Video Games Live

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Video Games Live
Salt Lake City, UT, USA[1]
AreaWorldwide
Websitevideogameslive.com

Video Games Live (VGL) is a concert series created by Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall.[2] The concerts consist of segments of video game music performed by a live orchestra with video footage and synchronized lighting and effects,[3] as well as several interactive segments with the audience. Incorporated in 2002, Video Games Live has performed over 500 shows internationally.[4]

History

October 24, 2008 Video Games Live performance

Video Games Live was founded by video game composers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall in 2002, and the duo formed Mystical Stone Entertainment, the business that runs VGL. Tallarico and Wall took three years planning the first show, developing the technology needed to synchronize lights, videos, effects, and the concert itself.[5] The technology for communicating between the person running the concert, the conductor, and their performers was also developed.[3]

The concert debuted on July 6, 2005 at the Hollywood Bowl, where the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra performed to an audience of 11,000 people.[3] Three concerts were held the first year. In 2006, the concert re-launched with an 11-show world tour.[6] The concert was expanded to 30 cities in 2007 and 47 cities in 2008, and over 50 cities in 2009. More than 300 shows were held between 2009 and 2016.[7][8][9] In 2010, Jack Wall left Video Games Live to pursue his game composing career.[10]

Each concert is performed by a local symphonic orchestra

Pittsburgh Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, the Spanish National Orchestra, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Qatar Philharmonic.[13][14][15]

Segments

Video Games Live features more than 175 unique music segments from video games of all eras, such as

Metal Gear Solid. Other segments feature retro arcade games such as Tetris and Donkey Kong. Video footage of each game is shown during its segment, and this is often accompanied by special effects.[16]

The pre-show event features a costume—or cosplay—contest for people dressing as video game characters. Another contest has concert-goers playing classic games, such as Frogger or Space Invaders, or musical video games, such as Guitar Hero. The winner of these contests is taken up on stage during the show, and plays the game in front of the audience and along with the orchestra.[17][18][19]

The concerts often feature solo performers.

Disney’s Kingdom Hearts, the historic Disney films the game is based on are screened.[25][26]

The show involves interactive segments where audience members can play video games, synchronized in real-time by the orchestra. The concerts on occasion feature interviews with video game composers, sometimes live or through video.

Civilization series.[31][21]

List of Video Games Live Orchestra Segments
List of Video Games Live Interactive Segments
  • Frogger
  • Guitar Hero III – "Hold the Line" by Toto
  • Guitar Hero III – "The Pretender" by The Foo Fighters
  • Guitar Hero: Aerosmith – "Sweet Emotion"
  • Guitar Hero: Van Halen – "Jump"
  • Ralph Baer – Brown Box segment
  • Space Invaders
List of Video Games Live Soloist Segments
  • brentalfloss - 2-2 Mario Blues
  • Dee Baker - Classic Arcade
  • Dee Baker - Gears of War SFX
  • Dee Baker - SFX
  • Ellen McLain - Portal: Still Alive
  • Ellen McLain - Portal 2: The Turret Opera
  • Koji Kondo - Mario Medley
  • Laura Intravia – Mario Medley
  • Laura Intravia – Zelda Flute Link
  • Lindsey Stirling – Zelda
  • Malukah – Skyrim "Dragonborn Comes"
  • Martin Leung - Advent Children
  • Martin Leung - Angry Birds
  • Martin Leung - BioShock "Cohen's Masterpiece"
  • Martin Leung - Chrono Cross
  • Martin Leung - Dragon Quest
  • Martin Leung - Earthworm Jim
  • Martin Leung - Final Fantasy Medley
  • Martin Leung - Mario Blindfolded
  • Martin Leung - Monkey Island
  • Martin Leung - Namco Compilation
  • Martin Leung - Rare Software Medley
  • Martin Leung - Tetris
  • Martin Leung - Warcraft II
  • Martin Leung - Zelda
  • Peter Hollens - Portal 2
  • Random Encounter – Final Fantasy
  • Random Encounter - Zelda Medley
  • Richard Jacques - Out Run
  • Riva Taylor - The Creed (Assassin's Creed Unity)
  • Vertex Guy - Contra

Albums

Video Games Live, Volume 1, a recording of various segments from multiple shows, was released on July 22, 2008. The music on the album was performed by the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra (except where noted), and was released by EMI Classics.[32] It debuted at #10 on the Billboard Top 10 for Classical Music Crossovers. It was also named 2008 Best Video Game Soundtrack from both IGN and G.A.N.G.[33][34]

Video Games Live: Level 2 was released as a DVD, Blu-ray and CD on October 19, 2010 by

Shout! Factory.[35] This was a live recording which coincided with their national television special on PBS. The music was performed by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (except where noted), and debuted at #8 on the Billboard charts, at a live show in New Orleans.[36][37][38]

Despite the success of the first two albums, the large upfront costs of hiring so many musicians and renting out studio time made it unattractive for record companies. Video Games Live: Level 3 was released in 2014, and was funded by 5,679 fans on

Chris Kline (Vertexguy). The album also featured a live version of Portal's "Still Alive" performed in Chile, in which the audience can be heard cheering, chanting, and singing along.[41][42][43]

Video Games Live: Level 4 was released in 2015. Like Level 3, it was funded by a Kickstarter campaign, and passed its goal of $150,000, to reach $187,646. Also like Level 3, it was performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus and conducted by Fratianni. As a bonus for exceeding the financial goal of the Kickstarter campaign, VGL released Through Time and Space: Chrono Piano Album concomitantly. It features music composed by Yasunori Mitsuda for the games Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger, with the piano versions arranged by Laura Intravia (also providing vocals) and performed by Brendon Shapiro.[44][45]

Video Games Live: Level 5 was released in 2016. VGL also used Kickstarter, raising $264,931 through 3,658 backers. VGL worked with the Prague Philharmonic with

Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, arranged by Intravia and performed by Shapiro.[46]

PBS Special

The April 1, 2010 New Orleans (Level 2) concert was taped and broadcast on July 31, 2010 on PBS. The special was later released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2010 and contains additional segments, behind the scenes footage, making of Video Games Live, interactive angles, exclusive game developer and composer interviews, and special never before seen game trailers. The PBS special appeared in the United States, and was also broadcast multiple times on Sky Arts TV in the United Kingdom and other European countries.[47][48]

Legacy

Video Games Live has been praised for bridging the generational gap by showing older generations that video game music is not just "bleeps and bloops".

Beethoven alive today, he would compose music for video games as a comment about the relevance for new media on the classical music artform.[3][50]

VGL also aims to show video gamers how moving classical music is. As Emily Reese, a host for Classical Minnesota Public Radio, noted concerning a 2010 VGL show, "89 percent of attendees had never been to Orchestra Hall for a classical concerts [...] and fifty percent had never even stepped through its doors." By performing with local orchestras at each location, Tallarico hopes VGL encourages video gamers to attend more classical concerts. He comments that parents often send grateful letters about their children picking up a musical instrument after a concert.[51][52][53]

When the show is performed in Brazil, it is subsidized by the government for getting young people involved in the arts.

Guinness Book of World Records for two accomplishments: the most number of shows by a symphony (357 at the time), and another for largest audience to ever watch a symphony show live (752,109 people in Beijing, China in 2015, despite the venue only having 2,700 seats).[54]

VGL was profiled on the cover of Symphony Magazine in 2014 and it has performed at gaming industry events including

San Diego Comic Con. It has been featured on classical music radio stations.[27][55][56][57]

Awards

See also

References

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  2. ^ a b Liu, Marian (January 23, 2009). ""Video Games Live" is a feast for the eyes and ears". The Seattle Times. Frank A. Blethen. Archived from the original on January 26, 2009. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
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  4. ^ "About". Video Games Live. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
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  8. ^ Nobel, Carmen (11/21/2008). "Ode to Joysticks" Boston Globe. (Print)
  9. ^ (06/22/2005). "Video Game ‘Environment’ Goes on Tour" USA Today. (Print)
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External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Video_Games_Live&oldid=1218633290"