Two nights ago, a brand new, high-profile venue opened up in downtown L.A. The Nokia theatre is just across the street from Staples Center, and it's part of an effort to create a central location in Los Angeles where real people can actually park and congregate. Eventually, there will be restaurants, a hotel for the nearby convention center, offices for ESPN, bars, and a bowling alley. That sounds too good to be true, but I'm on board for even half of that. All it's got now is a Metro stop that resembles a gallows.
(To clarify for people who know less about sports than even I do, Staples Center is not an office supply super store. Also, by real people, I mean people who have meat and aren't orange.)
On opening night, the Nokia hosted the Eagles and the Dixie Chicks, two bands which I have no problem with or opinion about, and I certainly can't discount their cultural influence. For the theatre's second show ever, they offered a live orchestra covering video game music.
I've seen enough video game music performed live to know that success generally depends more upon nostalgia than quality. Mr. Bile has written about this as well. There's a certain thrill you get when your brain recognizes, "I've heard this music that was specifically composed not to get on my nerves after listening to it for 100 plus hours entirely too often before!" But then someone plays an 8-minute medley devoted to a game you've never even seen the console for, and you're left wondering how you could have forgotten to bring a DS to a video game music concert.
Which is why I've avoided Video Games Live previously. I'd checked out their setlist and wasn't impressed. But I was looking to take a half day off, and after watching the classic games medley on You Tube, I knew I had to go. After all, wasn't this my dream since I was 14 years old, to hear video game music performed with a full orchestra?
The show takes that last point very seriously. Seeing Video Games Live is the fulfillment of a childhood dream. But as is often the case, my childhood dreams turn out to be kind of stupid.
Video Games Live: Character Sheet
+1,200 XP: The Nokia is celebrating video game culture on the same night that Jennifer Lopez is performing at Staples Center a block away. Those in attendance have something to feel superior about. The Nokia theatre gains its first level.
Level Drain: E For All is going on at the convention center, bilking local gamers out of cash they should have used to go to PAX. This meant a lot of attendees who hadn't taken a shower in the last 24 hours, lugging backpacks overstuffed with swag. Swag does not belong at a concert.
Achievement Unlocked: Most of the orchestra pieces are set to a video montage. This worked particularly well for the opening classic game tribute, Metal Gear, and Starcraft II. SquareEnix doesn't permit the use of their gameplay footage in the concert, effectively skipping over 45 minutes of cut-scenes.
Account Banned: For the most part, the video game footage was a distraction. Even the Warcraft bits weren't edited to tell a cohesive narrative. Due to the SquareEnix ban, the Kingdom Hearts selection was played against a backdrop of Disney cartoons. And with few exceptions, they never took advantage of the theatre's three screens to show the orchestra up close. The camera control definitely needs a patch.
Did You Know?: Music from games you've never played before can indeed be enjoyed live. The Metal Gear arrangement played like an awesome action movie soundtrack. And one of their premiere pieces--Bioshock--was so good it didn't even make me jealous that I don't have the hyperconductive thinking aluminum required to run the game.
What You Already Know: Final Fantasy music sucks. At best, it's a pale iteration on "The Bridge of Khazad Dum." (See also: Halo) At worst, it's Japanese cocktail lounge music. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Video Game Pianist. Twice.
Meet Famous NPCs: "We have some special guests here from Japan. Bring your hands together for...the creator of Dance Dance Revolution! The composer of the music from Silent Hill! And the creator of Castlevania!"
Meet Dangerous Enemies: "But enough about them, here to award the prizes for one of our awkwardly staged live gaming competitions, two of the stars from Postal!"
Previews: Next year, they've promised to have a guitar on hand for the composer of the soundtrack to Silent Hill.
Vaporware CONFIRMED: Apparently everyone needed to bring their own peripherals. They had two guitars on hand already--one for the host, and one for another guy from You Tube. That is what Rock Band and Guitar Hero are for, host. They are for you. Give Akira a guitar and give me my "Theme of Laura." As someone in the audience wisely noted, "I love you!"
Graphics: Without conducting extensive and creepy interviews, it's unclear whether the majority of women in attendance were gamers or just along for the ride. Either way, it's nice to know there are a lot of attractive women in L.A. willing to attend the geekiest thing I've ever been to in my life.
Performance: To clarify, they're willing to attend the geekiest thing ever with their husbands and boyfriends.
Final Score
If you're me: 7/10
If you're the guy dressed up as Solid Snake with Kitana from Mortal Kombat by your side: 10/10
If you're there with your guild and more excited by a video introduction to the music from Super Mario by Koji Kondo than either of the above: 11/10
If you're the guy dressed up as Solid Snake with Kitana from Mortal Kombat by your side: 10/10
If you're there with your guild and more excited by a video introduction to the music from Super Mario by Koji Kondo than either of the above: 11/10
1 comment:
Sounds like a very good show, in spite of Final Fantasy's presence. Although I wonder what possessed the people involved to not bring a guitar for Akira Yamaoka.
Perhaps they were afraid he'd try playing music from his semi-recent J-Pop album.
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