A lot of reviews of The NAMM Show, and an annual music trade show that takes place in Anaheim, ask California, rx will tell you about all of the sweet new music gear that was unveiled and how the “coolest things” people saw were state-of-the-art digital pianos and recording apps for iPhones.
And all those things were really cool. Walking the aisles of the Anaheim Convention Center you get to test out the latest in music-making technology and rub elbows with the industry’s biggest execs. Nothing’s off limits: there were rows upon rows of cymbals to crash, synthesizers to program, and guitars to shred. Manufacturers are there vying for the attention of nearly 100,000 guests–everyone from casual music fans to professional lifers–in the hopes of selling their products to retailers and average consumers alike. However, the concept of who the modern “consumer” is at The NAMM Show is something that’s starting to really shift and, in turn, influence these companies and what they’re producing–ultimately creating a more accessible and diverse market of innovative music-related products.
Members of The Rare Occasions, an indie rock band originally from Providence, RI, that now splits their time between LA and Boston, normally wouldn’t spring for passes to this 4-day trade show. As a DIY band with a small but respectable following, it’s just not in their budget. This year though, one of their songs was chosen as the John Lennon Songwriting Contest’s Song of the Year, which included the opportunity to play a set on The NAMM Show’s mainstage.
“Dysphoric,” a dizzying, thrashing rock song from their 2014 EP “Feelers” grabbed the judges attention with its modern, aggressive riff layered over a classic blues form. The song’s balance of new yet familiar sounds impressed the judges enough to award the band an assortment of music gear as well as a $20,000 cash prize.
“We’ve been recording ourselves since the beginning, but by Feelers, we got a better handle on how to record ourselves well with cheap equipment,” said lead singer Brian McLaughlin. The band is constantly looking for the most cost-effective ways to make their music sound the way they want it to sound. Musicians like The Rare Occasions desire easy-to-use interfaces and durable equipment, which is something the industry has been catering to as of late.
“There are thousands of bands out there like us on the verge of being self-sustainable and desperate to get there and that’s a new market [for companies at The NAMM Show],” said McLaughlin.
Products like special microphones that can connect to your smartphone, portable piano keyboards, and user-friendly mixing software were among some of the items that caught their eye on the trade show floor. The NAMM Show has been around for decades, first as a showcase for instruments in the classical sense, and later incorporating innovations in the tech world of music performance and recording.
As The Rare Occasions took the stage on Friday afternoon, which was fortuitously set up near the food trucks, a sparse sea of balding ponytails–a common look adopted by music gearheads–could be seen nodding with casual interest at the band’s tight garage rock tunes. By the time the band closed their set with their winning song, they had the crowd’s full attention, and a hum of praises could be heard from the audience as the band walked off the stage.
