"Jim, you're probably wondering why I called you here today. Jim, are you ready to 'play with the best?'"
"That's your angle? Look, there's this giant plexiglass ... thing ... the comedy potential here is through the roof."
"Seemed too easy. Almost like a cheap shot."
"Whatever, meta-face."
Those are the greatest mallets I've ever seen, didn't really notice them when I was taking the shot. Very thin metal with a curly design motif. They're probably not called mallets. Maybe something like "schmelkes" or "whisperers."
These are some Fluke ukuleles available from The Magic Fluke Company (800 459 5558). They don't have a website yet. Next door to The Magic Fluke Company was their exclusive retailer, Flea Market Music. I spoke with them briefly and they asked me a question:
"Are you a vendor?"Conditional love from Flea Market Music. I can handle that. Also: Bird of Paradise fabric.
"No."
"Do you play the ukulele?"
" ... yes."
"We love you."
A note from the manufacturer.
I designed the Strumstick for people who don't play anything. It plays just the notes of a major scale, so there are NO wrong notes. You fret the bottom string, and strum all three strings, it makes a nice sound whatever you do. You can fret the other strings and do chords later if you like. But it sounds good even if you fret only one string.Sounds right up my non-musically talented alley. Hey, I'm at NAMM! Look at me everyone!
Sensaphonics are custom-molded in-the-ear monitors which are made out of soft silicone. Among other things, the Sensaphonics ProPhonic 2X-S(tm) "Maintains perfect seal to prevent bleed-ins during excessive jaw movement." I have some friends who have a problem with EJM, even when you look directly at them and yawn repeatedly.
Sensaphonics was offering a free fitting with a test piece or maybe they made the piece then you paid them, I wasn't clear on that. Anyway, Tim sat for awhile waiting to be swabbed but then he decided not to get fitted. Let me also point out that this is a great photo because everyone is so blurred I'll never have to get releases from them. If I bothered with releases, that is. Then it would be great.
The International Fastest Drummer "extreme sport drumming" competition. While Tim was chatting up some other booth guy I was going to quickly try my hand at it as a goof but then I remembered I actually quit pinball because it was screwing up my hands so bad so no more torturing my hands. Because they are instruments of danger. Now you can't find pinball anywhere, so problem solved, I think. Peace Drums & Percussion also had a "Quietest Drummer Contest" at their booth but we didn't know at the time -- I didn't mean that as a joke, but if you thought I did, let's roll with that, then.
This kid was using his feet for the IFD contest. You could do either.
next page (pg 24)