Must Sees

I had to share my excitement of two things I've gone to see lately and wanted to share with you.

First, Bear and I went to go see the internationally renowned Japanese taiko group Kodo perform last weekend. I've been wanting to see these guys perform for a loooong time and actually bought my tickets 6 months in advance when they first went on sale.

There's something about the sound of drums that really connects with me, but it's the Japanese taiko that really pulls me in. There's a primal connection of sorts, but very soul-stirring when I listen to them. I don't get to hear them too often here, but I recall many childhood memories going to various summer festivals when you'll hear that festival music and the sound of the taiko.

Kodo's performance was awesome. They're extremely talented and it's an intense show (non-stop with no intermission I might add) for over an hour and a half. It takes A LOT of stamina and hard work to beat on these drums.

There's one piece where one guy is dressed in nothing but the traditional fundoshi. If you've never seen anyone in one before, it can be striking for those not expecting it, but it was a nice view and I had no idea you can have muscles in that area of one's derriere ;) But really, once you get past the whole "he's almost naked" reaction you initially have, you see the strength and the power as he connects with the taiko (that is probably over 6 feet in diameter!).

It's an amazing show, it truly is. I highly highly HIGHLY recommend it! They're touring right now, so check out the tour dates as they come into town the next few months.

Second, I went to go watch the stop-motion flick Coraline in 3D last night. Let me tell you I was blown away by the detail in this animation film. I first heard about it on the Knitty blog, but was totally intrigued when I found out that everything was handmade. The knit garments that Coraline wears were knit by a miniature knitwear designer, using the smallest, teeny-tiniest needles and "yarn" that looked more like thread. I would totally watch it again just to look at all the detail again. Just know ahead of time that everything is handmade and just be ready to be amazed! The storyline is a good story, the characters interesting and the details.. well I already said enough about that. As fellow crafters, you really have to be amazed by how much time and work went into creating this world. Amazing.

So in other words, for both Kodo and Coraline.. GO SEE IT!