Co-Op Couples: Rocking Out, Part Two
Editorial
Thankfully, "Me And My Gang" occupies 20% of our Guitar Hero time, at best. To keep the jammin' as continuous as possible, we always choose a full set of songs, alternating preferences each time. To be honest, I'm sure she's just as tired of playing Steve Miller's "The Joker" and the live version of "Sweet Home Alabama". Sometimes I sneak in an Ozzie song or something from Bob Seger; once the count-off begins, my co-op guitarist gets lost in the song, breathing only between beats.
I suppose it's only fair that after throwing down 98% on "Up Around The Bend" on Hard difficulty that we wind down with an Easy version of whatever she wants. Her answer to the query, "Which song next?" is never a surprise, but then again: we're married -- surprises are not so welcome anymore. Sure, you still have your Christmas gifts, positive pregnancy tests, and lingerie dances in the middle of the Saturday matinee movie on USA...but with those come speeding tickets, stained laundry, computer crashes, credit card binges, and plenty of other issues that make people like justabaldguy wish he was still a hair-headed bachelor. Besides, when I anticipate that she's going to choose that whiny country-western rendition of an otherwise swamp rock song, I get to be right. Correct. Undisputed.
And really: how often do we get to say that?
Yes? Fellow in the back -- another question? Um...wow. What a rude thing to say! Of course they're attached, and no, they're not in my wife's purse.
It's a little disconcerting when someone takes your attempt at dry humor and takes it as an all-out complaint session. I have a wife that plays Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii games with me, bub! Recently, she took the plunge and bought a Live Gold account.
But please understand: two years into our marriage, it still makes me uneasy when she turns the console on. Putting a controller in her hands is just...unnatural. Kat will tell you that gaming is not just for boys, but for some reason it's earth-shaking when the same woman who claws my eyes out for leaving dirty socks on the floor is adjusting her pseudo-guitar strap and telling me to hurry up my evening defication so she can crank the TV volume to 11 (+29) and blast an Eagles riff online.
You'll have to forgive me a weak knee, Mr. Know-it-all on the back row. You see, my wife rocks out. She's awesome. And after dinner tomorrow evening, we'll be at the virtual frat house, playing a custom setlist and keeping the neighbors awake all night. From the Easy warm-up song by which the window panes will rattle, we'll shred all the way to the final and most satisfying note, tearing up the carpet and leaping from the couch for our explosive finale song!
I just hope it's not stupid Rascal Flatts.
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Reader Comments 
I love playing with my wife too, and like "Iron Sights" I have to let my wife pick most of the list. We usually do some tour stuff then close out the night with free play. That's when she'll experiment. To her credit, she'll try almost anything. Last time we finished with STP's Vasoline and Dream Theater's (my favorite band!!) all devil-horn (except vocals) song Panic Attack. MAN we were sore after that one! Great fun though.
Oh, and one more thing: "lingerie dances in the middle of the Saturday matinee movie on USA" lose their luster when you have three kids waiting to ruin the moment.
My wife and I tend to each choose a song when we make set-lists. To her credit, she usually avoids picking a song she knows I hate more than once a session. The game isn't that nice to me. I rue the day I downloaded "My Sharona". She'll play almost anything, although I think if I make her try to sing like Ozzy again I'll be sleeping on the couch.
RB also taught me how little media my wife was exposed to pre-college. How can you know who Weezer is and not know "Buddy Holly"?
WHAT how can you not know that song?
My worst nightmares start with "Ooh-wee-ooh".
Especially when one has to wake up early for school
Rock Band!
Total Comments: 6
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However, as you mentioned, I enjoy the fact that she finally gets excited for gaming. Yes, its a simple music game, and some may argue its not a "true" video game, but it gets her gaming, and thats all I care about. I just hope it eventually becomes a "gateway" video game, and I can someday enjoy other games with her.
Great articles! I really enjoyed them. I must say that between this series and Marc's, I was influenced enough to finally give and and purchase my first musical gaming set.