Day two of the 2011 Winter NAMM Show was a long one. The show floor was much busier than opening day, and I expect today to be even busier still. Played lots of great guitars yesterday, and chatted with some great players including Alex Machacek, Gannin Arnold, and Ed DeGenaro. Here are my big takeaways from day two:
The Carvin booth was abuzz when Frank Gambale arrived to demo his new FG1 signature model guitar. Gambale played a short set with bassist Brian Bromberg. I believe this was the first time the two had ever played together, and they were both burning. Definitely a treat to see. The Gambale signature model sounds great. Super smooth, yet punchy. Cool finish too.
Lots of cool stuff at the Gibson booth, including the new Eric Clapton "Beano" model Les Paul. It's modeled after the Les Paul Clapton used on the Bluesbreakers album in 1966, and the thing plays like a dream. Gibson also had a Les Paul on display with a Beano comic finish. I also checked out a cool Epiphone Wilshire (took me back to the old Racer X days), and the Buckethead model white Les Paul.
A big highlight of the day for me was seeing one of my favorite rock bands of all time at the Ampeg booth - King's X. Their set got off to a late start due to a problem with Ty Tabor's amp, but once they got going the band killed. They played through some of the new Ampeg stuff which sounded great. The whole band was super tight, and Tabor's tone was incredible as always. So glad I got to see these guys.
After a long day at NAMM (and some rest), I headed up to The Baked Potato to see Michael Landau's late set. I've seen Landau live a few times before, but I've never seen him play with such intensity. He was on fire all night, and his tones were gorgeous. His band for this gig included Gary Novak on drums, Andy Hess on bass, and Deron Johnson on keys. All these guys were fantastic, and Johnson's contributions added a cool new element to the band's sound. Highlights included the opener "Ghouls and Goblins," my new favorite Landau ballad "Pittsfield Minor," and a searing version of "Worried Life Blues." Karen Landau (aka Hazey Jane) also joined the group for a cool, laid-back version of "Woodstock." There's a certain "home field advantage" factor when Landau plays the Spud which is palpable when you're in that room watching him play. As an audience member, it's clear that he feels at home there, and is inspired by the surroundings and the crowd. This was a special gig that I will not soon forget.
More pics from NAMM 2011 Day Two:
love landau ... thanks for the report and the pics.
Posted by: kris | January 15, 2011 at 03:30 PM
Man I just hope you got some of that on video!
Posted by: Laurie Monk | January 15, 2011 at 05:47 PM
What did Ty Tabor's rig comprise? Is he using Ampeg amps?
Posted by: Mark LeSage | January 16, 2011 at 09:58 PM