Rock Band 3, Now with Keyboard!

Bruthaman sent me this link, gotta love where they’re taking Rock Band 3. Keyboard? YES! Only problem is that pretty soon a large screen TV is mandatory to counter-balance the size the those moving notes.

Time to start saving your pennies!

Dojo Info 1/27/10

1. UK 7-year-old raises tens of thousands for Haiti
   Only thing cooler than this would be if the 7-year-old was a student at UK.
2. Dutch adoption plane airlifts 106 Haitian kids
   I’m sure there are other countries doing the same thing. Awesome!
3. CBS Faces Pro-Abortion Pressure to Scrap Pro-Life Ad Featuring Tim Tebow
   If you want to present a differing opinion, buy an ad. This is America after all. But hey, NBC censored free speech last year, what’s to stop CBS from doing it this year?
4. Rock Band 3 in the works
   No real “news” as everyone already knows they’re working on what comes next but I’m anxious for a new release. Not sure that Project Natal would work for this, would it?
5. Obama Jinxes No. 1 Kentucky
   I’m sure our kids didn’t need to get their big heads any larger but what can you do when the President calls. Not a good game for Kentucky.

Dojo Info 4/18/09

1. GameSpy’s Ultimate Rock Band Wishlist (X360)
   There are some great songs in this list. I wonder if GameSpy has any pull with the folks at Rock Band? I’d love more Muse and any bit song from Zepplin would be massive.
2. Rock Band 2: Rated
   For some reason I forgot to post this back in August and the shortcut has been hiding on my desktop ever since. These guys took the time to rank each song by difficulty for each instrument. Killer!
3. D&D Co-Creator Dead At 61
   Dungeons and Dragons is such a cool concept. It got a bad rap from the general public due to the fringe extremists who turned their lives upside-down because of the game, but the game itself was brilliant.
4. Rock Band Picks Up Styx, REO Speedwagon
   Now you’re talking! And, “No” I’m not an old fogy.
5. Valve Details Next Week’s Left 4 Dead Survival Pack
   It’s not much, but it’s something. I’d rather have a whole new mission! Yip!

Dojo Info 3/30/09

1. Study Says Playing Shooters Improves Vision
   That’s why I play them. ;^)
2. Pearl Jam’s “Ten” DLC arrives just in time to play along with Matt Cameron
   There are some good tunes on that album. Heh, I said album. Kids today are like… “Whaaaa?”
3. President Obama’s Final Four revealed
   If I’m going to criticize the President for things I don’t like, it’s only fair to compliment him on the positives. I really like how he’s not not taking sides and honestly filling out his NCAA bracket. He’s bucking the politically correct stance of staying above the fray. If only he’d show some restraint with the government’s new mega-spending mindset.
4. Skype for iPhone: It’s official
   Doesn’t it seem like AT&T would be fighting this? Every day that goes by makes me want to get an iPhone. And I call myself a geek… sheesh…
5. Twitter still has no business model, and that’s OK
   Is our world upside down or what?

Dojo Info 3/17/09

1. Skiles to Villanueva: No halftime tweets
   Wow. You know technology is pervasive when it invades fast-paced Pro basketball.
2. And It’s Such A Useful Song
   Yakety Sax is my new favorite song.
3. Christian rock mainstays newsboys add dcTalk-er Michael Tait to line-up
   I’ve always liked the Newsboys, especially their lyrical wit. Hopefully this move will free up Furler to spend more time writing? If it’s only a partial vacation then color me disappointed. I do think Tait has an amazing voice.
4. Judge orders homeschoolers into public district classrooms
   The kids have tested above their grade levels but that’s not stopping this judge from overstepping his authority.
5. Rock Band DLC Week of 3/17/09: Get the Funk Out, Papa Roach, New Pornographers, Against Me!
   It’s been awhile since I’ve posted about Rock Band, but a couple of these DLC look intriguing.

Dojo Info 1/29/09

1. As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God
   As a Christian, I agree. But not just Africa… all of us.
2. Miittens
   How cute!
3. Competitive StarCraft Gets UC Berkeley Class
   And here I thought Berkeley was all bad.
4. Rock Band DLC Catalogue Could Reach 5,000 Songs This Year?! [Update: No]
   5,000 is a large number but if that’s not possible, I’d take 500 good songs.
5. Gigapan search
   They got some Jack Bauer technology over here.

Rock Band Track on Real Kit

Here’s what the Rock Band key placement for Panic Attack by Dream Theater sounds like on a real kit. The dude is pretty solid.

Paladin’s Imaginary Musical Career in Rock Band

As a father, it’s built-in that I want my kids to enjoy the things I enjoy and avoid the things I dislike. But there’s a catch. What if I do like something but am so horribly inept that it borders on freakshow status? Well my friends, that’s where Rock Band comes in.

You see, I love music. LOVE it. If I could have been anything in this life it would been to trade places with Eddie Van Halen. I mean really, dude had it all. (Well, before the drug problem, the divorce, the breakup… you get the picture.)

Now back to the “inept” part. I bought a sweet, red Yamaha electric guitar when I was 16. When I tried to play it, it was as if some past dosage of nitrous oxide took control of my hands (more likely my ears and brain) and what came out was anything but musical. I tried and tried but to no avail. Simply stated, I sucked.

(This is all the more troubling that my friend Todd was so incredibly gifted that he picked up the piano in about a month. I’m not even exaggerating.)

So when I was able to play Guitar Hero a couple years back at our friends house, it was all I could do to restrain myself from ordering the game from Amazon on my Blackberry on the drive home. I was hooked like a wide-mouth bass.

Now, I’m not good like my son Ben—he’s a phenom—but I can hold my own. So the purpose of this post is for me to keep track of what I’ve conquered thus far in my music (non-musical) career.

“Oh no, don’t pity me babe
I know I’m alright
O yeah, I’m alright.” -Neil Young

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Dude Uses Theremin in Rock Band

Theremin Hero via Kotaku. There are some very creative people out there.

The Greatest Plastic Guitarist Ever

I’ve found him! The greatest Guitar Hero/Rock Band guitarist of all time. I’m awed by his immense talent and shamed by his incredible skills. If I could be 50% as good as he is, I’d be content.

Did you notice how he was singing along while playing? I bet he even closed his eyes for some of those “easy” parts.

Maybe he’s the cyborg experiment I keep hearing the government is trying to keep under wraps. Judge for yourself the man, the myth, the legend.

I’m thinking about planning a pilgrimage. If this man turns out to be a charlatan then I’ll send in the goons.

Our 2-Year Old Is Hopelessly Addicted to Rock Band

Barret can’t write his name or say the alphabet but he can throttle some Angels & Airwaves on Rock Band.

Dojo Info 12/10/08

1. Chef dies after eating ‘superhot’ chilli for bet
   Then I guess there is such a thing as too hot.
2. Abortion not seen linked with depression
   More junk science (dishonesty!) as 3 of the 4 authors work for the university department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, which just happens to be funded by Planned Parenthood of Maryland. Disgusting. And they claim to be supporting the mothers. How about you lie to the pregnant mothers about anything negative with abortion just so you can make more money. If that’s not evil, than evil doesn’t exist. This stuff makes my blood boil.
3. Rock Band 2 to get new instrument
   Wha?… they keep us hanging on when we all know what we need is more cowbell.
4. ComScore: 100 million YouTube viewers in October
   On demand video? What a novel concept… I seem to remember hearing about this, oh, a decade or so ago. (Ok, I’ll stop being snide now.) The real question is how long before YouTube actually starts making a profit? (As a company, not just the executives.)
5. Justice in Iraq: Moral progress since the days of Saddam.
   This coming from the WSJ. Once Obama pulls us out of Iraq, how long before the evil influences find their way back to power?

Dojo Info 12/5/08

1. First NFL game in 3-D fumbles, then recovers
   I dunno… those things always make me nauseous…
2. Video: The BlackBerry Storm touches down
   Tagged the iPhone killer, it doesn’t look like that will happen. Still, it’s very cool and a step in the right direction. Improving the Web browser would be a big plus to me. Of course, I’d have to switch to expensive reliable Verizon which I just can’t do at this point.
3. The iPhone Gaming Gift Guide
   Here’s Kotaku’s list of must have games for the iPhone and iTouch. Why do I care? Because my son bought his first iTouch yesterday. I haven’t seen him all day.
4. Requiem for a Console
   It was a very touching tribute… *sniff* *sniff*… I have nothing more to add…
5. ‘Rock Band’ drummer hits gaming pro
   Drums is the instrument in Rock Band that will actually make you a better player. Well, that is if you can adjust to the layout of the drums.

Dojo Info 11/18/08

1. The Billion-Dollar Batman
   Woozers… that’s a lot of clams Batman.
2. “Liberal Fascism” – The end of freedom and prosperity
   I’ve always that thought for some, politics is their religion. After this election, that seems more clear than ever.
3. The Killers Three-Pack also Coming to Rock Band on Nov. 25
   The Rock Band downloadable pack will feature “Spaceman” (a new single from Day & Age), “Smile Like You Mean It,” and “Mr. Brightside.” Suh-weet!
4. More Details About Konami’s Guitar Hero Arcade Game
   Where’s the anti-bacterial gel dispenser?!?
5. NPD: Behind The Numbers, October 2008
   Looks like GH:WT isn’t going to catch up with Rock Band, at least not for the foreseeable future.

Dojo Info 11/13/08

1. Watch 15 Minutes of Left 4 Dead
   Man! This game is going to be simply frightening!
2. Harmonix: Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour Not Competing
   What kind(s) of drugs is Mr. Teasdale taking? This is a Marketing 101 prime example of products competing, uh, yeah.
3. Your 20 Free Rock Band Songs *Are* Coming, Eventually
   They better, or they’ll suffer the wrath of (dramatic music) “Paladin!!” Or, maybe they’ll just take their own sweet time with it. Update: They’re here! Phooey on me for taking too long to post this Dojo Info.
4. Pollsters Inflated Obama Lead
   Are polls inaccurate? Of course. Are they purposefully misleading? It wouldn’t surprise me.
5. Picking up where an angel left off
   People like Debbie O’Daniels are heroes; not self-absorbed, teenage pop stars. Where did we lose our sense of goodness? If anyone finds it, share it with the rest of us.
6. Final Chapter For Circuit City?
   You can only ignore good customer service for so long. Some years back I had to complain to the store manager about the poor service I received and their response was so pitiful, I rarely gave them any business after that. Wow. I hope capitalism doesn’t completely disappear given our trend towards socialism.
7. Democratic legislators ask state Supreme Court to void Prop. 8
   Right. And after this fails to reverse the will of the people the gay lobby will turn to their friends in the Courts. It matters not what our democracy determines, only what they want… which is really strange when you see the data that shows their relationships are far more ‘short-term’ than hetero relationships. I guess it’s not marriage they want after all but an attempt to have their behavior officially stamped as legitimate by society.
8. The 50 Best Rock & Roll Video Games of All Time
   Rolling Stone falls further into irrelevancy with this list. *yawn*