Author Topic: Has anyone gone to the Video Games Live concert? (Read 21761 times)

JonLeung · « **on:** September 06, 2006, 11:07:36 AM »

Video Games Live

My friend brought this to my attention, that it's coming to Edmonton, and looking at the site today, I see that she's right! It is coming up next on the list, though a date and location and ticket sales aren't yet set up. I'm guessing it'd be December or January. (Does anyone really want to be in Edmonton during the winter?) Maybe I'll ask her if she wants to go, she thought it'd be "pretty freaking cool" to hear the Super Mario Bros. jingle being performed, but I'm sure it's got more than just that.

Actually, looking at the list of games, I'm surprised to see Beyond Good & Evil...I loved that game, but I thought it went pretty much unnoticed this past generation, and yet it's here among big franchises like Mario, Sonic, CastleVania, and Myst. I don't really care much that Halo is on there...a five-year-old franchise with two games shouldn't be mentioned BEFORE Mario and Zelda...but I gripe too much. It'll be cool, even if Tommy Tallarico (who often gets on my nerves) is involved.

At least I hope it's cool. Has anyone gone to this? Would you say it's any good?

IceCold · « **Reply #1 on:** September 06, 2006, 03:56:24 PM »

I hadn't heard of it before; sounds like a neat idea!

JonLeung · « **Reply #2 on:** September 06, 2006, 04:30:24 PM »

The main site's official trailer is cool, but you can also see the arcade medley and MGS portions here:
http://wii.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=6556 - Scroll down a bit to where it says "concert". There's also a costume contest in the pre-show, that includes people dressed as Mario, Link, and Samus! (I was thinking how cool it would be if someone had a fully detailed Samus outfit...if one was used here, that's a guaranteed video card prize right there!)

couchmonkey · « **Reply #3 on:** September 07, 2006, 05:52:40 AM »

Woah! If it's coming to Edmonton, I might have to take a little trip up north! I figured this would never leave the U.S.

JonLeung · « **Reply #4 on:** September 07, 2006, 10:03:55 AM »

There are worldwide locations...London, UK, and Tokyo, Japan and probably elsewhere are among them. There's no pattern or "flow" of the locations played at, though...they jump all over the globe...which makes me wonder why it looks like they'll be coming to Edmonton during the winter. Do they really want to come here when it's at its coldest?

Okay, the past couple winters have been abnormally warm. But you'd still wonder why? Then again now that I think about it there are related events that they've played at, but I can't think of any event in the winter worth playing Video Games Live at during the winter. Huh.

I hope that someone here has some impressions of it. They've played at a few places already, including in the States, so someone here should know something...

JonLeung · « **Reply #5 on:** September 09, 2006, 07:16:02 AM »

According to Music 4 Games, the playlist is as follows:

"Classic Arcade Medley"
Metal Gear Solid
CastleVania
God Of War
"Interactive Symphony" starring Space Invaders
Beyond Good & Evil
Medal Of Honor
EverQuest II
The Legend Of Zelda
Tron v2.0
"Interactive Symphony" starring Frogger
Kingdom Hearts
Myst
Sonic The Hedgehog
WarCraft
Final Fantasy
Advent Rising
Super Mario
Halo

Encore 1: Guitar Hero medley played by Marcus Henderson (guitarist from Guitar Hero)
Encore 2: Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario World played by Martin Leung (the blindfolded video game pianist)

mantidor · « **Reply #6 on:** September 09, 2006, 06:29:47 PM »

No Metroid = FAIL

Seriously Metroid doesn't get even close enough the love it deserves.

JonLeung · « **Reply #7 on:** September 11, 2006, 05:27:58 PM »

Yeah, I would've surely put Metroid on there. Oh well, maybe it's something to look forward to if they can make this more than just a one-time event.

jasperfinn · « **Reply #8 on:** October 10, 2006, 01:44:52 PM »

I heard from someone at the Edmonton Symphony that they will be playing an exclusive HALO 3 score. And since Bioware is in Edmonton, I'm sure they'll work in some stuff from Jade Empire and Mass Effect.

Tommy Tallarico · « **Reply #9 on:** October 10, 2006, 03:02:54 PM »

Yo Everyone!,

I got this link passed onto me today and thought I would pop in.

First of all, thanks for the interest regarding Video Games Live. I hope to be able to answer some of your questions about the concert.

In regards to people who have seen the show and reviews of the show. Here is just one example of a press release from our website that has reviews from the press and from people who went to the show:
http://www.videogameslive.com/index.php?story=50

Here are some other reviews on the show from press folks:
http://www.gamedaily.com/features/?id=949
http://wii.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=6556
http://gonintendo.com/?p=2918
http://www.music4games.net/Features_Display.aspx?id=96

The tickets for our 2 Edmonton shows go on sale Wednesday, October 11th. We're very proud to be working with the very prestigeous and talented Edmonton Symphony and bringing a video game music concert to Alberta for the first time. We've also played other parts of Canada such as Vancouver & Toronto and find that there are MANY game music fans all over the world who have been waiting for something like this for a very long time.

For a complete list of places we've gone and places we're going you can go here:
http://www.videogameslive.com/index.php?s=dates

Also... please feel free to sign up to our mailing list because we give out a bunch of information there first as well as special offers.

In regards to games like Beyond Good & Evil... we try to mix in a few surprises into the show which really get peoples attention. For those of you who have played Beyond Good & Evil you probably share my love for the franchise. For those of you who haven't played it... please do yourself a favor and pick it up! We don't just want to give attention to every big name game out there... For us, it's about the quality music, visuals and storyline and not just how many units it sold. Of course 90% of the show are AAA titles because it seems like those always have the best music. Mario, Zelda, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Myst, Halo, Metal Gear Solid, Warcraft, Sonic, etc.... All amazing games that have amazing music and are very popular. But it's definitely not the only determining factor when choosing our set list.

In terms of what the exact set list for Edmonton will be? We're actually not 100% yet. We try to make each and every show different wherever we go. We also try to tailor each show to the area we are playing in. So as one smart poster picked up on... BioWare is in Edmonton and will probably be a part of our show in some capacity. Especially since my partner (and the conductor of Video Games Live) is Jack Wall who composed the music for a lot of the BioWare games like Jade Empire. We are currently trying to figure out what our set list is going to be. So although you see games like Beyond Good & Evil, Castlevania & Tomb Raider on our master list... they may not be played in favor of something more powerful locally or the addition of say another Final Fantasy segment (so many great ones to choose!)

As JonLeung pointed out... We do jump all over the globe. Our next shows are in Rio & Sao Paulo, Brazil before heading over to London! These will be the first video game concerts ever in South America & the UK. We just got through playing the Hollywood Bowl last week in front of thousands and thousands of people. (you didn't hear this from me... but if you look on YouTube.com and do a search for "video games live" you may find a few videos... or 130!!)

Sometimes we team up with conferences such as Gen Con, Wizard World, Game Developers Conference, etc... but we don't do that everywhere. My mom (who is Canadian) informed me that Edmonton gets SUPER DUPER cold in January! (around 40 below?!?!) and there isn't much sunlight. The Symphony told us that it's actually a good time of year to play because there aren't a bunch of activities going on outside and people are looking for something to do indoors.

As far as not having Metroid in the show currently... this is our challenge...

Because of the style of the original music, it is difficult to translate to a live orchestral performance to do it proper justice. I myself worked on Metroid Prime & Metroid Prime Echoes (sound design) and have a very close understanding of the music and am personally a big fan. It was an honor for me to work with such talented people as Miyamoto-san. It's a tough challenge and one that I am not yet willing to give up on... but currently we do have it as part of our playlist. This is an event which will go on indefinitely all around the world. Our goal is to come back each and every year with new material and a different playlist. For example... we've played the Hollywood Bowl twice now and each time we had different playlists and added things. Last week we added things like the Halo 3 trailer music (with Steve Vai on guitar), more Final Fantasy stuff, Civilization IV, LucasArts music, etc.

Please let me know if anyone has any other questions. Thanks again for the interest.

Tommy Tallarico

p.s. Yo JonLeung... sorry that I get on your nerves sometimes.

I'm sure if you met me in person you may have a different opinion. Hopefully we'll be able to meet at the Edmonton show... we're really looking forward to it!

Nick DiMola · « **Reply #10 on:** October 10, 2006, 08:23:01 PM »

... is this like the actual Tommy Tallarico, if not somebody went through a whole lot of effort to sound REALLY convincing. If so, it's damn cool that these forums actually garner that kind of attention.

IceCold · « **Reply #11 on:** October 10, 2006, 09:10:32 PM »

Wow, you're right; I know my interest in the event shot up after this - nice move, Tommy..

As an aside, once Nintendo actually direct-linked one of our threads on their site.

couchmonkey · « **Reply #12 on:** October 11, 2006, 06:37:00 AM »

Oh man, Tommy wuz here. Let the BUURRRRNNNNS begin.

I'm willing to believe it's him, he seems to put a lot of effort into marketing this thing himself. I know, I'm getting spam from him and/or PR people at VG Live all the time!

Tickets on sale today?! Oh noes, snap decision make!

jasperfinn · « **Reply #13 on:** October 11, 2006, 07:28:57 AM »

I figure - what have I got to lose? Just bought my tickets.

It looks like the first night is more popular so far - I got seats in the second row for the Tuesday night!

The youtube (gootube) videos are great! Especially that kid who plays Space Invaders onstage - I hope they do that in Edmonton.

JonLeung · « **Reply #14 on:** October 12, 2006, 09:50:52 AM »

Oh, great, I hope Tommy Tallarico didn't feel insulted when I said that he gets on my nerves. o_0

EDIT: Now that I actually read it, I notice that he did notice. At least he's not to upset about it. Maybe I would like to meet him (at least I feel I "know" him more than any other celebrity I have had even a chance to come across, so maybe that's why), though I did walk past and behind him once at E3 while he and Victor Lucas were taping something, probably for Electric Playground.

And no, Tommy, I wouldn't worry too much about the cold in Edmonton. There have been days where it has dropped to -40 degrees (which apparently is the same in both Fahrenheit and Celsius), but those are the freak days, you can't expect them every winter. And in recent years in rarely seems to even get to -30 degrees. If you can survive -20 degree weather (I'm talking Celsius), you'll be fine. Just stay indoors.

Hey, if Tommy's serious about meeting me, maybe he can secure a few VIP-type tickets for me and a few others from VGMaps.com!

Tommy Tallarico · « **Reply #15 on:** October 12, 2006, 10:38:52 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: jasperfinn

The youtube (gootube) videos are great! Especially that kid who plays Space Invaders onstage - I hope they do that in Edmonton.

You can count on it!

See ya in Jan.! Thanks for the support!!!

Tommy

Tommy Tallarico · « **Reply #16 on:** October 12, 2006, 10:40:18 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: JonLeung
Oh, great, I hope Tommy Tallarico didn't feel insulted when I said that he gets on my nerves. o_0

EDIT: Now that I actually read it, I notice that he did notice. At least he's not to upset about it. Maybe I would like to meet him .

hahahahaaa... Naw! I'm not upset. I'm used to it by now.

T.T.

JonLeung · « **Reply #17 on:** October 12, 2006, 10:42:55 AM »

Hey, Tommy, if that's really you, click on my avatar to get my email address and email me! If you were serious about meeting me specifically, that is. (Boy, I'm full of myself.) If not, no worries.

mantidor · « **Reply #18 on:** October 12, 2006, 08:56:34 PM »

" It's a tough challenge and one that I am not yet willing to give up on... but currently we do have it as part of our playlist."

oh, good to hear. Personally I loved both orchestrations Ive heard, the one from the SSBM orchestations and the other one which Im not sure where did it came from, but its pretty popular. Its doable, thats for sure, but I also see why is difficult, Metroid music is very unique.

"This is an event which will go on indefinitely all around the world."

aaw, dont say that

It gets my hopes up at first, then I remember "around the world" means NA, Europe, maybe Japan, and maybe probably but likely not Australia, and in an unlikely odd event, Mexico. Theres zero chance of this coming to Colombia, and I probably would be the only one excited about it (ok maybe some 10 other people but thats about it ).

EDIT: this is what happens when I dont read properly

"We do jump all over the globe. Our next shows are in Rio & Sao Paulo, Brazil before heading over to London! These will be the first video game concerts ever in South America & the UK"

Awesome! but as I said, chances to get it here are zero, thats still way closer than I could ever had expected!

Tommy Tallarico · « **Reply #19 on:** October 13, 2006, 12:38:32 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: JonLeung
Hey, Tommy, if that's really you, click on my avatar to get my email address and email me! If you were serious about meeting me specifically, that is. (Boy, I'm full of myself.) If not, no worries.

Yo Jon,

We have a meet & greet after every show for everyone. I'm sure we'll probably have some BioWare folks there as well. Make sure to say "I'm the guy from the Planet GameCube Forums!".

But I'll expect a full report and review of the show from you right here in this thread the day after the show!

Tommy

Tommy Tallarico · « **Reply #20 on:** October 13, 2006, 12:40:45 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: mantidor
" It's a tough challenge and one that I am not yet willing to give up on... but currently we do have it as part of our playlist."

oh, good to hear. Personally I loved both orchestrations Ive heard, the one from the SSBM orchestations and the other one which Im not sure where did it came from, but its pretty popular. Its doable, thats for sure, but I also see why is difficult, Metroid music is very unique.

"This is an event which will go on indefinitely all around the world."

aaw, dont say that It gets my hopes up at first, then I remember "around the world" means NA, Europe, maybe Japan, and maybe probably but likely not Australia, and in an unlikely odd event, Mexico. Theres zero chance of this coming to Colombia, and I probably would be the only one excited about it (ok maybe some 10 other people but thats about it ).

EDIT: this is what happens when I dont read properly

"We do jump all over the globe. Our next shows are in Rio & Sao Paulo, Brazil before heading over to London! These will be the first video game concerts ever in South America & the UK"

Awesome! but as I said, chances to get it here are zero, thats still way closer than I could ever had expected!

My brothers wife is from Columbia... so ya never know!!

We will be on your continent though so hopefully you can somehow make it to our Rio & Sao Paulo shows.

The best way to get the latest on new dates and locations is by signing up to our mailing list on the front page of www.videogameslive.com

We let our mailing list people know everything before anyone else.

Thanks!

Tommy

Pryopizm · « **Reply #21 on:** October 13, 2006, 05:42:46 AM »

Well, isn't this unusual.

Jonnyboy117 · « **Reply #22 on:** October 13, 2006, 07:36:48 AM »

Tommy worked on Metroid Prime? Okay, props.

He still used "k1ddie" in reference to half the GameCube library on Judgement Day, though.

Athrun Zala · « **Reply #23 on:** October 13, 2006, 07:55:22 AM »

why go to Brazil and not Argentina? because obvously Uruguay is out of the question...as always...

and shame there's no "Tales of..." music... Fatalize is awesome

Rize · « **Reply #24 on:** October 13, 2006, 09:03:29 AM »

If I remember correctly he did some early stuff and then Kenji Yamamoto decided he wanted to do it. I think Jake "virt" Kaufman was at one time involved with Metroid Prime too. At least they were considering him. Metroid Prime rocks

News:

Author Topic: Has anyone gone to the Video Games Live concert? (Read 21761 times)