She was playing in our friend’s booth at Electro-Harmonix doing demos of their products. Bill Stouraites the company rep in the booth, whom we have had a relationship with over the years, lives in NY in the city. He told me that Kendra had a growing fan base at the clubs and that she was really someone to watch. Bill has a pretty good sense of upcoming artists so we I walked over and introduced myself and asked her if she wouldn’t mind trying out the cable and letting us know how she liked it. Kendra ended up using it throughout the show, I watched her play in a noisy environment in which she had a small crowd of music appreciators around her leaning in to hear her play. She is sort of like magic, and I could see it.

Being a child of a musician, her dad told her about the Coil a year earlier and she thought it serendipitous that we were there offering her one to try out. I told her dads tend to know best, “It’s what they are there for.”

At Musik Messe this year, Ted was a guest in Sound Service’s booth, our Germany distributor who hosted a full display of our Cable Bar and cables. Kendra was at the show and they had a chance to reconnect. Today he sent me her video, “Telephones” which he posted on his facebook page. I think it worth sharing in this forum too.

Today, think of at least one choice you made that defines your freedom to be who you want to be.

Peace.

Pioneers of speed, Racer X, headlined a special show at the 1400-capacity Sheraton Park Ballroom for the general public and many NAMM attendees!

Also appearing were Andy Timmons (opening) and Paul Gilbert‘s solo band with Freddie Nelson as direct support.

Here’s what Bullet Cable endorser Paul Gilbert had to say regarding this show: “It is very exciting for me to be the featured artist for Ibanez this year, so I am glad that I can do something special for this concert. I can’t think of anything better than a killer set of RACER X!”

Longtime Racer X fan and devoted Paul Gilbert acolyte Eric F. had this to say about the show: “It was the most amazing night of my life. Period. It was unbelievable man, unbelievable…”

Another young Racer X devotee, Keith from Westminster, says “I’ve seen Van Halen with David Lee Roth, AC/DC, KISS, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. None of those shows compare to this one. Best show I’ve been to. Ever.”

With reviews like that, we know those coily cords got seen by thousands of hungry eyes.

Photographs are by Racer X board member TheSurgeon and used here with permission.

For a full review of the show, plus photo and video galleries, head on over to Random Chatter Music here. To learn more about Racer X, who hold Guitar World Magazine’s #2 slot for the best shred album of all time, please visit the official band website forum here.

This last year, I was sitting at a table I found and next to me a conversation was taking place that I found interest in. I sort of joined the conversation on the outside ring and as the conversation progressed, I found myself in the company of some of the coolest people at Eventide. Ted wondered over to the table, for which we were all sitting, and we quickly our very own micro-party happening.

You would think that we would have talked business, the trade show, pitched the importance of our products, but instead, the conversation revolved around what appeared to be a common subject of interest: Our choices for best movies of all time and/ or most memorable scenes (We had other conversations, but this I remember most.).

Fight Club: We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars;
Bottle Rocket: Bob: Why is there tape on your nose?
Dignan: Exactly, (“Kah Koo”);
The philosophy behind the world of the Matrix, did the final Star Wars live up to hype or did it fail, Woody Allen famous quotes, and many other movie moments.

Art is about having expanded experiences and then making a point to share. When we do a good job we invite others to going deep, be a part of it and say, “yes, I totally get it.”

It is a multi media art world out there. Isn’t it cool to be a part of it?

Anyway, I look forward to seeing my friends again this year.

In the meantime, I was venturing into the world of youtube today, and found upon the web Eventide at last year’s NAMM Show showcasing their ModFactor. Here is our friend Alan. The interview and video are courtesy of Premier Guitar, so please visit more of their videos or visit their site.

I am going to share in the Daily Rant because, like I said, Eventide is our people, and because (best of all), they use our cables in their demos.

credit: premierguitar

If you have ever been to a NAMM show you know what it is like to be overwhelmed by the hundreds of thousands of products that can be used by musicians and are on display.

As an exhibitor, like Core One Creative is every year (our spot: booth 5499), you do what you can to be remembered. Some companies bring in their artists for signings, some companies use lightly clothed well endowed females to bring the audience into the booth, some use stages and host parties. We set up a living room where artists hang out. Ultimately, we all do what we do in an attempt to be seen and remembered after the show is over by the buyers and attendees who gave us the 30 second pass-by at the show.

On the other hand, getting recognized as the top 39 products in the whole show goes beyond mind blowing. This means that your product stood out and you were the best in show!

Each year a panel of experts are instructed to shop the show on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, pick their favorite companies, products and services, and present their selections in five categories at the Annual Best In Show Sunday breakfast.

2008 judges were: Zach Phillips, editor of Music Inc. and UpBeat Daily magazines; Victor Salazar, general manager/event coordinator for The Drum Pad, Palatine, Ill.; Pete Gamber, owner of Alta Loma Music, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Liane Rockley, co-owner of Rockley Music, Lakewood, Colo.; Ted Eschliman, co-owner of Dietze Music, a three-store chain in Nebraska; and Alan Friedman, gear nut, CPA and partner with Friedman, Kannenberg and Co., West Hartford, Conn.

Core One Creative’s Bullet Cables was selected by Pete Gamber for “Small Goods Rule”.

A photo of the Pistol Cable was shown on the big screen and people in the audience laughed in approval as Pete announced his choice, “Come on — skulls, guns and grenades on the tips of guitar cables. This is cool stuff posing as cable plugs.”

The presentation is one of NAMM’s most popular. There were more than 500 attendees.