This past weekend, I had the opportunity to fly to California, drive to Anaheim, and attend NAMM. This being my second year attending, I am very grateful to have the opportunity not only to be in California, but to attend one of the greatest music gatherings ever. Spirit Airlines got me, and the guys in Titans in Time to California with their Music4Miles program, and Orange Amplifiers hooked me up with an artist pass to get into NAMM.
There was no shortage of things to do and people to meet throughout the weekend. We kicked it off at the airport bar, where we ran into our friends in Alteras (recently toured with them), and turned the place into a party, doing shots with the ladies next to us who were off to Vegas, and another couple that was flying out to see Van Morrison. That was a great way to start our trip.
We got into LAX at around 11pm, which is 2am back home. With no sleep on the plane, it was getting difficult to stay awake. We grabbed an Uber, and made the trek to Anaheim, where our Motel was, only 10 minutes from the convention center.
We kicked off our Friday with breakfast at In-N-Out burger, and headed straight for the convention center to pickup our passes. With everything set, we headed into the convention center, and instantly began browsing the new gear from all of our favorite companies. I looked up at one point, and found myself feet away from R.J. Ronquillo, who I have been following and watching videos for a while now. He has been a favorite guitarist of mine for some time, so I walked up and introduced myself and we had a quick conversation. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to meed some of my idols. Along with R.J., I met and saw a lot of other people that I look up to, like Ryan Bruce, Jared Dines, Daniel Donato, Ola Englund, and tons more!
After hours of walking and chatting, and playing the new gear, the after parties begun and there was music all over the place. Some great friends of mine in Keys and Corridors happened to be performing at the Hilton not too far away, so I went to see them. The production there was awesome. Sound and lighting was great, and the band performed with a great energy and kept everyone entertained.
Day two held a similar story for us. The group split up, and we explored a bit on our own, and saw more of what we wanted to relating to our own interests. I of course spent most of my time looking at and talking to the people in the guitar area. After what accounted for about 8 miles of walking, everyone met up, and we headed for the Schecter Guitars After Party, at The Grove. We ended up arriving a bit early, and were able to get in the front of the line. The after party had an amazing combination of events going on. First, the bar was serving free Founders beer. Then I turned around, and there was a booth with free Whiskey. And on top of that, Body Count was performing! If you don’t know who Body Count is, it is Ice-T’s metal band. They have a great set, and are incredibly entertaining. I am very glad to get to see them perform.
After a long night of drinks, hanging out, and watching bands, we headed back to the motel. With only a few hours to sleep before heading to LAX, we set our alarms and passed out. Matt woke up to go to the restroom, followed by yelling “Oh my God, It happened again!”. Last year we barely made our flight because we overslept. This year was no different. We ordered an Uber, Rushed to get ready, and we were standing outside in 2 minutes. A record if you know our drummer who likes to take his time getting ready in the morning. Luckily our Uber driver was hopped up on Caffeine and was driving like a mad man. We made it to the airport in no time, and begun our dreadful trek back to Ohio.
Looking out the window now, it is snowing, 12 degrees, and dismal. After being in the sunny, 80 degree weather in California, I wonder why I am still in Ohio. Maybe it is time to head south, closer to a larger music scene.