Benoit Henriot
Walking into any Guitar Center store is a sensory overload experience. One is immediately hit with fluorescent lighting and a cacophony of guitars, drums, and keyboards all playing different things at the same time. It’s an instant headache, but the store does have just about everything a musician needs in a pinch. Multiply Guitar Center by 1,000 and you have the NAMM Show (the International Music Products Association), an annual event held at the Anaheim Convention Center here in California this weekend.
Normally, attending NAMM would not be my bag at all, but a friend who works at a guitar company offered me passes in exchange for me stopping by his company’s booth. I’m looking for some new gear and some endorsement deals would be really great so I’m going to go, but I’m not exactly looking forward to it. I’m claustrophobic and grumpy in crowds, loud sounds hurt my ears (unless it’s my own band of course), and even the mention of any kind of “convention center” makes me nauseous. Earplugs and a mother’s little helper may be in order, but spotting Stevie Wonder would make it all good.
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Donita!!
Nelson!
Sounds like a pretty cool show!
By the way, I love your website’s new design!
Have you seen the article in the latest RS about recording technology? About how the process has been basically dumbed down? How the sound isn’t as good or as full as it once was?
Hey hi howdy firepups and NSA overseers! How is the weather in Ft. Meade, MD this afternoon?
Fini! Hope this finds you in good health.
Here’s a good/ strange clip of Eddie Van Halen at NAMM.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIr-WBZT1MI
Thanks Young Jess,
Finifinito helped me out. He’s my all powerful “Webmaster” now. I’m super happy with my new site.
The new store will hopefully be happening by Monday.
http://www.donitasparks.com
I’m doing ok, but have to leave in a bit to have a blood draw done. I’m having bleeding symptoms so the doc wants me to get it checked out.
That’s awesome that he’s been helping you out! I look forward to buying stuff in the store!
Hi fini
Hi Donita
and pssst Hi Young Jess ;)
how are you feeling this week fini?
better, I hope :)
Hi to you too!
what can we do for you, fini
– beyond moral support?
Donate blood in your name?
yes, I read that. At first when records were getting louder in the mid nineties I was really excited about it.
But now sadly it’s just a volume contest because the labels (and a lot of bands) want the tracks to grab you instantly on the web and radio. I totally can relate to the ear fatigue that they were writing about. It just doesn’t have lasting power foe the listener.
Hello YoungJess.
The site looks really strange when viewed with IE6. But making websites so that they work well with all the browsers isn’t as easy as it should be.
Hi, Donita!
Somebody go find PetePierce. This is the thread for him: no politics!
Nothing much anyone can do, I’m gonna see what the doc says in a couple of hours. Just some positive thoughts for me is all right now.
Wow, you’re right!! I’m using IE 7 and when you said that it looks different, I checked my parents comp (they still use 6) and there’s like this big, long image of the logo right at the beginning!
“Walking into any Guitar Center store is a sensory overload experience.”
Ain’t it the truth. Many years ago I spent a lot of time in what we, back then, called ‘music stores’. I remember (in Sacto.) when I was a teenager, I finally saved up enough bread from my dishwashing job to go to Jack’s House of Music. Jack is dead now. That man was somethin’ else. He was also a music teacher. He was a fine man. I bought a full set of Ludwigs and Ziljians and a (couple of sizzlers) all the way ’round from Jack. I was in two bands. Country-Western and rock. Good memos from a long time ago.
I thought I was going to be the new Ringo Starr, or Charlie Watts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPFCGMZUrLY
Hi Elliot, Hi Samson.
What is E6??
1,730 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen Donita and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
I’m busy listenin ta Luxuria right now so I hafta catch yer video post later…by the way have I thanked ya lately fer turnin’ me on to these Luxuria folks? If not…thanx babe, yer up there with the Pearl in my book!
By the way…ken you find out what’s been happenin ta some posts downstream, I lost a couple 2 threads ago and the mod seems ta be gettin’ a dose of anesthesia?
KEEP THE FAITH AND KEEP ON KEEPIN ON!!
You got it.
(((((finifinito)))))
What’s E7??
Thinking them now.
IE6 and IE7. They’re talking about two different versions of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Web browser.
IE6 and IE7 are the browsers from Microsoft – Internet Explorer versions 6 & 7.
What he said :) IE stands for Internet Explorer
Yeah, the IE6 browser doesn’t render some sites normally because it didn’t support CSS stylesheets until IE7. I am trying to fix it up but truthfully not a whole lot can be done except recommend people upgrade to IE7 or use Firefox.
well you’ve positively got lots of those from all over the Lake :) :) :)
After watching the video I read your opening, and got this mental picture of “Ray’s Music Exchange.“
Good Luck Fini!
One of my faves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..&NR=1
Hello, Donita!! I want to thank for you to have placed me in the guest list for your show in Brazil! I’m very happy!!! And I’m already getting ready for the show: I’m negotiating with the aerial companies and trying to buy the passages for Sao Paulo in a good price! Sao Paulo’s city is very far away from where I live, but it is very important for me to attend your show! Hey, I agree with YoungJess, the new design of your site is great (and I loved the Brazil’s flag there!) Thanks, Donitaaaaa!!! =D
As I said, I know that trying to make a website look good on various browsers isn’t a thankful task. I had my share that this week. Let’s just say, I do have work now, but only on trial and without payment. :-(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HVNsrfw76o
Nice one!
Did you notice, George Harrison had some trouble with the mic there? It would always point in the wrong direction.
Thanks for all the compliments on Donita’s new site, I’ve been working on it since last weekend and we are close to finishing it up. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, if anyone has suggestions or ideas for it let me know!
Some say math is the universal language. Lord knows I have an infinite love affair with arithmetic. But I would argue that music is the universal language.
NorskeFlamethrower!
I’m so glad that you’re enjoying luxuriamusic.com
That’s way cool.
Music IS the universial language, I mean, it’s something everyone can understand, and math is something I can hardly understand ;)
If you talk to any keyboard makers, then pass the word that those of us with small hands would much appreciate spinet-size keys on one model (at least). It would be great for kids and shorter people, and might actually increase sales. (Likewise, it would be nice if not all the guitars were intended for six-foot-and-up people.)
I’m a longtime roadie for a rock band and my business is moving pianos, so I have a lot of friends who attend the show. Personally I attend the bicycle trade shows, which are nowhere near the size of NAMM, but are still insanity.
You don’t like crowds? You don’t like cacophony?
Good luck with that.
lucky duck!
Sao Paulo’s on my wish list
Christer, Petra, and Per. and then add Donita!!
We agree in our house. In this case, I can even fairly state that our non-human occupant is with us.
For the late great Billy Preston:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..&NR=1
don’t forget to digg this!
Jandira! I hope you can make the show, but I think we may be back within the year again. If you make it this time,
I can also put you on our guestlist for Sao Jose dos Campos, which I believe is close to Sao Paulo if you want to come to that show too.
We actually had the Summer NAMM Show in Indianapolis in 2005. The whole experience was so horrible they fled the city for Austin, TX the next year. Indy is just not a big music city at all and our nightclub scene leaves much to be desired, I think even the lesser attended NAMM folks were bummed out by our club scene.
A couple of my Vegas musician friends are at NAMM right now.
Rochon Westmoreland, subject of my first Santa Fe blog podcast, baddest bassist I ever heard. And, Robert Conti, probably the finest pure old school jazz guitarist on the planet.
pardon the OT. More of Republicans In Office
A Texas supreme court judge (Somebody Medina) was true-billed by a Harris County grand jury a couple of days ago for insurance fraud and arson in connection with a fire at his house. The Harris Hounty DA, Chuck Rosenthal, has declined to prosecute. Rosenthal himself has declined to step down after a series of issues relating to his affair with a woman in his office, racist and sexist e-mails, and charges of using county resources for his political campaign.
I forget to check what party both of them belong to.
Good luck Donita!
Hope they give you lots of free stuff!
I wish I was rich….I’d fly to Brazil to see all your shows! That sounds like mucho fun.
AL
Lots of good thoughts and wishes for the best!
TGIF donita!
ha ha ha! you crack me up! “…..take a mother’s little helper & earplugs.”
i don’t blame you!
let us know if you run into stevie w.
peace & love
nora
It is the only one with a direct route to the brain and your inner self!! Ever get those chills running up and down your spine when you listen to a good singer?? Well thats is just one example!
Wow, that was fantastic. I haven’t seen that concert. Billy sounds so good on that vocal, and the whole arrangement is beautiful. George’s son is a cutie pie and the spittin’ image of his Dad.
Thanks Nora, I’ll let you know if Stevie was in da house.
WH E-Mails Missing in CIA Leak Probe?
By PETE YOST – 56 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Apparent gaps in White House e-mail archives coincide with dates in late 2003 and early 2004 when the administration was struggling to deal with the CIA leak investigation and the possibility of a congressional probe into Iraq intelligence failures.
http://ap.google.com/article/A…..AD8U8J2H00
Sorry for the OT Donita. I thought I was on the previous thread!
I’m so happy!! To be in your guest list is my birthday gift and to see your shows here in Brazil is an accomplished dream! I want to see all your shows, but if I can’t, I hope to see your band still this year! When my band makes some new show, I’ll offer the show for you and I’ll put the link of the video here for you to see later! Thank you very much, Donita! =)
OK People I’m out. Of all places, I have to run off to Guitar Center.
Have a great weekend.
You’re in a band? That’s cool!!
See ya!
Have a great weekend too, Donita! You rock!
“She’s a girl in a dream, she’s a four-eyed monster on the TV screen…“
Saw Stevie in Charlotte in 1973. After about 30 minutes of singing behind the piano, his back-up singers helped him to the center of the stage and he danced. What a scene.
Hi, Young Jess!
Yes, I’m a singer and I play bass too! I have a band cover of L7! When my band makes new shows, I’ll put the videos in YouTube and I’ll post the link here for you to see us playing! ^^
That sounds awesome, any L7 cover band is awesome!
Having been in the business for years there is an old sysadmin’s saying ” you are only as good as you last backup”. Also backup tapes were always off site and there were a rotating set of them for day to day backups usually using a three to four month cycle and a weekly full backup, but a monthly full backup was always sent off site for archiving for a minimum of seven years depending on the backup procedures in place. A yearly was also archived for ten years.
So if e-mails and backups are missing it would be a delibert attempt to circumvent the process and in the case of the White House a violation of the law…. Another one for Hugh’s list (if it not on ther already!)
Late to the spin again.
or the result of paying too much to incompetent service providers
which, in a national security sense could be even scarier
Have you heard the story about Stevie walking into a music store in DC.
Over heard was a young man saying What’s he doing here?”
Bodyguard replied “Window shopping”
Thanks, Young Jess! To do a cover of L7 is revive the 90’s years and to maintain that great band in the memory of all the people who likes good music! =D
Donifinito!
I remember that clip…Fender made a squawk about it and Youtube pulled it the first time around just before Ed went into rehab with his groovy shoes.
This vid, I love the bass in the mix…Go Mikey!
;>)
Christy’s upstairs…
It sounds fun to do, but if I were in one, I’d suck, especially if I did guitar, I can only play a few L7 songs :D
But the experience solves everything! A good musician’s secret is dedication, then, you can try and with the time, you’ll get better enough! Well, I’ve to go now… See ya, Young jess! ^^
The NAMM show is a wonderful exhibition of all those cutting-edge musical-techno devices middle America can’t afford anymore
thanks to the GOP and our current ruling cartel of Corporations.
A 27-string synth-guitar?
A midi toenail-controller for 99
electronic keyboards played simultaneously?
Nah.
Gotta’ keep enough cash to cover the
macaroni and cheese budget this month.
I’m at the show, too, taking pictures as always… ( http://www.fdiskc.com/syn/namm/2008/ )
In fact, I was about three feet to the left of where that video was shot, when it was shot!
Which guitar company?
NAMM was always one of my favorite shows, not only because one could see Stevie Wonder or Les Paul or Shawn Lane or whoever just hanging and jamming, but because the nighttime parties were always such halcyon moments of wretched musical excess. Imagine 30 great guitar players, all wanking furiously for hours over the same 12 bars of “Louie Louie” :-) Very entertaining – sorta like having Pablo Picasso paint your house.