Mark, Kristen and Ilyaimy

12/7/22 Sketched during livestreamed video performance by Mark, Kristen and Ilyaimy

 

During the first pandemic year, my niece and her husband gave me several opportunities to sketch their taiko performances on livestreamed video. For Fourth of July and Labor Day that year, they gave concerts to friends and neighbors from their front yard in Maryland. Last week Kristen and Mark joined the Baltimore “folk/rock/acoustic grunge” band Ilyaimy for an eclectic, dynamic mix of music and taiko. The venue, called “The Lair,” looked to be someone’s garage, which had surprisingly decent lighting for a change, so it was easier to sketch than previous concerts had been.

For the finale, Mark, who is a professional taiko instructor and composer as well as performer, turned into a rabbit. The number they performed had something to do with rabbits. I didn’t quite get it, but it was obvious that the musicians were all having a good time, and I certainly had fun sketching them as they performed.