Play Switch ‘N’ Shoot to Win Groovy Kaiju Music

Wilcox Arcade is partnering with future funk musician Groovy Kaiju for a Switch ‘N’ Shoot contest this summer — yet this collaboration isn’t quite as random as you might think.

A little more than two years ago, I interviewed for the Wilcox Arcade blog the man behind the Groovy Kaiju moniker, Aaron Turner, about how his music intersects with his cultural influences. To be more specific, I personally discovered Groovy Kaiju through his retro gaming-inspired advertising on Instagram, so it seemed like we had similar interests.

Fortunately, because we had established this connection prior, Aaron was generous enough to pair his music with my mission — by sending five signed copies of his “Monster Tape Zero” CD for me to disseminate to the winners of my upcoming Switch ‘N’ Shoot competition.

I suppose it would behoove me to clarify exactly what this competition will entail. On Saturday, August 2^nd, my plan is to place Switch ‘N’ Shoot literally outside of Know-a-Guy — the store where it’s housed in Murray, Kentucky — for anyone to play at any point during the day. Once you feel satisfied with your score, you can submit it to either myself or another onsite Wilcox Arcade representative for recordkeeping purposes.

At the end of the day, I’ll review the scores, and the top five players will each receive one copy of “Monster Tape Zero.” To add icing on the cake, the top three players will also win Wilcox Arcade merchandise (very summer-related stuff).

This event will also receive support from Wits’ End Records in Murray. When I got those CDs in the mail from Groovy Kaiju, I realized how perfect it would be to have a music store onboard as a sponsor. Luckily, co-owner Tim Peyton agreed. (It helps that we’ve corresponded several times in the past for other collaborations.)

Long story short, the latest Switch ‘N’ Shoot competition has a very low barrier to entry — but depending on how things go, the score ceiling could be very impressive. Either way, I’m just tickled pink to serve as something of a cultural curator in the small communities of western Kentucky. Very few people in this area had heard of Switch ‘N’ Shoot before I brought it to Know-a-Guy, and I’d imagine that might be the case with Groovy Kaiju, too.

Hopefully, I don’t sound conceited when I say I want to be the Toonami of arcades: not just the means by which people play games but also a hub for all kinds of cool stuff. Wilcox Arcade is just as much about building a community as it is about dropping more cabinets.

Don’t forget: The all-day Switch ‘N’ Shoot tournament happens Saturday, August 2^nd — right outside of Know-a-Guy — located at 607 N. 16th Street in Murray, Kentucky. Wits’ End Records, the sponsor of behind this whole shebang, is located at 514 Main Street in Murray, Kentucky. You can stream Groovy Kaiju on Spotify.

Thank you, as always, to everyone who has played or will play Switch ‘N’ Shoot. I’m looking forward to meeting more fans on the big day.