CMJ: Reaching Into the Bag of Tricks

  It doesn't matter if it's a film festival or a music festival, there's always a stuffed goodie bag to greet an atendee's arrival. As usual, one has to wonder: How much of this stuff is useful? What does this tell us about the confab we're about to step into? I already had PJ Olsson's show on my list of acts to check out, but the inclusion of an ad in the bag reaffirms some belief I have that certain acts have a company behind them,  CBS Records in this case, that wants their acts to stand out. Well, without making too many judgments, CMJ attendees now have in their possession:

6 compilation CDs (New Zealand, OurStage, Austin, Severe Records, Filter and CMJ being the providers)
5 postcards/pamphlets for online services
4 handbills for showcases
4 cards enabling free donloads including one for Mark Ronson's remix of Bob Dylan's "Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)"
3 maps
3 production serves postcards
2 coupons (clothes and bowling)
2 postcards for actual musicians performing at CMJ
2 ads for films
2 educational brocures
1 Zune ad
1 insurance brochure
1 menu for a pizza joint
1 bookmark advertising R. Crumb's "Heroes of Blues, Jazz and Country"
1 cable TV show ad
and, what else? - a single condom.