Last Friday I took my wife to Johnny Vatos' Tribute to Halloween: Featuring Members of Oingo Boingo. X and Dramarama were also in attendance--apparently the tribute group's solo gig was the next night in Anaheim. (This is not the first time Ticketmaster has hidden something from me. When my wife wanted to see Al Pacino in Salome, we ended up at a staged reading days before the actual premiere. All the actors except for Mr. Pacino were reading aloud from their scripts, which lead my wife to assume that a) Pacino's a really dedicated actor and b) American plays are different than they are in Japan, where people are required to know their lines.) But our primary reason for showing up was Bear McCreary.
McCreary took over as the composer on Battlestar Galactica during its first season. The scope of the second season soundtrack would have an uninformed listener believing he or she were listening to a movie soundtrack instead of one for a TV show. The variety of instruments, the participation of live musicians, and the overall "What if Philip Glass was good?" vibe make it stand out from anything else on the small screen. And unlike many other respectable sci-fi/fantasy series from the past, there seems to be little direct repetition of the music from season to season. I'm looking at you, The X-Files.
Many of the Former Members of Oingo Boingo in the tribute band, including Vatos himself, have performed on the soundtracks. Raya Yarbrough, who sings the vocals on the "Lord of Kobol" track, was there Friday night and performed "Sally's Song" from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Unlike the live reenactment of Oogie Boogie's song, her version was a moving improvement over the weakest song in the film. McCreary served as musical director, keyboardist, and Jack Skellington for the concert.
This is difficult for me to admit, but after seeing the guy who composed "Prelude For War" rocking out in skull makeup, pumping his fist in the air to "Only a Lad," and singing "Jack's Lament" with live string accompaniment, Bear McCreary is now my favorite musician.
It was one of those concerts that make you wish you had stuck with the violin. I don't lament giving up drawing. My talent for placing commas is much more important to me than being able to sketch ghoul lords and abishai (from the astral planes, not The Bible) in colored pencil. But if someone had told me in sixth grade that if I kept at it I could be playing with Oingo Boingo, I would have had a reason to stay in orchestra class other than the obvious.
I'm sorry, Voltaire. Release Ookie Spookie and we'll talk.
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