Concert Review: Ultimate NAMM Night 2020
Ultimate NAMM Night 2020 at the Hilton Anaheim was a unique experience, and that’s putting it mildly. After all, where else can you see Alice Cooper’s daughter Calico Cooper taking on “Ace of Spades” alongside Carla Harvey (Butcher Babies), with Gary Holt (Slayer) and Ira Black (Dark Sky Choir) on guitar, Chuck Garric (Alice Cooper/Beasto Blanco) on bass, and Art Cruz (Lamb of God) on the drums? Or a thrash-heavy “Black Diamond” Kiss cover by Mark Osegueda (Death Angel), Alex Skolnick (Testament), Charlie Benante (Anthrax), Jack Gibson (Exodus), Chuck Garric, Calico Cooper and Paulie Z (The Sweet, Ultimate Jam Night)? Or up-and-coming Budderside frontman Patrick Stone teaming up with Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart), Barry Sparks (Dokken, UFO, Scorpions), Doug Aldrich (Dead Daisies, Whitesnake), and Danny Johnson (Rick Derringer), plus a keys, percussion, and horn section for a jam-style take on “Radar Love”? Or even 80’s pop sensation Tiffany breaking out her rendition of “I Hate Myself For Loving You” with Roni Lee of The Runaways on guitar and Y&T’s Brad Lang on bass?
If all that wasn’t enough to catch your eye, how about two parts of KXM – George Lynch and Dug Pinnick – with Mike Portnoy behind the drums, all knocking out an extended jam session based around “Voodoo Chile”, showcasing each of their unique yet cohesive styles? Maybe even some spontaneous groupings, like when Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan, and Richie Kotzen all just happen to be in the same place and someone says, “Hey, you should play something as The Winery Dogs!”. You might see a real-life portrayal of the fictional band from the film “Rock Star”, Steel Dragon, with singer Miljenko Matijevic, his Steelheart bandmate Marten Andersson, Ira Black, August Zadra (Dennis DeYoung), and Patrick Johansson (Northtale). Maybe Jack Russell’s Great White will make a full band appearance before the frontman is joined by Randy Jackson (Zebra) and Sean McNabb (Dokken). Or, you might get to see the uplifting sight of Frankie Banali, his legendary self playing with a smile and plenty of energy, alongside Brent Woods (Sebastian Bach), James LoMenzo (White Lion), and August Young (Mr. Jimmy), for “The Wanton Song”. The key thing to note about these songs? They’re unrehearsed…every one of them. I could keep going and list every single unique grouping and exciting performance of the night, but by now, you get the idea – you just never know who’s going to show up and what’s going to happen at Ultimate NAMM Night, but feel free to expect the best.
As the organizer of the Ultimate Jam Night concept as a whole (and what a tremendous job he’s done with it so far!), Chuck Wright naturally was a must-have on the list of performers, stepping in for a few songs here and there, but mostly leaving the rest of the setlist up to the guests. This year’s Ultimate NAMM Night seems to have aimed to top their 2019 record of 80 performers, by featuring 100+ on the bill for 2020. While the main focus of the Ultimate NAMM Night was on Classic Rock/Hard Rock, for Ultimate Jam Night, of course it’s not “only Rock ’n’ Roll”, but we like it! You’re likely to come across musicians from many genres, from Soft Rock to Death Metal, and even performers from the worlds of Pop, Country, and late-night TV might make their way into a set. One thing the Ultimate Jam Night concept is known for is their adventurous way of finding non-traditional approaches to popular songs, like when Pan Rocks (a Los Angeles-based steel pan orchestra) made an appearance to play “Baba O’Riley”, then perform a Neil Peart tribute with Paulie Z, Mike Portnoy, Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani, Michael Schenker), Dave Schulz (Berlin), and Mark Wood (Trans-Siberian Orchestra) on “YYZ”.
With NAMM as the setting, this was a large event on a grandiose level, featuring as many guests and groups as they could squeeze into three hours. But Ultimate Jam Night is something that West Coast residents and visitors alike can experience anytime, as it’s a free weekly event at The World Famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, CA. If you don’t have a chance to catch it this year, there’s always NAMM 2021. In the meantime, check out the photo gallery from this year’s Ultimate NAMM Night below:
[All concert photos ©Metal Magnitude 2020. Please do not copy or use without permission.]
For more on Ultimate Jam Night, and the full listing of Ultimate NAMM Night Guests visit: