Video Games Live

Scott and I went to see this show last night, and we had a fun time.  We'd seen it last year and enjoyed it then, so we were happy to go again this year.

Before the show, we each got a Diet Mountain Dew, a videogamer and programmer staple.  I almost never drink the Dew anymore, so the first taste took me back to my programming days.  

As they were last time, the NC Symphony was in fine form, playing every song beautifully and entertaining the audience throughout.  Show host and creator Tommy Tallarico put together a good program, and conductor Emmanuel Fratianni did a fine job with the orchestra.  I was once again impressed by how good many of the compositions were, and I very much enjoyed the music.

I wrote last year that the show's biggest weakness was its creator, Tallarico, and that is unfortunately still the case.  He needs to gain control of his ego and let his show shine on its own.  Instead, he fronted the orchestra over and over, playing a guitar we often could not hear and prancing about as if he was a rock star.  Though he did frequently thank and applaud the orchestra and choir, he couldn't even remember that the name of the choir was the North Carolina Master Chorale.  In a final indignity, he closed the show with his traveling vocalist, Jillian Aversa, singing the Portal song as he played guitar--and the orchestra watched.  When your ego is so big that you make an entire orchestra of professional musicians, every one of them better than you will ever be, watch you play a simple guitar tune, it's time for a reality readjustment.

Tallarico, really, get your ego under control.

I also have to note that just as with last year's show, the best part was getting to spend an evening with my son.  I treasure all the time I get with him.  I hope we go again next year. 

Video game music at the symphony

Scott and I did something unusual tonight:  We went to hear the North Carolina Symphony play video game music at the Meymandi Concert Hall in downtown Raleigh.  As you might guess, the orchestra wasn't doing this show on its own; the concert was the local stop of a touring production, Video Games Live.  

The show was fun, I very much enjoyed listening to the music, and overall, I had a great time. 

Video Games Live is the brainchild of performer and video game music composer Tommy Tallarico.  Part symphony concert, always a multimedia experience, with screens playing video game snippets during each song, and part a showcase for Tallarico to play guitar and prance about, the concert is an unusual experience and one worth attending.  It's also unusual in that it packed most of the hall with people far younger than the typical symphony-orchestra crowd. 

As Scott, who's been to the symphony there before, observed, "Wow, colored hair."  He then looked at me and one other older dad and added, "And a little gray."  That's my son. 

Introducing younger folks to the symphony, even in this unusual way, is a good thing.

The show's biggest weakness was Tallarico, whose insistence on claiming center stage for almost the entire second half wore on me and on everyone whose comments I could hear.  It's his show, so he is of course entitled to do as he pleases with it, but it would be a more effective experience if he would tone down his presence by about half and let others take the limelight more. 

That said, he never reached the point of being really annoying, and the music was always enjoyable, so I certainly recommend catching this show if it comes near you.

Afterward, we headed to Chuck's for a late dinner.  The appetizer Fork and Knife Fries, which featured some quite good fries covered with three melted cheeses, red bean chili, shredded iceberg lettuce (it worked; trust me), and buttermilk herb dressing, were awesome.  Both our burgers were perfectly prepared and covered with interesting and tasty condiments.  I definitely recommend this place when you're in the mood for red meat.

Best of all, I spent an entertaining evening having a great time with my son.  That is a huge treat indeed, and one I appreciate more and more as he grows older.  I hope we go to many more shows together.