Most of you should be familiar with Video Games Live by now, especially if you’ve been around here towards the end of each week. I usually put up a “Friday Night Concert” post, exposing you all to video game music performed by professionals musicians. Often times, that professional ensemble is Video Games Live. This past Saturday, a few of us around here actually got to catch their performance live for the first time, and we liked what we saw.

Before the show even started, Video Games Live offered several pre-concert activities, including some game tournaments for the right to play Space Invaders and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith on stage with the orchestra. The costume contest was also a big hit with the fans, and it came down to a little boy wearing a Mario item box winning the contest to thunderous applause.

Of course, the important thing at Video Games Live is the music. MC/guitarist Tommy Tallarico and conductor Jack Wall, co-founders of Video Games Live, put on an impressive three-hour performance with the help of Chicago’s Metropolis Symphony Orchestra and Oriana Singers. The tour’s goal is to present video game music in a professional manner that showcases it as a valid, emerging artform, and Video Games Live wasted no time bridging the connection by opening with Pong and other Atari classics set to Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” If that doesn’t ring a bell, maybe Elmer Fudd singing “Kill the wabbit” to the tune may ring a bell.

Odds are, if you’re going to attend one of these concerts, you’re already looking forward to hearing some favorites - themes from Metal Gear Solid, The Legend of Zelda, Halo, Final Fantasy, and Super Mario Bros. will almost always be performed, and there’s no doubt you’re familiar with those pieces and will enjoy them. The difference here is that there’s absolutely nothing like hearing the music performed live by a chamber orchestra with full instrumentation. There’s a certain depth of musical performance, a certain resonance that is lost when hearing the music in video games, regardless of whether the music was recorded by a live group. Video Games Live allows the music to stand on its own, letting you enjoy the works as the musical creations they are.

Sure, there are aspects to the show that distract your ears to an extent, but they all positively complement the experience. Each performance of a game medley or arrangement is accompanied by a prepared video montage featuring the game. Video games, just like movie films, musicals, and opera, are conglomerates of all the art forms, and so it makes sense to incorporate the visual aspect of each game into the experience. The videos weren’t simply clips thrown together, either - almost all of the game music performed at VGL is programmatic. The melodies performed were loaded with leitmotifs intended for certain events or characters in each game, so as to evoke your emotions while playing. The accompanying video montages at Video Games Live remained true to these musical intentions by showing those moments, those characters, and those memories.

Taking the visual aspect even further was the experience provided by Video Games Live’s impressive lighting designers. I took small notes of every lighting effect I particularly enjoyed, simply because I was so impressed that I’m now considering embracing lighting shows to complement my future concerts as a school band director/conductor. Lighting, just like the video montage, is intended to take cues from the music and evoke emotions from those in the audience. The difference with lighting is that it isn’t two-dimensional, and it’s not projected onto a single screen behind the orchestra. There were moments during the selections from God of War when the auditorium was pitch black aside from the video montage and the scorching red lights illuminating the orchestra. Other times, a sea of calm, blue light would submerge the entire room and audience. There were some amazing effects to help bring the most out of the music and appeal to all your senses, and VGL did a fantastic job.

Was it a perfect night? Not quite. The performance ensembles chosen weren’t exactly the cream of the crop in Chicago, and it’s likely they only had about a week or less to prepare with Tommy and Jack, the VGL creators that lead each and every performance. There were some musical issues, some as basic as performance accuracy, and other issues like balance and sonority across the ensembles. Metropolis also seems to be a smaller, chamber orchestra, and so the sounds didn’t exactly fill the room - but you can only do so much on such a small stage. This may be too scrupulous for your typical video game fan, but if Video Games Live is trying to destroy the stereotype that video game music is amateurish, more attention to detail is a must. Luckily, VGL has been gaining more and more recognition over the years, and not only are they booking better established orchestras and choirs as they go, but they’re going after the pros. The best ensembles. The day when we can see the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, or the Boston Symphony Orchestra perform a VGL concert is the day that the barrier holding back game music from the mainstream is broken.

This isn’t to say that Video Games Live is a worthwhile experience. Jack Wall is a professional composer/musician, and he shows that he can get a great musical performance conducting any ensemble. Besides, there’s nothing like hearing your favorites performed live by a professional group, and nothing like hearing a full orchestra perform some of the best game themes you’ve never heard before for the first time. Unlike your typical audience at an orchestra concert, the crowds are loud, enthusiastic, and Tommy Tallarico does an amazing job as the MC of hyping everybody up and getting the crowd to participate - as it should be. Other treats, such as Martin Leung (the blindfolded guy on YouTube playing Mario songs), the occasional local game cover bands, and the opportunity to meet Tommy and Jack after every performance, put Video Games Live over the top and help it to redefine an enjoyable night at the symphony. Check out the tour date listing to see when the show is coming to a city near you, and take the opportunity to experience video games, live.

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