Running On Empty at NAMM 2018 A Reunion of Jackson Browne and The Section
In January 2018, during the NAMM TEC Awards held at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, Jackson Browne delivered a performance of Running On Empty that resonated deeply with both industry professionals and longtime listeners. The event, known for honoring technical excellence in the music industry, provided an appropriate setting for a song that has long symbolized life on the road and the realities behind touring musicianship.
Originally released in 1977 as the title track of his album Running On Empty, the song became one of Jackson Browne’s signature works. The album itself was notable for blending live recordings with material captured in hotel rooms and on tour buses, offering an unusually candid portrait of touring life. Decades later, performing the song at a major industry gathering added another layer of reflection to its legacy.
At the NAMM performance, Browne was joined by The Section, the group of session musicians who played a central role in shaping the Southern California sound of the nineteen seventies. The lineup featured Craig Doerge on keyboards, Danny Kortchmar on guitar, Leland Sklar on bass, and Russ Kunkel on drums. Their presence was historically significant, as these musicians had contributed extensively to Browne’s recordings and to numerous landmark albums of that era.
The performance also included backing vocals from Rosemary Butler and Mark Lennon of the band Venice. Their harmonies added depth and warmth to the arrangement, reinforcing the communal spirit that has always defined the song. Rather than radically reinterpreting the track, the ensemble presented it with clarity and respect for its original structure, allowing the familiar rhythm and melodic phrasing to carry the emotional weight.
Musically, the 2018 rendition maintained the steady drive that characterizes Running On Empty. The rhythm section remained tight and controlled, while Browne’s vocal delivery reflected maturity and lived experience. The years had subtly reshaped his voice, but the narrative power of the song remained intact. The lyrics, centered on exhaustion, persistence, and the passage of time, took on additional resonance when delivered by the original artist four decades after its release.
The setting of the NAMM TEC Awards underscored the collaborative nature of the performance. Surrounded by peers from across the recording and production industries, Browne and his longtime collaborators demonstrated the enduring value of musicianship and partnership. The reunion was not framed as nostalgia, but as continuity.
The 2018 performance of Running On Empty stands as a reminder of the song’s lasting cultural impact and of the creative relationships that helped bring it into existence. It reaffirmed Jackson Browne’s place within American songwriting tradition while celebrating the musicians whose contributions shaped one of his most enduring works.