We talked to some of the “small” talent, the up and comers with their first big gig at NAMM. Not only did we ask about their sponsor’s gear, we asked them to share with us the experience of playing at NAMM.
There is so much to see and do. Our dead batteries and a bad mic cable slowed us down a little today but we’ll be back on our game tomorrow with more cool stuff, cool new gear, software and toys!
We ended the day by sort of falling into a drum circle. We rounded the corner by the “Wanna Play?” Stage and there by the fountain, outside under the stars, you could hear the beat of drums. Drawing closer we found 300 or so people, all with drums or cowbells or some other hand percussion instrument, beating the drums and following the leader. The energy there was electric and the crowd soon became one. Following the directors and drumming like mad, the cacophony of individuals became an orchestra of beats. The conductor raising the tempo to a frenzy, stopping us dead, pointing at one of the celebrity drummers who would “take it” and Boom! he would direct us to the downbeat, point at someone else and he’d go nuts. Boom, downbeat, next… delightful.
I saw it as too good an opportunity to miss. I shrugged off my backpack, grabbed a video camera and waltzed right into the center of the circle, dead center.
There in the heart of controlled frenzy and sound mayhem you could feel the energy in a way that pounded in your chest, an overwhelming warmth. Not of temperature, but of… something… perhaps an unconditional love for music.
There under the John Lennon lights, with his now famous caricature looking down on us, we found that, for just a few minutes at least, all you need is love. (nananananah)
It took my breath away. These people were, moments ago, hustling and bustling through the aisles, pushing each other out of the way to get free t-shirts. Now, as one, they played songs for an hour in the cool night air. The unity, it was… breathtaking. We drummed for fun and, in a way, we prayed together. We drummed for Haiti and the people who are suffering from the damage there. The director asking us to feel what they must be feeling and voice their anger or anguish with the beat of loud drums. Awesome.
Ol’ “Catfish” Butler grabbed a drum and hit it ‘til his hand hurt, laughing and yelling HEY with the rest of them while I tried to capture the feeling in pictures and video. What a great way to put Day Two to bed.
Tomorrow we’re gonna play every single guitar Daisy Rock Guitar makes and there is an entire FLOOR of stuff we haven’t touched yet. I gotta tell you, we are having the time of our lives, meeting rock stars, jamming on the Fender stage, playing with all the toys and drumming and strumming and picking and grinnin’ so much my face hurts.
I’m exhausted; that’s all you get from me tonight.
See you tomorrow on the floor
Your very tired Barefoot Journalist bids you sweet dreams.
