Sensory Overload: My First NAMM Trip
by Chris Capitanio

    It’s Sunday morning, the last day of our NAMM trip. We had just finished meeting with the folks at Santa Cruz Guitars at an abnormally quiet time and were on our way to check out some pedals before we had to leave for the airport. As we’re walking down the large hallway through the main hall, cymbals smashing and riffs hammering in the air all around us, I notice a face that catches me off guard. Wait a minute, I know that face… Holy s#!^ that’s Adrian Belew!! After the brief moment of feeling star struck (quite the rarity for me), we locked eyes, exchanged smiles, and shared a nod of the head. And the day was back to business as usual. 

    A couple weeks ago, I got to scratch a top item off of my bucket list when Lindsay and the store offered me the opportunity to go out to Anaheim, CA for this year’s NAMM convention. For the uninitiated, NAMM stands for the National Association of Music Merchants and they host two trade shows per year. Winter NAMM is by far the larger of the two. Every year, I’ve seen articles and social media posts galore about all the latest and greatest products by my favorite brands, not to mention performances and appearances from some of my favorite artists. I’d always hoped that I’d get to go thanks to an endorsement deal from my band but it turned out all I had to do was move 600 miles away from the rest of them to get my chance!

    We flew out early on Thursday morning and the excitement had been bubbling within me for some time. The 4 hour flight flew by, mostly thanks to the new touch screens that our flight conveniently included behind each seat. Both Lindsay and I played a few rounds of Texas Hold ‘Em and he enjoyed John Wick 2 while I watched the documentary Carmine Street Guitars about the renowned NYC store that makes guitars from reclaimed woods. I found it a bit ironic that our movie selections weren’t the other way around! Our flight landed at John Wayne airport around 10:30 AM (Pacific Time, of course) and, after a brief stop at our hotel, we were off to the races!

    Our main goal was to check in with the companies that make up our main accounts to see their latest offerings and place orders for the first part of the year. These meetings took up a good deal of our time there and were the part that I found to be the most important of the entire experience. I’m still relatively new to the “retail” industry so sitting in on these meetings proved invaluable as I paid attention to the lingo thrown around and how both sides carried themselves. They also gave me interesting insight into each company. When speaking to the folks at companies like Collings, Santa Cruz, and Lowden, they all spoke with such excitement about the products that it made us excited to see what new stuff they had cooking. We often say to customers that we share a similar ethos with these brands and there was an obvious reflection to our own approach of representing and selling guitars. 

    Of course, we had to set aside a fair amount of time to explore and take in the sights and many, many sounds. Most of our Saturday was spent doing this as Lindsay and I opted to divide and conquer. While Lindsay was off seeing some of our accounts with whom we hadn’t set up appointments, I was left to my own devices to explore electric guitar, amplifier, and pedal land. I was quickly exposed to what would prove to be my two main struggles with NAMM. First was my natural predisposition to introversion. I’m perfectly fine with going up and talking to people in the comfort of our store where it’s usually much more of a one-on-one interaction. But at NAMM with people covering every square foot vying for attention? Not so much. Second was the challenge of maintaining a proper attention span in an environment where all of your senses are bombarded with messages that say, “HEY! COME CHECK ME OUT!” The cacophony was akin to the largest music store you would ever find and no amount of “noise police” could change that. I found myself walking to one booth. Then I’d get distracted by another booth. Then I’d get distracted by ANOTHER booth. Then I’d see a musician or YouTuber I recognized. Then I’d find myself wandering around wondering what the hell I’d set out to do in the first place! Some of my job was made easier by booths that were run by friends of mine. I was put at more at ease and was able to try to use the jargon I’d learned the day before, to varying degrees of success. Other times, vendors would see the word “BUYER” on my laminate and they’d initiate the conversation RIGHT away. Ultimately, I failed at my goal to network with several new brands that I was interested in but I did gain a ton of insight in how to conduct myself if I ever go again.

    Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of NAMM was some good old fashion “people watching.” The NAMM show brings in its fair share of characters and I don’t think I’d ever seen so many people in one place wearing ALL BLACK. You get your fair share of folks who still think it’s the 1980s, complete with enough bedazzled jeans that you’d like to give the fashion police a call. But everyone paled in comparison to the one… the only… Kaptain Rock. We spotted Kaptain Rock from across the aisle, adorned in a space age tunic and visor that conjures thoughts of some kind of 80s sci-fi samurai from a Saturday morning kids’ show, with his lightsaber aglow and the toes of his elven shoes fully curled. My producer filmed a brief video interview with the Kaptain where we were enlightened to his origins on “Planet Rock” and his weapon of choice, the one-stringed lightsaber guitar. Upon doing some further digging, we found out that he was a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent and discovered his excellent social media presence (seriously, go check him out). We also found out about his mission, to help everyone on earth learn the joys of playing guitar and the happiness that it can bring to the world. That’s a mission that we here at Maple Street Guitars agree with and 110% endorse. You go, Kaptain Rock. Please come see us the next time you’re in Atlanta.

    Though I played my fair share of gear, and certainly posted enough of it on our social media, I have a feeling that will be the first thing I forget about this trip as time goes on. Instead, I’ll remember kicking the head of a reputable effects pedal company out of a room with those lovable Irish folks at Lowden so I could check out one of their electric guitars. I’ll remember stuffing my face with what seemed like my weight in chicken and waffles at Roscoe’s. I’ll remember the hospitality from Martin Guitars hosting us as part of their exclusive dealers dinner. I’ll remember the effects brands that treated me as less important than the notable players that visited their booth. I’ll remember the cruel awakening that came after leaving sunny California with the temperature in the mid 70s at 2 pm only to face the cruel, dark reality of Atlanta at 9 pm in 30 degree weather. And Kaptain Rock. I’ll never forget Kaptain Rock.

    Oh, and remember that bit about seeing Adrian Belew at the start of this column? Well, that wouldn’t be the last time I saw him. Lindsay and I were sitting at the airport bar with our beer and milkshake, respectively, when he grabbed a table close by. When it was time to head to our gate for boarding, I greeted him, introduced myself, and thanked him for years of music and inspiration. To my surprise, he continued the conversation and we had a pleasant chat. Then I left my ticket on the bar and almost missed my flight. But I don’t think I’ll remember that part…