Although we weren’t enthusiastic about going out, we did venture to Spaulding. When the show started, I remembered why I got these tickets – from the last time I saw them at the Hop. These Yamato guys and gals put on a great show.
They passed around earplugs to folks in the front – I’m not sure if they were necessary. The huge drums were loud, and you could feel their beat deep in your guts. The group showed amazing synchronization, even at extremely high speed. We learned that they live together in Nara, Japan. They start each morning with a 10 km run, and then do weights until lunch. After lunch, they practice drumming until 10 pm. No wonder they work well as a team.
The drums are made of keyaki wood, which is a type of Japanese elm. One of the large drums is from a 400-year old tree. The skin is cowhide, and a junior audience tester said not so bouncy. But it might depend on the size of the drumstick, which can be as big as a baseball bat.
The program was entitled Bakuon: Legend of the Heartbeat, where the drum pulse is meant to be like a heartbeat. The group is very energetic, including the director (and performer) Masa Ogawa. There were some zany hairstyles that contributed to the action of the show as they danced.
The Q&A after the show was fun, with a couple of kids who got to try the drums, including one who was given his very own drumsticks after he tapped out his own rhythm. We also learned about the logo on the big drum, a 3-part yin yang representing heaven, earth and people.