Former Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein has written an excellent piece in Slate about the fervor over the video game Rock Band.

The drums are the best part. They would look at home in a 1980s Flock of Seagulls video—four color-coded circular drum pads and a kick pedal. Drum stool (aka throne) not included, but, as I discovered, a coffee table works just fine. Brad kindly set up Rock Band in the middle of my living room, a typically austere space reserved for reading (except that I never read there), and one kept tidy in case I invite friends over (which I rarely do). Even so, littering the space with guitars and drums was strangely intrusive. I felt like the mother of a teenager. How long was this band planning on hanging out, and why was their stuff lying around all over the place?

Brownstein also breaks down the game versus the real experience:

The touring life

Rock Band: You never have to convince yourself that Ruby Tuesday is a good restaurant or that five days is an acceptable amount of time to go without a shower. Your spouse, significant other, dogs, and kids all get to come along without making anyone mad. One major drawback is that you haven’t actually left your house, nor has anyone actually attended your shows. You do save on gas.

I have yet to sit down to the plastic drum pads and try out the game, but is it worth the hype? Do I really need to spend the time learning Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So” on a plastic guitar? Any gamer experts out there who want to add their two cents on the Rock Band experience?