Hair Guitar

Heights bar fires up computer game for metal maniacs.

Gone are the days of standing in front of your bedroom mirror with an air guitar in your hands. At Fox & Hound's weekly Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock competition, novices and veterans alike pick up axes to jam to the interactive game on a 12-foot-square flat-screen TV. "People take it seriously because the competitive spirit is still there," says Chris Fousek, the club's floor manager.And they should (what/why?). To compete, a player rocks out on a guitar-shaped controller as a song's notes are scrolled on the screen. Every Wednesday night, one of the contestants wins after perfectly playing eight tiers of more than 60 tunes, from old-school classics by ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd to heavy-metal tracks by Metallica and Guns N' Roses. The bar even dims the lights in its party room to create a rock-arena mood. "We knew this would take off," says Fousek. "The game is addictive, and a lot of regulars don't realize that they're getting a lightweight workout while jumping around and rocking." The jam starts at 9 tonight at Fox & Hound Pub & Grille, 1479 SOM Center Road in Mayfield Heights. Admission is free. Call 440-646-9078 or visit www.tentcorp.com.
Wednesdays, 9 p.m., 2008