Kodo drummers at the Smith Center

Last week we went to see the Kodo drummers at the new Smith Center near downtown. This is a large entertainment complex with several entertainment spaces, but so far we have only been to the big hall. Several months ago we saw Wicked when it rolled through. Unfortunately it was a very popular event and I did not order tickets very quickly. So we ended up sitting way in back, which in Vegas means way up high. Like most of the spaces on the Strip the trend in big halls is to make the back seats run up high, presumably so everyone can see the stage. Unfortunately it also means that the stairs back there are almost ladders, and if you are in the top then you have a lot of climbing to do. But it was interesting watching the dressed up girls trying to go down those steep steps in their tall heals.


Along the sides are several levels of ‘box seats’ – for Kodo I wanted to sit close up in order to feel the drums, and was able to score a front box, which also gave us a very good view down onto the stage.


This is what the whole place looked like (with my fancy phone panorama)


As for the drummers – they were very good. It’s about 15 people (two girls in the group) that play drums, flutes, cymbals and dance at times. I was most impressed with the muscles on those dudes – when they first walked out it looked like a bunch of skinny little guys, but when they started swinging sticks as big as baseball bats over their heads for fifteen minute songs you could see how big their arms were. This video is a good representation of what they do


When they beat on those big drums you can really feel it.

You really don’t need to go to the gym for a workout after something like this