Tommy
Tallarico isn't everyone's bestest friend, but his project, Video Games
Live, is certainly worth seeing (listening to?) if it comes to your
town. Video Games Live combines orchestrated versions of classic gaming
tunes with recorded footage from the respective games. It's a relaxing,
memorable way to spend an evening.
It might not be possible to attend Video Games Live if you
live out in the middle of yemesvelt with coyotes for companions; the
show tends to stick to larger cities in North and South America as well
as Europe and Asia. Well, hang on to your opossum pelts: this summer,
EMI Classics will be distributing a Video Games Live collection over
iTunes and on CD.
If there's one weakness Video Games Live can be faulted for, it's the lack of retro remixes. Sure, mainstays like the Super Mario Bros theme and the famous Tetris
jingles are present, but for all the leaping and yelping Tallarico does
about being oldskool, you won't hear much from the pre-Playstation era
at his show. At the show I attended, Tallarico mentioned he got a lot
of requests for Chrono Trigger music. He finally obliged...with Chrono Cross.
Ergo, don't be surprised when you look at the playlist and notice a lot of material from the current and last generation.
The track listing includes:
Kingdom Hearts
Warcraft Suite
Myst Medley
Medal of Honor
Civilization IV Medley (They played this when I attended the show; it was sexcellent)
Tetris Piano Opus 1
God of War Montage
Advent Rising Suite
Tron Montage (Okay, a little oldskool slipped in)
Halo Suite
Castlevania Rock