When a friend emailed me about KODO’s performance at the Kimmel Center, I knew I had to go.  Armed with student discounts, we managed to snag tickets for only 10 dollars!  And thanks to that, yesterday, I was treated to a performance of energy, power, grace, and elegance.

Even though it was a rainy Monday night, the turnout was incredible.  The stage was set up with two identical drum arrangements next to one another, and three taiko drummers played at each set.

The raw power of the taiko drums combined with the perfect synchronization of the drummers astounded me.  I particularly enjoyed the part where the drummers sang while playing the drums (I don’t think I could ever have the coordination to pull that off, haha).  The movements were graceful but still brimming with energy, and the beats were interesting and moving.

I ended up having to leave early in order to catch a train back, but I’m very glad that I was able to go.  What did everyone else think about the second half?