MEANY HALL, SEATTLE, WA :: Kristie also surprised me on my birthday with tickets to see Kodo, perhaps the most reknown, influential and dedicated taiko troop. The musicians not only play taiko, they live it. The 50 performers are members of a traditional Japanese village, where they farm, fish, and celebrate ancient festivals while rehearsing and composing new pieces. The band spends one-third of their year in the village, one-third performing throughout Japan, and one-third performing to audiences around the world.

We're obviously big fans of taiko, and we've enjoyed a number of performances through the years (San Jose Taiko, TAIKOPROJECT, and One World Taiko), but the power and precision of Kodo's performance was unsurpassed. It's the first time we've seen gigantic hira-daikos - wide-flat drums approximately five feet across and laid parallel to the floor. These were struck with an overhead swing of a single, club-like bachi. During the spectacular opening sequence, there were two of these being pounded on at once. The o-daiko (among the world's largest drums) was also impressively huge and thunderous during the closing performance. It required a heavy cart to transport it onto the stage.

Photography during the concert was strictly prohibited, so I only managed to sneak in a few snapshots. If you have a couple minutes, check out Kodo's promotional video on YouTube (select the HQ option, of course, and checkout that giant hira-daiko at about 1:37). Or checkout their stunning new Sony Bravia ad on their website (it'll give your subwoofer a workout). If you ever get a chance to see a taiko show in person, by all means, go!