The National Association of Music Merchants a.k.a. the NAMM Show is a wonderment that is everything that is part of music. From the artists to the instruments, all is covered in this yearly event. The Winter NAMM 2020 Show is a gathering of music merchant vendors at the Anaheim Convention Center that takes place in January.
Over 2,000 vendors from around the world display the newest sound and entertainment merchandise that makes their brand relevant in the music industry. 100,000 attendees from 130 countries make the pilgrimage to Anaheim. Attendees are there to strike deals, to find the latest and greatest music technology, to meet artists visiting the show as well as those promoting brands, and to attend the nightly music events that happen throughout NAMM Week.
When you enter this colossal show, it can be overwhelming and glorious to the music lover because of the size of the event. You see large booths from major vendors as well as smaller booths with just as much to offer because in the end, it’s the product that matters. Guitars, amps, brass, sound gear, cases, and even photo printing for music photographers was represented this year.
I’ve always been a guitar freak and visiting the booths of Gibson, Fender, Washburn, Taylor, and Ibanez was a gratifying experience. There were also smaller companies like Rock n’ Roll Relics, Kiesel Guitars, Greco Guitars, and Viper Guitars that show why they deserve to be here and be seen. Not to be outdone, you had an array drums and symbols for those drumming enthusiast. All the heavy hitters from Tama, Ludwig, and Sabian were there in full force with incredible booths with guest musicians constantly visiting them.
It’s nice to walk the event over the four day event (five if you count the media day) and get a chance to meet and talk with musicians from William DuVall from Alice in Chains, Richie Faulkner of Judas Pirest, Billy Rowe of Jetboy, guitarist Greg Koch, and too many others to mention. The great part is it’s also a great place to make new friends who have the same love of music that carries on beyond the show.
One of the best parts of having all these incredible musicians in town for NAMM is that some of them you can catch showcasing their talents at various booths or stages and others during NAMM week’s nightly events.
Alex Skolnick (Testament), Jen Majura (Evanescence), Nita Strauss (ALice Cooper), & Russell Pzütto (Dee Snider) during NAMM
The hard rockers will seek invites or tickets to events like ‘Metal Allegiance’ and the Dimebag Darrell Abbott tribute ‘Dimebash’. Rockers try for the ‘Gibson: Live’ event as well as the ‘Ronnie Montrose Remembered’. While all these nightly events are taking you to different venues, you still have the chance to catch ‘Black Label Society’, ‘Ultimate NAMM Night’ featuring 100 musicians, and even the ‘She Rocks Awards’ paying homage to females in the music industry. There is something for everybody day or night.
The NAMM show is important for so many reasons. The opportunity to discover what’s coming out and what is out there that you didn’t realize was available now. The show can revitalize your love of music in an often times very jaded industry. Simply put, the NAMM Show is about a community where people with a passion for music and technology can all meet under the same roof.
It was a pleasure being part of NAMM 2020. I look forward to what you have in store for 2021.
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