As usual, TAO's performance was delightful. In comparison to the previous years' show, it was definitely freshened up, although this is not to say that the previous performance was weak in any way; the stage and set list had simply varied less between 2006 and 2007 (more "repeats" content-wise). 2008's show greeted the audience with a whole new set list (although there was a pleasant amount of familiar, nice tunes), revamped pieces and a new member, Junji Torikoshi-san (see drum-tao.com's members' list for reference).
All in all it was great. I went to watch two out of three performances in Berlin, first saturday's and the last on sunday, and I didn't regret it. All members have improved, or maybe it is the new sound that allows them to express themselves even stronger.
There was a lot of new stuff in regards to the pieces and stage, but let's start with the members.
Well-known allrounder and power players like Ryohei Taki-san and Hiroaki Kishino-san unsurprisingly worked like the group's heart beat with their display of strength and dedication. Their seemingless boundless energy made itself felt for a long time, even more amazing than before, and they made no effort to hide the joy they take in playing.
It's not exaggerated to state that Arisa Nishi-san's virtuous, powerful play does not lose to them in any way, but with her flute performances and fetching femininity she also adds another component, calm in one and stirring up in the next second. Her charisma makes it next to impossible to not be fond of her immediately.
I was very pleased to see Shingo Kawahara-san again, and in good form. As one of the taller members he seems to have a high popularity among the Japanese fans, part of that is likely caused by his well proportioned build (not a certainty, and definitely not the "standard" among men in some asian countries [apologies for the generalization]). He had stood behind the oodaiko last year (Taki-san's solo, previous man in the back had been Kishino-san), and this year again had the chance to play with the large bachi. ;) Compared to last year, he seems to have gotten bolder, more confident, and the lean-ness has shifted into a stronger build. His movements are less awkward (awkward in the way tall people often try to hide their height) and there was a slight resemblance of Taki-san's style to move. Maybe not to surprising, considering that they both seem to like working with the big one. He might be a real power player, too.
Another young man who got more of the spotlight compared to last year was Takuya Era-san, who exudes the feel of a lion- or dragon dancer, playing with a ferocity that resembles Kishino-san. They have a similar way to strike out, the set of their shoulders, but Takuya-san's style is - in all playfulness - less bouncy than the latter's; while Kishino-san carries himself through the pieces with a certain sway and whip-like intensity, Takuya Era-san possesses the straight style and body of a martial artist, movements snapping and crisp.
Following the footsteps of Kenji, who had still accompanied TAO last year, he took his place in regards to the performance with the long stick, dynamic and dazzling, even more so under the floodlight. Although it is not exactly related to the drumming, it adds nicely to the show and gives the audience another view to the different characters.
Of course I do not know whether or not he actually has a background in the area, but judging from his movements, flexibility and showy elements, I suspect a classical background somewhere.
If Ryohei Taki-san feels like a personified force of nature and Takuya-Era-san like a little dragon or lion, Kazuya Sato-san would resemble a small bear, or horse. He as well filled out in the right places, and while he's not, and probably never will be, sturdy or solid, he's gained around the corners, especially at the M.latissimus dorsi. Kazuya-san has a light feel to him, calm and at the same time fresh and friendly, with an earnest focus on his play. Although he isn't pushing in the foreground, his dedication and modest mindset attracts attention and he balances well with Takuya-san's outgoing character.
In terms of style, he's got a certain fluidity in his shoulders that bears a resemblance to Arisa-san or Suito-san. He is one of the members with the most attractive facial features, but his power and skill does not stand back against the others. His smile lights up the performances, and I hope we'll see more of him in the future, too.
Little can be said about Natsuko Kuroyanagi, who simply is a wholesome, balanced package - the woman's got the skills (in both drums and flute) and the looks, and one is better off to not be fooled by her short height; her play is impressive and carries both strength and kindness. Watching her is always a surprise, and fun. Together with Maki Morifuji, the three women embody strength like few others.
Taro Harasaki tends to be present a lot in the back, too, often in combination with Shingo-san, or maybe it just feels like he is, since he seems to be one of the more settled, calmer members. I nearly didn't recognize him this year, because of the 'softer' hairstyle he's wearing. His steadiness feels like an anchor and his sympathetic personality makes him a pleasure both to watch and talk to. (He also has the undoubted bonus of good English skills. ^_~)
Yoshinori Suito-san as usual caught the audience's attention with his nonchalant smiles and energetic play. His part on the shime drum has bite and is sharp, worthy of a hard rock fan, but he can also take it easy, as seen in his backing of the flute piece; his shoulders might be the most elegant ones, and it's a pleasure to watch. He undoubtedly loves being on stage and plays with passion.
Junji Torikoshi-san was the new addition to the member's list this year. Sporting a longer hairstyle, I didn't recognize him from the picture from TAO's website until I noticed his tattooed right shoulder/upper arm. While definitely friendly and full of smiles, Junji-san still spends a lot of time in the background and also seemed quite modest and fast to leave at the ending curtain. If he keeps playing with confidence, though, I don't doubt that we'll see more of him in the future.
Junji-san brought a new element into the show by getting to play the koto (japanese harp with chinese origin) as a bridge between two numbers. I absolutely loved it, and Junji-san definitely secured himself a spot in my heart with this solo.
TAO is a unit with a very good balance, where the members complement each others perfectly. Although the viewer might notice one or another player in the front more than the another in the back, it doesn't change the fact that it's their unity and collaboration that makes the experience complete and the show possible. Every shiny roof needs pillars to support it, and if you think of an orchestra without the third violin, it would be a sad sound with something amiss. There is nothing like a "weak" or "unimportant" player in TAO, which is one of the charming points. These guys and girls rock, hard. Admittedly, compared to more traditional groups like Kodo, who impress through their stunning precision, TAO puts more emphasis on show elements, but it's not overdone to the point of being comical. If you're looking for a good mix of skills, wholesome sound and eye candy and get the chance to watch them live, don't miss out on it!
[in progress; comments to set list/numbers should be added within the week.]
All in all it was great. I went to watch two out of three performances in Berlin, first saturday's and the last on sunday, and I didn't regret it. All members have improved, or maybe it is the new sound that allows them to express themselves even stronger.
There was a lot of new stuff in regards to the pieces and stage, but let's start with the members.
Well-known allrounder and power players like Ryohei Taki-san and Hiroaki Kishino-san unsurprisingly worked like the group's heart beat with their display of strength and dedication. Their seemingless boundless energy made itself felt for a long time, even more amazing than before, and they made no effort to hide the joy they take in playing.
It's not exaggerated to state that Arisa Nishi-san's virtuous, powerful play does not lose to them in any way, but with her flute performances and fetching femininity she also adds another component, calm in one and stirring up in the next second. Her charisma makes it next to impossible to not be fond of her immediately.
I was very pleased to see Shingo Kawahara-san again, and in good form. As one of the taller members he seems to have a high popularity among the Japanese fans, part of that is likely caused by his well proportioned build (not a certainty, and definitely not the "standard" among men in some asian countries [apologies for the generalization]). He had stood behind the oodaiko last year (Taki-san's solo, previous man in the back had been Kishino-san), and this year again had the chance to play with the large bachi. ;) Compared to last year, he seems to have gotten bolder, more confident, and the lean-ness has shifted into a stronger build. His movements are less awkward (awkward in the way tall people often try to hide their height) and there was a slight resemblance of Taki-san's style to move. Maybe not to surprising, considering that they both seem to like working with the big one. He might be a real power player, too.
Another young man who got more of the spotlight compared to last year was Takuya Era-san, who exudes the feel of a lion- or dragon dancer, playing with a ferocity that resembles Kishino-san. They have a similar way to strike out, the set of their shoulders, but Takuya-san's style is - in all playfulness - less bouncy than the latter's; while Kishino-san carries himself through the pieces with a certain sway and whip-like intensity, Takuya Era-san possesses the straight style and body of a martial artist, movements snapping and crisp.
Following the footsteps of Kenji, who had still accompanied TAO last year, he took his place in regards to the performance with the long stick, dynamic and dazzling, even more so under the floodlight. Although it is not exactly related to the drumming, it adds nicely to the show and gives the audience another view to the different characters.
Of course I do not know whether or not he actually has a background in the area, but judging from his movements, flexibility and showy elements, I suspect a classical background somewhere.
If Ryohei Taki-san feels like a personified force of nature and Takuya-Era-san like a little dragon or lion, Kazuya Sato-san would resemble a small bear, or horse. He as well filled out in the right places, and while he's not, and probably never will be, sturdy or solid, he's gained around the corners, especially at the M.latissimus dorsi. Kazuya-san has a light feel to him, calm and at the same time fresh and friendly, with an earnest focus on his play. Although he isn't pushing in the foreground, his dedication and modest mindset attracts attention and he balances well with Takuya-san's outgoing character.
In terms of style, he's got a certain fluidity in his shoulders that bears a resemblance to Arisa-san or Suito-san. He is one of the members with the most attractive facial features, but his power and skill does not stand back against the others. His smile lights up the performances, and I hope we'll see more of him in the future, too.
Little can be said about Natsuko Kuroyanagi, who simply is a wholesome, balanced package - the woman's got the skills (in both drums and flute) and the looks, and one is better off to not be fooled by her short height; her play is impressive and carries both strength and kindness. Watching her is always a surprise, and fun. Together with Maki Morifuji, the three women embody strength like few others.
Taro Harasaki tends to be present a lot in the back, too, often in combination with Shingo-san, or maybe it just feels like he is, since he seems to be one of the more settled, calmer members. I nearly didn't recognize him this year, because of the 'softer' hairstyle he's wearing. His steadiness feels like an anchor and his sympathetic personality makes him a pleasure both to watch and talk to. (He also has the undoubted bonus of good English skills. ^_~)
Yoshinori Suito-san as usual caught the audience's attention with his nonchalant smiles and energetic play. His part on the shime drum has bite and is sharp, worthy of a hard rock fan, but he can also take it easy, as seen in his backing of the flute piece; his shoulders might be the most elegant ones, and it's a pleasure to watch. He undoubtedly loves being on stage and plays with passion.
Junji Torikoshi-san was the new addition to the member's list this year. Sporting a longer hairstyle, I didn't recognize him from the picture from TAO's website until I noticed his tattooed right shoulder/upper arm. While definitely friendly and full of smiles, Junji-san still spends a lot of time in the background and also seemed quite modest and fast to leave at the ending curtain. If he keeps playing with confidence, though, I don't doubt that we'll see more of him in the future.
Junji-san brought a new element into the show by getting to play the koto (japanese harp with chinese origin) as a bridge between two numbers. I absolutely loved it, and Junji-san definitely secured himself a spot in my heart with this solo.
TAO is a unit with a very good balance, where the members complement each others perfectly. Although the viewer might notice one or another player in the front more than the another in the back, it doesn't change the fact that it's their unity and collaboration that makes the experience complete and the show possible. Every shiny roof needs pillars to support it, and if you think of an orchestra without the third violin, it would be a sad sound with something amiss. There is nothing like a "weak" or "unimportant" player in TAO, which is one of the charming points. These guys and girls rock, hard. Admittedly, compared to more traditional groups like Kodo, who impress through their stunning precision, TAO puts more emphasis on show elements, but it's not overdone to the point of being comical. If you're looking for a good mix of skills, wholesome sound and eye candy and get the chance to watch them live, don't miss out on it!
[in progress; comments to set list/numbers should be added within the week.]
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