or more than 15 years, game-music concerts performed by orchestras were an experience enjoyed only in Japan, but within the past three years, the concept has finally made its way to the United States. These shows have proved so popular that they've spawned two competing international tours and numerous locally organized concerts around the world, and are still gaining momentum.
The oldest international tour is Video Games Live, which premiered at the Hollywood Bowl in 2005 to a crowd of more than 11,000. It’s since played more than a dozen and a half shows across the United States, Canada, Brazil, England and–just earlier this year–New Zealand.
Ready To Rock!
Most recently, it played the part of closing ceremonies for the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, which ended March 9. As such, not only did many of the original composers perform their music on stage, a large portion of the audience was made up of game developers as well.
"I think what tonight helps prove is how legitimate video games have become as an art form," said Tommy Tallarico, game composer and co-creator of Video Games Live, "and really, how video games have become the entertainment of choice for the 21st century, thanks to all the people in the room right here," he told the audience of the sold-out show.
The evening began like any other for VGL, with attendees arriving early to play arcade games or Guitar Hero II in the lobby, compete for prizes in the costume contest or just chat with friends. The music started just after 8:00 p.m., with a medley of music from arcade games–everything from Donkey Kong to Dragon's Lair.
While the orchestra and 16-member choir conducted by game composer Jack Wall performed throughout the night, synchronized footage from the appropriate games was projected on a huge screen suspended above the stage, and lighting effects added additional color and motion to the mix. Applause or laughter often broke out during pieces like the Sonic or arcade medleys, as a melody suddenly brought back a flood of memories from a particular game or level to the audience.
Chris "VertexGuy" Kline warms up before the concert
There was usually something happening on stage to help keep things interesting, as well. During the Metal Gear Solid segment, one hilarious performance had an actor dressed in a guard uniform with an exclamation point floating over his head patrol frantically while a large box snuck past him. Even the voice actors who portray Solid Snake and Mario in the games made stage appearances, and people dressed as Link and Zelda helped introduce one of the pieces too. And, of course, audience members were brought up separate times to play Space Invaders and Frogger for prizes on the giant screen while the orchestra matched the action as it unfolded, complete with tempo changes on the fly. The musicians must have been sweating during those parts, but they appeared unruffled and made an amazingly seamless job of it.
Orchestral pieces like Baba Yetu from Civilization IV (which won, as did its composer, yet another award earlier in the week at GDC), Liberi Fatali from Final Fantasy VIII and the suite from World of Warcraft had some of the most enthusiastic applause, but what really brought down the house were the smaller performances. The original LucasArts composer trio of Peter McConnell, Michael Land and Clint Bajakian–along with Larry the O–played their music from Grim Fandango, Monkey Island and Outlaws. Internet celebrities "VertexGuy" and the "Video Game Pianist" played virtuosic versions of electric guitar music from Contra and old Namco favorites on piano–such as Dig Dug and Pac-Man–respectively.
Eclipsing everything else, however, was a rare appearance by Koji Kondo, composer for the Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda series. Fresh from giving GDC's audio keynote speech and receiving a lifetime achievement award earlier in the week, he also introduced the orchestral Mario and Zelda parts during the concert. And he was met by a roaring crowd of fans waving Nintendo DS systems and cell phones as improvised lights when he came back to give a spirited solo piano performance of music from the Super Mario Bros. series. Seeing the creator of what is likely the most widely known and iconic game music of all time performing his music live was definitely an experience to remember.
Tallarico Interviews Nintendo's Koji Kondo
Medal of Honor, with its newsreel footage, Kingdom Hearts, with its classic Disney clips, Advent Rising's thirteenth century Italian lyrics sung by original performer Laurie Robinson and the grand finale of Halo 3 with Tallarico and VertexGuy playing electric guitars were all remarkable as well, but unsurprisingly, everyone was talking about Koji Kondo at the end.
After the show, several hundred fans waited in line to meet more than two dozen composers and other industry celebrities. Besides those mentioned earlier, composers like Alexander Brandon (Unreal), Richard Jacques (Samba de Amigo), Russell Brower (World of Warcraft), Gerard Marino (God of War 1 & 2), Jun Senoue (Sonic Adventure) and Rod Abernathy (The Hobbit) were there to chat with fans and sign autographs. Even Cory Barlog (director of God of War 2) and Alexey Pajitnov (creator of Tetris) participated. Most of the autographs were put on posters and programs, but once in a while a VIP's eyes would light up when asked to sign some obscure piece from the past. Unlike Hollywood, game developers often have little direct contact with fans, so having a night to connect with the public was a genuine treat for most of the special guests.
In the end, the night came down to a heartfelt celebration of games and music. And for the attendees who left with smiles on their faces and a tune on their lips, it won't soon be forgotten.
-Alex Van Zelfden