Each January since 2008, I've covered The NAMM Show for various publications. The trade show, held at Anaheim Convention Center and adjacent hotels in Southern California, is put on by the National Association of Music Merchants. It draws more than 100,000 people worldwide and is among the largest trade shows in North America.
For anyone involved or interested in music, The NAMM Show is the place to be, offering the latest technology, instruments, live performances by veteran and emerging talent, educational talks, award shows and more.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the trade show went virtual this year and was rebranded NAMM Believe in Music Week. It was free to anyone who registered online. That allowed people who normally couldn't attend in the past a rare opportunity to get a taste of what the event is all about. Typically, events are spread over four days. This time, content was posted online Monday-Friday.
January 19
During an oral history interview with Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, the folk/rock veteran talked about coming up in the folk scene, working at the Brill Building, the formation of the band, the meanings behind a few of their hit songs, joining Bob Dylan's acclaimed Rolling Thunder Review tour and what he's doing lately.
January 20
More than 40 music artists from 23 countries took part in a 12-hour livestream of concert performances.
Roland Keyboards presented its Sixth Annual Lifetime Achievement Award to Nick Rhodes, a founding member of Duran Duran. Various keyboardists and musicians including Giorgio Moroder, Jean-Michel Jarre, Gary Numan, Mike Garson and others offered their congratulations during a brief video. Rhodes said the Roland Jupiter 8, one of the first instruments he used in Duran Duran, was a key foundation in creating the group's signature sound.
January 21
The Thursday of NAMM is when Joe Lamond would usually preside over the first of three Breakfast Sessions in a large hotel ballroom to present the Music for Life Award and interview the recipient. So the NAMM CEO and president did it live online instead. Garth Brooks was the first of two honorees this year. The country superstar had just sung at the inauguration of President Biden and talked about how he managed to "hug four presidents in 15 seconds." When the pandemic hit and concert tours were cancelled, Brooks went whole hog on Inside Studio G, his weekly Facebook Live show that had already been running for quite awhile.
During the chat, Brooks touched upon other ways he has been weathering the pandemic. He did a drive-in concert simulcast to theater venues across the country and more than 350,000 fans bought a ticket to watch it on a big screen from their vehicles. "It worked so well and was the first time as a nation that we had to get out," said Brooks. "We cut to drive-ins across the country and that's when it really got fun."
As for the future of live music, the Oklahoma native, enthused about the potential of combining it with virtual reality. Lamond asked about Brooks' well-known love of KISS and the singer described the legendary rockers as "genius. Forty years later with makeup and they haven't aged at all. They did teenage anthems. Now you hear them and it's like going back in time." Brooks cited other 1970s rock acts like Boston, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Seger, Billy Joel and James Taylor as early influences. "They saved my life. They were a great foundation. [Then I discovered] George Strait, Randy Travis, Ricky Skaggs."
One of beautiful things about live music, Brooks said, is how shows are "full of mistakes and all. The mistakes make it real. That's what makes it" special for the fans. Whenever he gets back onstage, the proceedings will be treated like most of his past shows: "The first time could be the last, so leave it all on the stage."
Jackson Browne was interviewed by Thom Duffy of Billboard Magazine. Browne discussed what it was like growing up in Highland Park, Calif. and how he was exposed to a variety of different cultures - especially Latin music. Browne is featured in the recent acclaimed documentary Linda and the Mockingbirds and raved about Linda Ronstadt's memoir. He recalled how making a connection with Native American poet/activist/musician had a major impact.
After Duffy asked about the making of classic album "Running on Empty," Browne remarked that recording it on his tour bus, backstage and in hotel rooms was innovative for the late 1970s because 24 tracks were used and praised engineer Greg Ladanyi's efforts with EQ levels, etc.
Later, Browne remarked how politics and the world intertwined with his writing, a 2016 trip to Haiti to donate instruments to a music school, his successful career ("I've always been disconnected from commerce. My success was down to good luck") and the songwriting process then and now ("It was never easy and still isn't...I'm still trying to resolve something for myself").
January 22
Melissa Etheridge was another Music for Life honoree. Lamond asked how her Etheridge TV project launched. In the early part of the pandemic, she recalled doing Facebook Live performances free for fans, but when it was clear touring wasn't happening the near future, she needed to find a way to monetize things. Since Etheridge's wife Linda works in TV, she helped her set up a home TV studio and they came up with a subscription model. There are performances several times a week, fans chats and more.
Even when concerts eventually return, the singer/guitarist said she still wants to incorporate livestreaming. Through social media and the ETV, "we've reached fans around the world who are seeing me for the first time." Etheridge admitted to having learned a lot about online broadcasts since last year.
On the infamous Janis Joplin Tribute at the 2005 Grammy telecast, where Etheridge appeared with shaved head while going through breast cancer treatments: "I walked onstage and there was such a warm reception unlike anything I've experienced. One of the top performances I ever did." Then Etheridge concluded the chat by playing some of "Come to My Window."
Another interesting video interview was with John Boylan on producing the massively successful soundtrack to the 1980 film "Urban Cowboy" with country, pop or adult contemporary hits by Johnny Lee, Mickey Gilley, Kenny Rogers, Anne Murray, Boz Scaggs and Joe Walsh.
Among the tidbits:
Many songs were already recorded from different analog sources, in different years, with different producers. "We labored over the sequence of the (18 track double album) mightily...and worked hard on the flow. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done."
"There was so much music in that movie," filmed at Gilley's in Pasadena, Texas, "that even two albums couldn't cover it all."
Director James Bridges "was very 'hands on' with the music...and (executive producer) "Irvine Azoff brought a lot of his acts on board."
Even without being at The NAMM Show in person this year, there was plenty of online content during Believe in Music week to keep me interested. In fact, just like at the regular convention, there wasn't enough time to see everything that I wanted.
Fortunately, most content will be available on demand through February for free to registrants via www.attend.believeinmusic.tv
