KennyB
Active member
I’m not sure where to even start this post as I’m still reeling from my experience last weekend. But here goes. Please forgive the wordiness.
I was fortunate enough to be invited as a guest to NAMM 2017. This is something I’ve dreamed of going to for almost two decades. I walked into the building feeling like a kid in a candy store and, mind whirling, decided to start with the exhibits on the lowest floor. As I strolled down the aisles, trying to appear to be cool and collected (as opposed to inside my head doing split jumps and cartwheels yelling “I’M FINALLY HERE!!!”), a text came in from a buddy of mine, “Albert Lee is at the EBMM booth”……”HUH??!!”…Franticly swiping through my NAMM app looking for directions (the convention centre is a very large place!) another text comes in “hall C”…..hall C, hall C..where the hell’s hall C?!!! In almost full sprint now (sincere apologies to exhibitors whose displays became casualties as well as those of you on the escalator who were bowled over during the scrum), and out of breath, I see the “Hall C” sign! Ha! Made it! Rounding the corner and entering the door I found myself surrounded by… trombones and trumpets?!!! One horrible wrong turn and I'd gone from extreme excitement to sheer terror! More frantic swiping and slapping of the NAMM app! AHA!! The EBMM “booth”!! Now, I’m not sure why they call these “booths”, these are full on music stores!
Again, trying to collect myself and still out of breath, I walk in to see Mr. Lee casually standing there, chatting with someone. Albert Lee. Now what?? I desperately wanted to introduce myself, get a picture with him, let him know how much I enjoy the AL guitar I own, his playing etc., but I don’t want to impose. Preparing all the things I’d like to say in my mind, the best I could do upon meeting him was… monosyllabic grunts! Still, managed to get my picture taken with him and did manage to engage in some small talk once I realized he was just a really nice guy that doesn’t mind talking about guitar. I have a feeling I’m not the first fan that felt the way upon meeting him. Great player, great guy.
Not wanting to outstay my welcome, I thank Albert for his time, and turn around only to see Steve Morse standing there!! “THE” Steve!! Now with more confidence after the Albert incident, I wait for a moment when he’s not busy, run through what to say in my mind and ….more monosyllabic grunts. Actually worse, “Hi Steve, do you remember signing my SM guitar a few years ago when I met you and Tommy after a Deep Purple show in Regina Saskatchewan!?”... Ugh!! Strike two. Again, Steve was such a good guy and took the time to talk to me even with his busy schedule. He even seemed to appreciate the picture I showed him of a metal replica wall hanging of my guitar my wife had made for me.
Now I’m thinking how great this whole experience has been when I look over and see “The Guy”! Sterling Ball! Big Poppa!! This time I try not to over think what to say to him and….strike three! And again, He took the time for a hand shake and picture and for the brief time we spoke, made me feel like we were all a big family.
That’s the vibe I got every time I stopped by the booth that weekend. Albert Lee, Steve Morse, John Petrucci, Sterling, and on Saturday, Steve Lukather and Paul Gilbert joining in (Steve Vai over signing a few yards away), all one big family. Smiling and looking like they were digging everything almost as much as I was (be sure to check out the Anderton’s interview on YouTube). These guys always took the time for a hand shake and hello and did it from 10:00am – 6:00pm every day! Interviews and playing going on over on the stage in the corner, guitars, basses, strings, pedals, demo stations, I could’ve set up a chair and been entertained all weekend without going anywhere else.
As I was leaving the booth at the end of the day on Saturday, I thought, that’s another reason why I love these EBMM products so much and why I use them exclusively (and I do this for a living), not only a fantastic product, but fantastic people as well.
They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes, that you could be disappointed. Well this canknucklehead just did, and was far from being disappointed.
Thank you EBMM. Really hope to see you guys next year!
Not sure why these pics are showing up sideways, but you get the idea.
Apparently my head burst into flame upon meeting BP
I was fortunate enough to be invited as a guest to NAMM 2017. This is something I’ve dreamed of going to for almost two decades. I walked into the building feeling like a kid in a candy store and, mind whirling, decided to start with the exhibits on the lowest floor. As I strolled down the aisles, trying to appear to be cool and collected (as opposed to inside my head doing split jumps and cartwheels yelling “I’M FINALLY HERE!!!”), a text came in from a buddy of mine, “Albert Lee is at the EBMM booth”……”HUH??!!”…Franticly swiping through my NAMM app looking for directions (the convention centre is a very large place!) another text comes in “hall C”…..hall C, hall C..where the hell’s hall C?!!! In almost full sprint now (sincere apologies to exhibitors whose displays became casualties as well as those of you on the escalator who were bowled over during the scrum), and out of breath, I see the “Hall C” sign! Ha! Made it! Rounding the corner and entering the door I found myself surrounded by… trombones and trumpets?!!! One horrible wrong turn and I'd gone from extreme excitement to sheer terror! More frantic swiping and slapping of the NAMM app! AHA!! The EBMM “booth”!! Now, I’m not sure why they call these “booths”, these are full on music stores!
Again, trying to collect myself and still out of breath, I walk in to see Mr. Lee casually standing there, chatting with someone. Albert Lee. Now what?? I desperately wanted to introduce myself, get a picture with him, let him know how much I enjoy the AL guitar I own, his playing etc., but I don’t want to impose. Preparing all the things I’d like to say in my mind, the best I could do upon meeting him was… monosyllabic grunts! Still, managed to get my picture taken with him and did manage to engage in some small talk once I realized he was just a really nice guy that doesn’t mind talking about guitar. I have a feeling I’m not the first fan that felt the way upon meeting him. Great player, great guy.
Not wanting to outstay my welcome, I thank Albert for his time, and turn around only to see Steve Morse standing there!! “THE” Steve!! Now with more confidence after the Albert incident, I wait for a moment when he’s not busy, run through what to say in my mind and ….more monosyllabic grunts. Actually worse, “Hi Steve, do you remember signing my SM guitar a few years ago when I met you and Tommy after a Deep Purple show in Regina Saskatchewan!?”... Ugh!! Strike two. Again, Steve was such a good guy and took the time to talk to me even with his busy schedule. He even seemed to appreciate the picture I showed him of a metal replica wall hanging of my guitar my wife had made for me.
Now I’m thinking how great this whole experience has been when I look over and see “The Guy”! Sterling Ball! Big Poppa!! This time I try not to over think what to say to him and….strike three! And again, He took the time for a hand shake and picture and for the brief time we spoke, made me feel like we were all a big family.
That’s the vibe I got every time I stopped by the booth that weekend. Albert Lee, Steve Morse, John Petrucci, Sterling, and on Saturday, Steve Lukather and Paul Gilbert joining in (Steve Vai over signing a few yards away), all one big family. Smiling and looking like they were digging everything almost as much as I was (be sure to check out the Anderton’s interview on YouTube). These guys always took the time for a hand shake and hello and did it from 10:00am – 6:00pm every day! Interviews and playing going on over on the stage in the corner, guitars, basses, strings, pedals, demo stations, I could’ve set up a chair and been entertained all weekend without going anywhere else.
As I was leaving the booth at the end of the day on Saturday, I thought, that’s another reason why I love these EBMM products so much and why I use them exclusively (and I do this for a living), not only a fantastic product, but fantastic people as well.
They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes, that you could be disappointed. Well this canknucklehead just did, and was far from being disappointed.
Thank you EBMM. Really hope to see you guys next year!
Not sure why these pics are showing up sideways, but you get the idea.
Apparently my head burst into flame upon meeting BP
