Entertainment

Meet the Florida Man Who Went Viral for Headbanging in a Hurricane

WTFlorida is a VICE series that goes behind some of the most outrageous stories to come out of the Sunshine State.

Lane Pittman just can't stop going viral. Back in 2015, the Jacksonville, Florida resident turned up a July 4 celebration by playing the National Anthem with his electric guitar, causing such a big crowd to gather that local police arrested him. His story feels typical of the wacky headlines you often see out of the Sunshine State, so VICE followed him for the first installment of our new video series, WTFlorida.

The video of Pittman's arrest was his first viral moment, and it landed him gigs playing the Star Spangled Banner at stadiums across the country. In 2016 he splashed into public view again in a video headbanging in the winds of hurricane Matthew while holding an American flag. Now, he's using his local celebrity and platform thanks to artists like the Foo Fighters to raise funds for Hurricane Dorian relief. VICE went to Jacksonville to catch up with Pittman and learn what being a Florida Man is all about. Watch the first episode of WTFlorida at the top of the page.

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