Lest you think I’m always the photographer when I travel, there are times when it’s not an option. This happens to be the case with the Drum Cat show, so all photos in this post are from the official site.

If you’ve spent more than 30 seconds in Korea, you’ve probably heard of NANTA – a percussion non-verbal theater show that’s been running since 1999. That show is but one of several percussion / dance performances currently featured around Seoul. While some are more traditionally oriented (such as Miso), and some an interesting blend of Western and Korean cultures (Ballerina who loves B-boy), Drumcat seems like neither. The skill level is simply incredible, to be sure, and that alone is reason to check out this show.

The show starts with a silhouette (the brochure calls it the ‘Dream Intro’) – a number of feminine forms with barrel drums already on-stage. The loud exotic-sounding techno music made it kind of hard to tell what elements were being performed live, and which were part of the pre-recorded soundtrack. The various video trailers shown throughout the show seemed more appropriate as a trailer or as a way of advertising the show on YouTube – definitely not as a backdrop to the show itself.

Next up, several excellent drummers manned a quartet of barrel drums on the stage, a xylophone, and a classic drum kit. It’s here where the hair-flipping went from a fairly cute, innocuous thing to being as choreographed and tight as the rest of the show.

The first break to the hyper action came shortly after – in Korean – with Japanese, Chinese, and Thai on two screens. No English. Let this be a reminder to my fellow waygooks that not everything in Korea is geared towards the Anglophones. It’s not really needed, since there’s no story to grasp, no significant introduction to the performers, and not much needed in the way of verbal description.

An incredible snare drum solo to make any drummer retire their drumsticks.

While the outfits left plenty to the imagination, the skintight red pants and almost knee-high boots worked nicely with the corset tops and chains attached to the hips. If Trinity from Matrix fame needed an update to her wardrobe, she could take a few notes from the Drumcat costume designers. I’ll note that the costumes have been slightly updated – shoulders and bellies were covered unlike the pictures above. The lighting designers / engineers also deserve some props for the excellent timing and colors, although the bright lights shone in the audience’s faces a bit too often.

Another video interlude showed drummers banging on drums with water – something missing from this performance. Some tuned drums enabled a bit of a melody – Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, anybody?

In case anyone was wondering about the nature of the show, the violin of Mina brought an additional dimension to the show. A few other performers had marching-band drums to go with the recorded Latin beat. The American folk element was unexpected – when did a techno version of Yankee Doodle become part of the repertoire? Beethoven’s Ode to Joy was an unexpected pleasure as well.

I never did like being directed to cheer, however. A number of times, a hand came to a performer’s ear in that ‘I can’t hear you!’ look.

Overall, I was struck by the technical precision, the rigorous practice required, and the hyper energy brought to the stage. If you’re impressed by a circus act and the skill required for those stunts, you’ll definitely appreciate this drum show. If you went to NANTA and liked the percussion element of the show, it’s also worth checking out. If you appreciate a good storyline (as in Ballerina who loves B-boy), you’ll be disappointed by the ninety-minute show’s lack of story.

For more information about attending a Drumcat show, visit www.drumcat.co.kr. Tickets are 40,000-50,000 won each; performances are at 4pm and 8pm Tuesday-Saturday and 4pm on Sundays and holidays. Head to Myungbo Art Hall (Euljiro-3-ga, line 2 or 3, exit 8, walk 1 minute), or call 02-2274-2133.

Author’s note: free tickets to the show were courtesy of Kiwi’s mom. Thanks a bunch!

© Chris Backe – 2011
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