2026 NAMM Show Roundup

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Ron Artis II performing at the 2026 NAMM
Show in Anaheim, California on Jan. 22.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

From left, Sheléa Melody McDonald, Stevie Wonder and Alana Springsteen performing on Jan. 23, 2026. Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

Here is my roundup of the action I caught at the 2026 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California last week. A special "thank you" to Bob Steshetz for allowing me to use so many of his amazing photographs. 

You can also read music writer George A. Paul's excellent coverage of the 2026 NAMM Show via Rock Cellar Magazine HERE.

Robert Kinsler

The NAMM Show, the largest music industry trade show in the world, returned to the Anaheim Convention Center and adjacent hotels last week for several days of education sessions, performances, award ceremonies, new product demos and much more. 

NAMM SHOW 2026 BY THE NUMBERS 

• 60,000+ show attendees, including 8,760+ international attendees from 122 countries, regions and territories  
• 1,650+ exhibitors representing 5,400+ brands, which is 25 percent more than 2025  
• Nearly 15,000 artists demonstrating and endorsing products and brands 
• 200+ education sessions with 550+ speakers 
• 1,600+ media, influencers and content creators reaching over 200+ million followers, which is 50 percent more than 2025.  

Below are some highlights of my visit to NAMM's 125th anniversary show.

From left, Molly Tuttle and Martin President/CEO Thomas Ripsam at NAMM's Global Media Day on Jan. 21, 2026. Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

On Jan. 21, music journalists and social media influencers were given a preview of what select music manufacturers offered as part of NAMM's Global Media Day. Grammy Award-winning bluegrass artist Molly Tuttle and singer-songwriter Margaret Glaspy, as well as rising young band The Runarounds performed as part of the event; Tuttle was excited to showcase two new signature Martin guitars (the D-18 and D-X2E).

The Runarounds performing at NAMM's Global Media Day.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

Singer-songwriter Margaret Glaspy performing at NAMM's Global Media Day.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

NAMM President/CEO John Mlynczak kicked off the Media Preview Day, held in the Hilton Pacific Ballroom. A number of other high-profile guests also participated during the event.

"We love to create new products," C.F. Martin & Co. President/CEO Thomas Ripsam said. 

Ripsam was joined by Tuttle at several media-related events on Jan. 21. "All my favorite guitar players played Martin (guitars)," Tuttle noted. 

Molly Tuttle performing at the Martin Guitars Booth on Jan. 21, 2026. Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Tuttle was truly one of the great musicians I caught performing at NAMM this year; the Santa Clara, California native — who celebrated her 33rd birthday earlier this month — began playing guitar at age 8. She released her fifth studio album So Long Little Miss Sunshine in August 2025. Her performance of the original song "San Joaquin" from her 2023 album City of Gold was a highlight for me (you can see that performance HERE).

At the media event Mlynczak noted that "5,400 brands are collaborating" with NAMM this year and the industry show saw double the product releases in 2026 compared with 2025. "This is where new products flourish," he noted.

Guitarist Chris Buck demonstrating his technique and the sound of Yamaha's Chris Buck Signature Rev-star RS02CB at the NAMM Show.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

Among the wide range of new guitars showcased that day were PRS Guitars' Silver Sky Wild Blue Limited Edition and Ed Sheehan Cosmic Splash Limited Edition guitar models, Yamaha's Chris Buck Signature Rev-star RS02CB and C.F. Martin & Co.'s Super D-14 Acoustic Guitar line (the latter whose larger body provides for 20 percent more air volume and projection). 

John Mlynczak at NAMM. Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

Jan. 22 saw Mlynczak welcome attendees at the NAMM U Breakfast Session - Industry Insights. During his keynote address before thousands of NAMMgoers, he explained because "Music-making is a core function of society, we are consistently guided by the best minds win the industry and we adapt, evolve and learn from the past."

That day also saw several memorable performances.

During a powerful 40-minute daytime set on the Yamaha Grand Plaza Stage, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ron Artis II was backed by a great two-man rhythm section. He delivered strong originals blending rock, blues, soul, and more. Among my favorite originals he performed was the propulsive funk-fueled "The Truth." 

Laurence Juber performing on the Martin Guitar
Acoustic Stage. 
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Another fantastic live performance that Thursday came courtesy of Grammy Award-winning fingerstyle guitarist Laurence Juber, who appeared on the Martin Guitar Acoustic Stage. His signature instrumentals were unleashed before a big, enthusiastic crowd. Standouts included his dazzling takes on the Jimi Hendrix classic "Little Wing," The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" and The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again." 

Italian guitarist Matteo Mancuso performing on the Yamaha Grand
Plaza Stage on Jan. 23, 2026.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

On Jan. 23, I caught a number of other performances. The most high-profile of the concerts was led by instrumental guitar virtuoso Matteo Mancuso. The Italian guitar master's set on the Yamaha Grand Plaza Stage blended progressive rock, jazz and flamenco elements into a signature sound across a 40-minute crowd pleasing appearance.

Cannibal & the Headhunters at the end of the troupe's Jan. 23, 2026 set at NAMM.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

Later that afternoon on the DAS Audio Arena Plaza Stage, a "Legends Concert" featuring Cannibal & the Headhunters celebrating the classic rock era had attendees dancing, cheering and enjoying a number of rock radio staples; the highlight was seeing John Wayne Townsend play keys and sing his enduring 1977 hit "Smoke From a Distant Fire."

The 2027 NAMM Show will take place from Jan. 26-30, 2027 in Anaheim, CA. 

PRODUCTS AND PERFORMANCES APLENTY

Below is a photo gallery of more images captured at the 2026 NAMM Show.

Chinese-made Caraya banjos on display.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Ron Artis II  in action on Jan. 22.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

Traveler Guitars make quite an impression.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

A close-up look at the Ed Sheehan Cosmic Splash Limited Edition
instrument showcased by Stevensville, MD-based PRS Guitars.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

The Retablo Art Guitar crafted by John Page. Learn 
More via johnpageguitars.com.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

An attention-grabbing Guitar Capo.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

A casual get-together on the floor - an impromptu jam at NAMM.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

From left, Matt Starr, Phil X and Billy Sheehan tearing it up at the 
NAMM Show on Jan. 23.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

Phil X shredding at NAMM.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

No ordinary picks. United Kingdom-based Timber Tones offers the
"largest selection of luxury Guitar Picks in the world." 
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

A look at the Boutique Guitar Showcase.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

NAMM stickers.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Famed harmonica virtuoso Lee Oskar (famed for his stint with
WAR), left, with yours truly at the NAMM Show. The Lee Oskar
Harmonicas booth was a must-see at the 2026 NAMM Show.

A closer look at road-ready Traveler Guitars.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Performances have become a key part of the NAMM experience. Here is
Tom Griesgraber playing the Chapman Stick.
Photo credit: Bob Steshetz

VIDEOS FROM THE 2026 NAMM SHOW

MusicUCanSee was also at the NAMM Show and has posted a number of great videos available now:

An interview with the John Lennon Bus Educational Tour Bus co-founder Brian Rothschild HERE. 

If you play guitar, check out this video on Casio's new Dimension Shifter HERE.

Watch Molly Tuttle's full-length performance of her song "San Joaquin" HERE.

Watch Molly Tuttle's performance of her song "Rosalee" HERE.

Watch a bit of Hannibal & The Headhunters' performance of "Land of 1,000 Dances" HERE.

Finally, here is an interview of me by MusicUCanSee host Tino Anglade on Jan. 21.

Toad The Wet Sprocket Present "RINGS: The Acoustic Sessions" available January 30, 2026

I am definitely looking forward to listening to this new title! Robert Kinsler

TOAD THE WET SPROCKET PRESENTS “RINGS: THE ACOUSTIC SESSIONS”
New Album Features Reimagined, Acoustic Versions of Pillar Tracks and Fan Favorites

from their Nearly Four-Decade Career

 

“In the end, with RINGS: The Acoustic Sessions, Toad The Wet Sprocket reaffirms the veracity of a longstanding maxim: the proof of a good song is the extent to which it will accommodate a variety of arrangements. With artful and engaging nuance, Toad the Wet Sprocket at once reasserts the validity of its lifeline and transcends it.”

- Glide Magazine

RINGS: THE ACOUSTIC SESSIONS

PURCHASE  / LISTEN / WATCH

 

SANTA BARBARA, CA—Toad the Wet Sprocket, announces the release of their new record, Rings: The Acoustic Sessions, a fourteen-track collection of organically re-imagined versions of their most powerful and enduring songs. It will be released on Friday, January 30, and available on special color double vinyl, CD and digital formats.

 

To celebrate the release of Rings: The Acoustic Sessions, Toad will be premiering a special video for “Jam (Acoustic)” on Friday, January 30 at 2 p.m. E/11 a.m. P on their official YouTube Channel.  The video features recently "found" (and never before seen) rare footage of the band's "fear" recording sessions in Reno, NV in January, 1991.

 

With Rings, Toad delivers more than an ‘unplugged’ greatest hits collection; more than a remastered retrospective glazed over with nostalgia. Rather, they’ve captured the concentrated power of their best hits and deep cuts as they exist in this moment, performed by the band as they are today.

 

“People always think of an acoustic record as stripped down” says bassist Dean Dinning, “but what if it wasn’t?”

 

These new recordings, produced by the band (Dinning, singer Glen Phillips and guitarist Todd Nichols) with Sean McCue, reflect Toad’s commitment to taking their songs as seriously as their fans did when they fell in love with the quirky Santa Barbara based band (with the very un- serious name) 35 years ago, walking into their local record store to buy the band’s Fear album on CD.

 

And speaking of Fear, its opening track, “All I Want” is the perfect starter for Rings, leveraging their biggest hit to establish the new sonic and emotional landscape they’re about to explore. This new arrangement captures the essence of the song that made it a hit in 1992 not by triggering fond memories of flannel and corduroy, but rather by re-delivering the heart of the song as it exists in the present.

 

“It was a lot of fun figuring out how the original electric parts would work on the acoustic guitar”, says Todd Nichols, “Sometimes that meant changing up the parts or even playing different solos so everything felt right in these new versions.”

 

Glen Phillips’ vocals capture the same longing and hope they did when he recorded the album version in 1991—but now, in 2026, his performance makes it clear that the longing he sang of thirty-four years ago hasn’t yet been satisfied, but the hope that accompanied it is still alive. Perhaps, his vocals seem to say, the longing was the point all along.

 

In addition to re-introducing familiar hits like “Walk On the Ocean” and “Something’s Always Wrong,” Rings broadens and deepens the listener’s experience of the band by re-contextualizing deep cut fan favorites like “Inside” and “Little Heaven,” giving these songs another chance to burrow into the hearts of a now more mature audience.

 

Rings also breathes new life into songs from Toad’s earliest days, like “Jam” and “Scenes From a Vinyl Recliner,” as well as giving fans a new taste of their more recent era with new takes on “California Wasted" and “Transient Whales,” proving that the newer songs can live alongside the old without being overshadowed, even without the advantage of time and the early-life neuroplasticity that easily ingrains songs in listeners’ hearts and minds.

 

“I love that we were able to take songs from every album and find a way to bring them together to work as a unified piece” says Phillips.

 

Rings is a tour through nearly forty years of Toad the Wet Sprocket, but this latest recording leans not on nostalgia, but evolution, to deliver the power of the band’s musical journey over time.

 

Toad the Wet Sprocket will continue to tour in support of the Rings: The Acoustic Sessions throughout the year. In summer 2026, they will join Men at Work for a U.S. tour in July / August with Shonen Knife opening. Headline dates have been added with more to be announced. Confirmed dates as follows:

 

JUL 12 / BETHLEHEM, PA @ MusikFest Cafe

JUL 14 / CHARLESTON, SC @ Charleston Music Hall

JUL 16 / POMPANO BEACH, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheater*

JUL 17 / ST. AUGUSTINE, FL @ The St. Augustine Amphitheatre*

JUL 18 / CLEARWATER, FL @ The BayCare Sound*

JUL 21 / ATLANTA, GA @ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre*

JUL 22 / SOUTHAVEN, MS @ BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove*

JUL 23 / NASHVILLE, TN @ The Pinnacle*

JUL 24 / DETROIT, MI @ Masonic Temple*

JUL 26 / COHASSET, MA @ The Music Circus*

JUL 28 / DURHAM, NH @ The Whittemore Center*

JUL 29 / BANGOR, ME @ Maine Savings Amphitheater*

JUL 31 / ATLANTIC CITY, NJ @ Borgata Hotel Casino Event Center^

AUG 1 / HARRINGTON, DE @ Delaware State Fair*

AUG 6 / BLOOMINGTON, IL @ Grossinger Motors Arena*

AUG 7 / NEW LENOX, IL @ Performing Arts Pavilion @ The Commons*

AUG 8 / COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA @ Stir Cove At Harrah’s Casino*

AUG 10 / SALINA, KS @ Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts*

AUG 14 / CARNATION, WA @ Remlinger Farms*

AUG 18 / RENO, NV @ Silver Legacy Resort Casino*

AUG 20 / LOS ANGELES, CA @ The United Theater on Broadway*

* date with Men at Work, Shonen Knife opening

^ date with Men at Work

Rings: The Acoustic Sessions Tracklisting
ALL I WANT (3:23)
WOODBURNING (4:11)
GOOD INTENTIONS (3:07)
INSIDE (4:08)
JAM (3:36)
WALK ON THE OCEAN (3:15)
CALIFORNIA WASTED (3:53)
SOMETHING’S ALWAYS WRONG (3:51)
FALL DOWN (3:37)
LITTLE HEAVEN (4:19)
TRANSIENT WHALES (3:39)
NANCI (2:53)
SCENES FROM A VINYL RECLINER (4:26)
RINGS (3:09)

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