Sunday Synth Jam: This video captures a keytar jam, featuring a DIY “cello-keytar”.

via Owam1986:

Me improvising with my homemade keytar, my first DIY project.There are some mistakes… don’t mind…

Majic Conner doing an impromptu version of his song Bach Rock on his Roland AX1B.

via pacdream

Strange keytar video: Freebird solo, on keytar.

There’s been a healthy debate over our original theory, but, unfortunately for guys everywhere, no solid evidence has been dug up to disprove it.

Larhule did note that the band The Human Aftertaste has a keytarist, saying that “perpatron is the child-molesting robot keytarist for a band called the human aftertaste.”

It actually appears that The Human Aftertaste has a pair of keytarists.

And it also appears that The Human Aftertaste may be one of the more disturbing bands ever to come from someplace other than Germany. 

Protus, aka Homo Superior, shown posing with his instrument, right, is responsible for trans-keyboard, tran-sampler and trans-guitar.

If that’s not enough to set off your disturb-o-meter, Perpatron, shown below, is responsible for “touching youth, keytar, keyboards”:

Interesting and bizarre, but it fails to disprove our previous assertion that Herbie Hancock is the only guy, ever, to look cool playing the keytar.

In case you need a reminder of what it looks like to be a badass keytarists, here’s a photo of Hancock in his 70’s heyday:

Let me know what you think of Perpatron and Protus – and we’re still looking for badass keytarist photos!

Herbie Hancock image via Ethan Hein

It’s an unfortunate law of the universe that guys always look stupid playing the keytar.

While there are plenty of memorable keytar goddesses, Herbie Hancock is the only guy, ever, to look cool playing the keytar.

Here’s Hancock looking pretty badass with a Roland AX-7:

Jean Michel Jarre may have come pretty close to looking cool with a keytar, but he’s got that French je ne sais quoi on his side.

Guys can look cool playing the drums, the electric guitar, the saxophone, the bass, the congas, keyboards, the theremin – all sorts of instruments. But looking cool playing the keytar poses a unique challenge.

Need proof of this unfortunate fact?

Here you go, with apologies to all the male keytarists out there:

This Keytarist Rocks The Shrubbery Like No Other

The Keytar Fun Guy’s Jamming Makes The Man In Bright Red Suspenders So Very, Very Happy

This Keytarist Philospher Gets His Hookah On

This Keytarist Duct Taped His Instrument

At least – that’s what she said.

This Keytarist Looks Like Wolverine, Has A Steampunk Keytar, And Is Ready For His Balloon Jaunt

Guy Experiences The Unique Pleasures Of A Tyco Keytar

Even Badass Tattoos Couldn’t Save This Keytarist

This Guitarist Looks Sexy Enough To Get Chicks. But The Keytarist Looks Like He Just Farted A Death Cloud

Joining keytar goddesses Juliette Commagare and Imogen Heap is Lauren Rocket, of punk girl group Rocket.  

Rocket describes itself as “a volatile combination that leaves one wondering what the results would be if the Shangri-Las crashed the stage during an early Motley Crue gig.”

Starting out as a threesome of Laurens, Rocket released their first album, Too Hot to be Bothered, in 2005. Evolving into “a five-piece rock ‘n’ roll circus” later that year, their first-ever live show was headlining at the legendary Viper Room on the Sunset Strip. 

Since then, the girls have driven coast to coast with the intentions of introducing the world to Rocket. Rocket has also opened for Rancid, Sugarcult, OK GO, Morningwood, The Sounds, The Supersuckers, Kill Hannah, and The Dwarves, and has toured with The Lashes.

Images: punkassphotos

Imogen Heap, above, is a Grammy-nominated English singer-songwriter from Essex, best known for her work as part of Frou Frou and for her 2005 solo record Speak for Yourself.

She’s also known to show off some keytar & vocoder chops:

Keytars have been the subject of ridicule for years because of their association with 80’s hair bands.

Fortunately, today’s keytarists aren’t like the keytarists of the 80’s. If there’s any doubt in your mind about that, you’re probably not familiar with Juliette Commagere, above, the keytarist & vocalist of Hello Stranger.

Hello Stranger is an indie alt-rock band…..at least it was, before Commagere went all medieval on the rest of the band:

Guess her ‘mates made one too many keytar jokes.

You can see Commagere in action below, or download the Hello Stranger single Take it to the Max.

Just don’t make any keytar jokes.

Know of any other keytar goddesses changing the perception of this much-maligned instrument? Let us know in the comments!