VGL DC Concert Report

A corrupt OS left me with a computer in slumber while I waited for my new hard drive to be delivered. After some delivery delays, confusion, and frustration, I am finally up and running again, almost to full capacity. Because of that, my reports have been put on hold, that is, until today. Luckily and perhaps accommodatingly, the anime, gaming, manga, and music world has been low key since my last entry, giving me ample time to catch up. So without further ado, here is my long overdue VGL report.

On the nights of June 29th and June 30th, the metro and DC streets were flooded with gamers from far and wide for the exciting sold-out Video Games Live (VGL) concert. The gaming atmosphere only intensified as opening time drew closer. And before you knew it, the concert hall was filled with individuals dressed as their favorite classic and modern characters, from "Zelda's" very own Link to "Mario Kart" and to "Kingdom Hearts." Most were sporting awesomely wicked T-shirts -- I went for a KH theme myself.

As the lights grew darker, we were taken back in time through the evolution of the gaming industry. I couldn't have asked for better seats -- second row baby! Feelings of nostalgia, awe, surges of adrenaline rush, intrigue, and unshed tears of joy were definitely shared by everyone in the audience. The concert really represents a show tailored specifically for the long-time avid gamer.

The concert event was truly Immersive and Interactive with a couple of capital "I's." Tommy Tallarico ("Advent Rising," "Metroid Prime"), co-founder of VGL was a great host and kept the energy going throughout the night. Jack Wall ("Myst III," "Splinter Cell), co-founder of VGL, served as the VGL composer, leading the electrifying performance.

An onset of mini-games, enactments, contests, exclusives, and a slew of guests and performers were the equal highlights to the actual song performances. "Metal Gear Solid's" very own Snake made some audio announcements providing one of the first interaction with the audience. And as the composer striked up the band with the MGS theme song, a familar cardboard box showed up on the left side of the stage followed by the infamous guard dressed in black and armed with a gun. Snake inched his way across the stage as he tried to avoid being noticed by the guard. And at the penultimate part of the theme, an familar exclamation point is raised over the guard and a chase ensued. Snake successfully makes it across. Whew!

It will probably take me several pages to recount every electrifying moment of the concert, or to even give you the major highlights, but I'll give it a shot. Individuals were picked out from the audience to play "Frogger" and "Space Invaders" as the live orchestra provided the background music. Special video introductions were shown before several songs -- two of which need no introduction: Hideo Kojima and Koji Kondo!!!! Sid Meier ("Civilization IV") took the stage to announce the release of "Civilization" on the next-gen console. Laurie Robinson, the original soprano singer for "Advent Rising" gave a spectacular performance as well. The infamous video game pianist, Martin Leung, also made an appearance and performed a 10-song piano melody a la Nobuo Uematsu. Gerald Marino ("God of War") was just one of the many other composers at the concert's "Meet and Greet." And what would a concert be without an encore ending featuring "Final Fantasy VII's" "One-Winged Angel."

Some other games featured, in addition to those already mentioned, include: "Dragon's Lair," "Gauntlet," "Tetris," "Pong," "Donkey Kong," "Zelda," "Medal of Honor," "Kingdom Hearts," "God of War II," "Castlevania," "World of Warcraft," "Tron," "Halo," Myst," "and "Final Fantasy."

The VGL tour is not stopping just yet. Be sure to check out the website for tour dates and other information. Future performances worldwide are being announced: Brazil, California, Canada, Germany, Italy, Paris, New York, and Philadelphia, and lots more.