Vater - NAMM 2012
VATER - NAMM 2012
VATER NAMM 2012 RE-CAP:
Video and Pictures from the show!
Whoa! What an insanely busy week for Vater with NAMM! They got to Los Angeles on January 13th to do a ton of stuff leading up to NAMM. Here's a run-down of what they were up to.
On January 13th, they visited Los Angeles Drum Services, which is run by their friends Bobby Boos and Chris Achzet. LADS is a cool spot that is available for gear storage, has a rehearsal room for drummers and also an in-house custom drum rack building shop! While they were there, they got to hang out with Vater Artists Brian Frasier-Moore (Madonna) and Chaun Horton (Toni Braxton/Natasha Bedingfield). Vater got to check out Brian's new kit that he'll be using at the 2012 SuperBowl and touring with for Madonna's upcoming World Tour.
Los Angeles Drum Services Video:
January 14th, they went over to Club Nokia for the Guitar Center Drum Off Finals. There were a bunch of Vater Artists hanging out there either as guests or judges, waiting to see who would be crowned the 2011 Champion. Ilan Rubin kicked off the night with an amzing performance that featured fellow Vater Artist Hayden Scott (Awolnation). Throw in a surprise performance by Jack Black and Tenatious D, and it was an all around great night!
The next day they spent hanging out with Vater Artist and fellow Bostonian Joe Sirois (Mighty Mighty Bosstones) visiting some local drum shops and checking out some killer vintage gear! After a busy day, they went back to Joe's house to hang and crank some Classic Rock Vinyl from his massive collection, and then off to an amazing Thai Restaurant down the street!
On Sunday the 15th, Vater went over to Steven Adler's (Guns N Roses/Adler's Appetite) studio to get some new photos done. While they were there, Steven played us 3 new original tracks from Adler's Appetite, from their upcoming new album....great stuff! 
Steven Adler with Vater's Chad Brandolini at Steven's studio
After the busy weekend, it was Monday morning and they had to pack up to head from Los Angeles to Anaheim, CA to start their NAMM booth set up, but not before they were to meet up with Vater Artist Victor Indrizzo. Victor met them at the hotel so they could follow him to the legendary Sunset Sound Studios, where he was getting set up that day to do some work on Alanais Morrisette's new album. What a place! They said it was sureal to be walking around the studio where The Doors, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Tom Waits, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, Michael Jackson, James Taylor, Beach Boys, Miles Davis and countless others recorded some classic and timeless albums!
After their time with Victor Indrizzo at Sunset Sound, it was time to hit the road towards Anaheim....but with a pit stop in Fullerton first. They swung over to Get Off My Case, which is run by Vater Artists Ed Udhus (Zebrahead) and Nate Walker (Lit). They hung out with those guys for a few hours, did some video, checked out some of the new GOMC projects, and talked about Ed's insane travel day, 2 days later, where he was going to Japan to start a new tour with Zebrahead.
Get Off My Case Video:
After a few days of Vater NAMM booth set up, getting new products and catalog ready to display, nightly hang out's at SlideBar, it was full-blown NAMM time! The Vater booth was busy as always and all of the new Vater Products went over huge! They had very successful Vater Artist signings, a last minute surprise visit from Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), witnessed Biernt (Adventure Drums) in full action and hilarious awkwardness, and so much more during the show hours. After show night life was busy as well. They had Vater Artists Virgil Donati, Nate Walker (Lit), Mika Fineo (Filter) Serge Lysak (Lincoln Brewster), Jen Lowe, and more performing at various events and concerts around the area.
NAMM 2012 was a blast for all and a huge success for Vater!
Vater NAMM Booth Video Part 1:
Vater NAMM Booth Video Part 2:
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Here are some pictures from the Vater Booth:
Paul Bostaph, Ravi Jakhotia, Danny Thompson (Face to Face)
Chris Johnson (Rihanna)
Chris Korzin, Hannah Ford (Bellevue Suite), Troy Farrell (White Lion) and Mine Neuble)
Alan Vater with Virgil Donati
Dante Roberson loves his Vater West Sides!
Dave and Jagger Krusen
Felix Pollard (House of Pain), Manny Dominick (Travie McCoy/Chester French) and Bennie Rogers (Marian Carey)
Jacqueline Cassell, Brad Davis (Adventure Drums), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Pepppers), Tony Hajjar (At The Drive-In), Jay Lane (Primus), Richard Christy (Howard Stern Show/Charred Walls of the Damned) and Van Romain (Enrique Iglesias)
Jeremy Spencer (Five Finger Death Punch) with Mark Gooodwin (Sick Puppies)
Mona Tavakoli (Raining Jane/Jason Mraz), Vater's Chad Brandolini, John Cowsill (The Beach Boys), Vicki Peterson (The Bangles gtrs.) and Cowsill-the next generation.
Nate Walker (Lit), Isaiah Fogle, and Debbi Peterson (The Bangles)
Branden Steineckert (Rancid)
Jimmy Pemberton (Educator/Independent/Kiley Evans), Dante Roberson (The Whispers/En Vogue), Quinton Robinson, Jacqueline Cassell and Serge Lysak (The Drum Lab/Lincoln Brewster)
Pitt Hicht, Ryan Carmen (Rocco Deluca and the Burden), Chris Johnson (Rihanna), Nisan Stewart (Jessie J), Mike Mitchell
James Ulrich (Runner Runner), Christopher Allis and Mika Fineo (Filter)
Peter Parada (The Offspring) and Ilan Rubin (Angels & Airwaves)
Allan Pahanish Jr. (DYS), Hannah Ford (Bellevue Suite) and Anthony Michelli (Independent)
Keenan Ephriam (Lil Wayne) and Dave "Dae Dae" Haddon
Jacqueline Cassell and Brad Davis (Adventure Drums)
Dwight Muskita, David Leach and Makoto Izumitani
Tony Escapa (Ricky Martin)
Jimmy Pemberton (Educator/Independent/Kiley Evans), Aaron Edgar (Independent/Educator) and Benny Cancino (Amen)
Alan Vater with Steven Adler
Biernt (Adventure Drums) slides in on the Artist Signing next to Big Mike Clemons (Israel Houghton and New Breed)
Some of the many other Vater artists not pictured above that hung out at the Vater booth at NAMM 2012 included:
Mike Johnston (mikeslessons.com) Matt Abts (Gov't Mule), Kentric Morris, Andy Shonkier, Cora Coleman-Dunham (Beyonce), Jen Lowe, Jared Baez (Valora), Mike Byrne (Smashing Pumpkins), Smitty Smith, Fred Dinkins, Sammy J Watson, Jimmy Kegan (Spock's Beard), Adam Topol (Jack Johnson), Karl Perazzo (Santana), Richie Gajate Garcia, Roland Gajate Garcia (American Idol), Rikki Rockett (Poison), Adam Deitch, Jim Mola, Jeff Martin, Judy Cocozza, Jhenese Hester, Derrick Wright (Adele), Mike Phillips (Janelle Monae), Nik Hughes (Youngblood Hawke), George Sluppick (Chris Robinson Brotherhood), Phil Ehart (Kansas), Jon Epcar (Carney), Jack Osbourne, Trevor Lawrence Jr. (Herbie Hancock), Gorden Campbell, Rodney Holmes, Kenny Livingston (Sugarcult), Drew Hester (Chicago), Darius Fentress, Caleb Clifton (Eyes Set To Kill), Aaron Draper, Butch Norton (Lucinda Williams), Joe Sirois (Mighty Mighty Bosstones), Eric Leiderman (Pearl), Craig Blundell, Manni von Bohr, Matt Frenette (Loverboy), Robin Diaz (Daughtry), Colin Leijenaar, Greg Grainger, Tre Balfour, Charles Haynes, Sean O'Shea, Brent Easton, James Rollerson, Anthony Beverly, Otis Hayes, and more!