Onibana Taiko blends kick-ass taiko with traditional Japanese folk art forms and a fierce feminist queer punk aesthetic. Featuring E. Kage and NoriNori — queer and gender non-binary settlers of Japanese ancestry — the duo creates taiko with full-body, resonant beats driven by the sounds of tsugaru shamisen, and soul-piercing traditional vocals. Their work invites audiences to commune with ancestors through music and movement. At Powell Street Festival, Onibana Taiko presents an evolving iteration of Reverberation, a piece that journeys through the trauma of displacement caused by Japanese Canadian internment, blending contemporary sounds to reflect current struggles. The set will also flash back to past and present Riot Grrrl queercore material, reimagined with taiko/shamisen instrumentation and will feature guest artist Cynthia Dawn, formerly of Oakland’s avant-garde metal/electronic band La Fin Absolute du Monde.