Is Balloon Boy Heene’s Band a Pint-Sized Led Zeppelin or a Rock ‘n’ Roll Hindenburg?

Back in 2009, Richard Heene made headlines when he supposedly launched his son into orbit in a balloon. He led us to believe his son, the then-6-year-old Falcon, accidentally went airborne. "Balloon Boy" was born and Heene got a ton of publicity, until it was revealed to be an elaborate hoax.

After serving four years of probation, the 51-year-old Heene is back and trying to launch the career of Heene Boyz. Billed as "the world's youngest metal band," the group features his sons, now 10-year-old Falcon on vocals and bass; Bradford, 13, on guitar; and Ryo, 12, on drums.

Although Heene's previous stunt already has him reeking like some sort of Barnum & Bailey huckster (or, as Huffington Post put it, "an unapologetic self-promoter who would pursue all sorts of off-the-wall stunts to get media attention"), he claims he's not exploiting his son. "I don't push anything on my kids," he told Gawker. Believe him? Will these rockin' tykes become the new Led Zeppelin or are they a metal Milli Vanilli, a rock 'n' roll Hindenburg waiting to happen?

Curiosity-seekers on the East Coast will get a chance to check them out soon enough. On Saturday, the Boyz are booked to play the Independence Metal Fest at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester, New York. They have a couple of other East Coast dates in July and more shows lined up in September. For those that can't check them out in the flesh, watch the videos above and let us know if the Heene Boyz are for real or just a bunch of hot air.

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