For the first forty minutes, Tatsuya Nakatani kept the audience engaged in a solo show. Nakatani brought a plethora of sounds out of a gong, ranging from a gentle hum that reminded me of a violin, to a brassy tune that sounded like a trumpet, to a rattle that seemed like a snake calling out a warning.

The vast range created by Nakatani’s hands forced me to feel a wide range of emotions throughout the show. At times, the music was eerie and foreboding; at others, it was sad and reminiscing. It only took the change in a bow stroke or a mallet strike to alter the mood.

It wasn’t just the sound that drew the audience in, it was the way Nakatani played the instruments. He wasn’t just some person sawing away at the gong in hopes that it sounded okay. Using such precision and grace, it appeared as though Nakatani was dancing with the instruments. He played as if he felt every vibration in his soul, and he let that vibration carry him. The emotion that he gave off as he tended to the gong was a beautiful thing to watch.

Following a fifteen-minute intermission, the show returned, this time adding a touch of home. Nakatani was joined on stage by fourteen members of the Iowa City community who had been under his instruction in preparation for the show. During this part of the show, Nakatani took on more of a director role, guiding his students through the music.

From what I could see, none of the fourteen performers had sheet music in front of them. Their eyes stayed on their instructor, only straying to focus on the bow’s movement. The group worked in unison, and while they didn’t have nearly the experience Nakatani has, the performers still created a sound worthy of the master himself.

“Good” is not a word I can use to describe such a show – it simply doesn’t cover it. “Mesmerizing,” “otherworldly,” “haunting,” or “beautiful” might work, but even then, words don’t do it justice. There’s something about the way that Nakatani plays that sticks in the back of your mind.

It’s a feeling that you can’t quite put into words.

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The contemporary scene is flooded with familiar instruments like the piano and the guitar, so a gong – yes, the big, metal, cymbal-looking thing – seems out of place in that part of the music world. However, that doesn’t mean you should skip the performance. The Nakatani Gong Orchestra will indulge your ears with metallic sound waves.

The multiple gongs under the expert leadership of the percussionist and composer Tatsuya Nakatani creates a unique, eerie and ethereal feel. Nakatani is so dedicated to his craft, he spent ten years rehearsing with the group before their first performance in 2011. While Nakatani includes elements of traditional Japanese music, such as dramatic pacing and space, he also strives to create a more contemporary sound that leaves the listener with something that is from both the past and the present.

Not everyone wants to spend their evening listening to gong music (even though it sounds pretty cool). If the music alone doesn’t intrigue you, the performance itself should. The second installment of this year’s Witching Hour festival, the Nakatani Gong Orchestra is something you don’t want to miss. After ten years of preparation, the masterful Nakatani and his skilled musicians are ready to deliver.

The Nakatani Gong Orchestra is something out of this world. You can listen to the group on Spotify, or join them live at the Englert Theatre at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 2.

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