Last week, Pam and I got to play at the NAMM show. For those that don’t know, NAMM stands for National Association of Music Merchants, which they’ve deemed the “world’s largest trade-only event for music products.” It’s a giant affair, with people in the biz flying in from all over the world. We went a few times, Susan and Pam and I, years ago, and Susan scored an Ashdown amp endorsement. I find it overwhelming so haven’t made an effort to go back. Until, of course, we landed a gig on the acoustic stage.
Wednesday night was the night before the convention officially started, but many had been setting up their booths that day, or were already at the hotels in preparation for the start of the event. I had imagined an empty lobby at the Sheraton at 11pm on a Wednesday, and though a friend had warned me this wouldn’t be the case, I was still pretty surprised to find the place packed and buzzing. It was loud.
Before us were acts Karli G and George Jauss, and I watched them power through their sets with zero acknowledgement that the bar was full of the loudest networking chatter you’ve ever heard in your life. It’s a less-than-ideal set up for any performer and their professionalism inspired me. You can be annoyed, or you can do the absolute best you can, given the situation.
There were a few people paying attention, some coming and going, and others there the whole time, including a nice dude called Mark who was taking video. Halfway through our set, I spotted three people in the hallway stop to listen. They came in and sat down — not talking, not drinking, just watching. After the set, they were quoting their favourite lyrics back to me. They were in from Vienna, and with the string company Thomastik-Infeld. They were a delight and absolutely made the night a success in my mind. If you can draw in even one person, it’s worth it.
Here’s “Call You Home” (the “ambient bar chatter” mix):
We went back on Saturday to check out Tim Moyer’s performance, say hi to some friends, and peruse the gear. (Read: play every Takamine model.) Highlight was getting to say hello to the legendary Gregg Bissonette (drummer in Ringo’s All Starr Band, among others), who gave Pam some drum lessons back in the day. Every time we’ve run into him since, he’s always remembered her. What a dude.
Overall it was a surprisingly enjoyable experience, and one I feel I learned a lot from. NAMM: B+.