth season.

As for events still to come this summer, Gracewood highlights the popular Area 506 Music Festival that is now four days long, numerous performances as part of their waterfront concert series, wresting, and a slew of other events.

“2026 is going to be our best year yet,” Gracewood believes. “So, if the weather is anything like it is this weekend, it’s just going to continue to get bigger and better.”

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