What is NAMM? More specifically, what is Winter NAMM?
NAMM is the "North American Music Merchants" Association (although now it's really fully international). And the Winter NAMM trade show is the international trade show for the entire industry for the year. They have a smaller show in the summer, but the big one is in mid-January in Anaheim, California.
Imagine your local music instrument store in your neighborhood. Now imagine it on steroids. Now imagine it on Bonds/McGwire/Sosa/Palmeiro/Canseco/Giambi steroids. Now multiple that by 100. THAT is the Winter NAMM Show! Manufacturers and distributors of every type and model of equipment and supplies for music production (guitars, keyboards, drums, drum sticks, guitar picks, trumpets, pianos, all types of software and hardware, speakers, amps, cases, cables, sheet music, instructional materials, stands, lighting canisters, mixing boards, stomp boxes, etc., etc., etc., etc...).
It's one big music mall filling up practically the entire Anaheim Convention Center for four whole days so that retailers and wholesalers can check out the latest and greatest new items to sell in their stores or on their web sites. Industry press are also in attendance. So are quite a few famous (and many more not so famous, and even a few infamous) artists and musicians.
Where else can you see the likes of Steve Vai & Joe Satriani pimping themselves for publicity, catch a glimpes of Sinbad the comedian flashing his cheesy grin, stumble upon a florescent orange flying-V ukulele (and actual want to buy one), learn the intricacies of piano hammers (and be given a sample hammer free of charge from a desperate exhibitor), grow bunions and corns on your feet before the end of day one, drool in full-blown envy as you wish for one of each and every single item displayed throughout the convention center by day two, go deaf from the ambient noise by day three, and become nearly comatose by the beginning of day four.
Fun stuff! I took some pictures (a couple are a little blurry... sorry).
Welcome to the 2007 Winter NAMM Trade Show!
Below is a pic of former Yes/Moody Blues keyboardist Patrick Moraz (second from the right).
Next is Sinbad, very intrigued by our new SampleBase.com website. (to go live on May 1st):
Want a weird, new German guitar? (Tueffel "birdfish" Electric Guitar)
How about a Japanese Koyabu board?
Something for all you hard-core rocker chicks!
Ah, yes... the infamous florescent orange flying-V ukulele. It really does exist!
Gee, I wonder who this is?
So, now yah know what I look like. (Is that a good thing??? The jury's still out on that.)
No comments:
Post a Comment