Los Angeles, CA – Anyone can pretend to be a rock star thanks to games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero, but now, for some, it's becoming reality.
In bars, weddings, and even concert halls groups of talented video gamers are making a living off their talents. At Moe's Bar in Springfield, tens of people come to see Evan Gertz and his band Dried Zombie perform the hits on Rock Band.
"We finished the game on the highest level and we wondered 'what next?' Barry said we should take the band on the road, and I thought he was crazy, but when we started getting gigs, it was a dream come true," said Gertz.
Gertz said he knows that it's breaking the license agreement and probably the copyright of the bands, but "this is rock and roll. We break all the rules."
The "bands" have gotten the attention of the RIAA, which as has already filed a lawsuit against several of these bands citing billions in lost revenue.
Gertz is just happy to be doing what he loves. "I never thought that my skills in video games would get me anywhere, but look at me now. Suck it Mom!" said Gertz.
Another success story is Valerie Gibson, who couldn't find any work as a real musician, but now does gigs at local bars and coffee houses with her Guitar Hero band Asthma Puppies. "They just put the game up on all the TVs and we rock on out with a bunch of covers. Well actually they're the originals," said Gibson.
It's a win-win situation for the crowd. "I get to hear some good music, not some crappy cover band, and they put on a good show," said local beer drinker Frank Richards.
Not everyone is please by the new trend. Many music purists, who already decry the lack of musical talent in today's popular bands, see this as one more step towards the end of music. "These people can't sing, can't play a real instrument, and have no talent whatsoever. They're just good at a game. What's next, lip-synching on Saturday Night Live?"
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