more random taiko gigs

So I'm on my way to taiko practice, on my bicycle of course. I pass Odori park, and I hear the sweet sweet sound of a drum beat. I can't resist but go see.

There's a freelance group playing in the middle of the road. It's a city sanctioned perfomance because they have detour signs around them. But in the middle of downtown, there is a taiko group playing in the road. Sapporo is such a cool city.

One of the pieces involved one big drum laid flat, and three masked members sharing it... one playing a base beat, and two playing a rhythm on top of that. I think it was pretty freestyle and impromptu. They swapped in and out, and while not playing they would walk around and act the part they were playing with the masks. It was such a cool, unusual style.

Halfway through they started getting random people off the street, handing them a pair of bachi, and letting them have a go at playing. And guess who they make a beeline for... the gaijin on a bicycle. Fair enough... but instead of taking the guy's bachi, I pull my own from the bike pouch. The guy's eyes go wide as dinner plates. I groove with the beat and play any rhythm that comes to mind. It was just such a beautiful moment of impromptu drumming, just like my first practice with Hashimoto.

Taiko rocks.