Utter silence fell over Clowes Memorial Hall as the lights dimmed and faded to darkness. Every body was on the edge of their seats as we waited in anticipation for that first drum beat to reverberate through the theater. Every second felt like an achingly long hour until we finally heard the BOOM of the drums and the first composition, ‘Sakaki’, that brought to fruition what would be an AMAZING two hours to follow.

Right from the start I could tell that this would be a performance worth watching and I wasn’t disappointed! As their first song began, the beats truly did define and give justice to the meaning of Kodo. It was both culturally fascinating and contemporary, as the mix of drums, dancer and singer in the composition captivated the audience from beginning to end. They flowed with a rhythm that was so precise and synchronized I couldn’t imagine one without the other…it just wouldn’t feel complete.

The enthrallment of the performance only got stronger as each composition went on. As the lights went from dim to bright (corresponding with the rhythm of each set) ‘Stride’ wrapped the audience in a more up-lifting and energetic beat, in comparison to the sombre melody of ‘Sakaki’. What truly amazed me though, was that the song was so invigorating it got to the point  where even the audience themselves could feel the energy and excitement seeping off the stage from each and every performer. They felt it so much that they even began to clap half way through. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m guessing that being able to get the viewers that hyped about listening and watching a composition, the the composer has definitely fulfilled his/her purpose in being able to involve the audience and reel them in to the beats.

The moment I loved the most from this evenings performance however, was the complete contrast they created between the closing song of the first half and the opening song after the intermission. The closing song ‘Monochrome’ was so intense, every move looked fierce yet graceful and every drum beat felt like a battle cry. It was as if they were creating the heightened climax of the night before the end. Then, when they came back, their opening composition ‘Jang-Gwara’, was entertaining and light-hearted, bringing the audience some humour and playfulness. Seeing this only amplified the integrity of the night as, again, the excitement oozed off every performer. Same thing could be said when they played ‘Sora’, one of my favourite tracks off the ‘Akatsuki’ album. They played it to perfection and made it look like they were having so much fun up on that stage; they really personalized the composition and brought it to life.

This then brings me to the main event of the night as the mood once again turned sombre and they began a composition that prepared the O-daiko for the debut of Kenta Nakagome in Indianapolis. Honestly, all I can say after watching his debut/performance on the O-daiko (which was stunning!) is that I have never seen drumming look so exhausting. I now understand why special skills are necessary to play the O-daiko and Kenta Nakagome truly did show them as the entire audience was mesmerized by the traditional composition.

In the end, the entire performance was both cultural and contemporary, sombre and light-hearted, serious and humorous. From the moment it began to the moment it ended my fascination at watching the absolute synchronization of each performer with every drum beat solidified. It was  mind-boggling to witness first hand a group of skilled and talented performers make something that is clearly very difficult to learn, look so effortless to them; like it was second nature. All the hard work they put in to make this concert a success was evident and it definitely paid off as the audience cheered them off with about 3 standing ovations. If you get the chance to see Kodo you won’t be disappointed by this culturally contemporary phenomenon!