Banging on some drums is just what happened at this year’s 88 BoaDrum, which was last Friday (8/8/08) and featured 88 dummers playing an 88-minute-long song! Whew!
This jam happened last year in Brooklyn (on 7/7/07) and was led by Japanese noise rockers the Boredoms (thus, the name Boadrums?). This year, the Boredoms handed off maestro duty to Brooklyn art-rock gurus, Gang Gang Dance. People gathered at the majestic Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn early, to listen to DJs spin and to drink free Bud Light Lime (way refreshing, btw). The performance started promptly at 8:08 p.m. The drummers sat facing the mainstage and played in almost cult-like unison to a crowd of thousands! Drum beats were still ringing in my ears the day after.
The musical arrangement, which included tribal beats, weird time changes and woops and hollers from GGD dance frontwoman (below left), ended with a 15-minute-long finale, which was freestyle madness (at one point a dreadlocked drummer got real wild and kicked over his set Pete Townsend style).
Be sure to check out the next BoaDrum, which I’m guessing will be 9/9/09 of next year!
Photos by Molly Emmons
