Tommy Tallarico
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WoW Moviewatch: Video Games Live performs a Warcraft Medley
With the flurry of activity surrounding the Worldwide Invitational, the live stream was the best thing that you could watch if you weren't in Paris yourself. During the closing ceremony, Video Games Live performed a Blizzard-centric symphony. For those that missed it, VGL is organized by Tommy Tallarico, the MC, and Jack Wall, the conductor. Both have composed music for video games for years, but now also travel around the country working with leading orchestras to perform that music live on stage for audiences.After viewing the closing ceremony, I checked out their website and discovered that they were performing in Austin, Texas two weeks later! Armed with ticket and video camera, I wasn't sure what to expect, but was thoroughly pleased with the performance. They can only play about 20 of their roughly 50 arranged pieces per night, so I was treated to music from Final Fantasy, Warcraft, Starcraft, Super Mario Brothers, Halo, Metal Gear Solid, and many others. In between the segments were games, costume contests, and commentary. At the end, they offer a meet and greet with the crew, as well as some video game industry professionals occasionally. In all, it's about a 5 hour event.If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...Read on after the jump for more tidbits about Video Games Live ...
Video Games Live to release CD
Record company EMI Classics has announced the release of Video Games Live Volume One, a recording of the famous traveling orchestra (led by friend of WoW Insider Tommy Tallarico) that plays videogame music, including that of the Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo series. You may have seen the group last year at BlizzCon, this year at WWI, or (likely) this year again at BlizzCon, and they got rave reviews every time they played.The recording was conducted by Tallarico, recorded at Abbey Road, and features the Slovak National Orchestra, The Crouch End Festival Chorus, and "the videogame pianist," Martin Leung. The CD will have eleven tracks (full tracklist after the jump), and will feature music from a slew of terrific videogame soundtracks, including our own Warcraft series (and Civ IV, which is probably the best music I've ever heard in a videogame, ever). EMI plans to release the CD in America on July 24th, and in Europe and the rest of the world on August 20th. It should be available for digital download right now in the UK, and an iTunes exclusive release will be available on the 20th.Sounds like an amazing recording -- fans of Video Games Live will certainly enjoy it. You can see the full tracklist below.
WoW Moviewatch: Video Games Live
If you missed the live stream of the 2008 Blizzard Worldwide Invitational closing ceremony, you'll probably be regretting it right about now. They brought back Video Games Live, a group that works with local orchestras and choirs to perform music from video games, to play a montage of Blizzard's greatest music from games such as Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo, and WoW. It was so amazing that I immediately bought tickets for VGL's upcoming performance in Austin!If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
Video Games Live announces 50 shows for world tour
You wouldn't castigate us for saying that many classic video games are loved and remembered not just for their gameplay and characters, but their memorable music. Why, just think of The Legend of Zelda's dum dum, da da da dadum, da da da da daaa da da da da da dadum! Or Sonic the Hedgehog's dada da da dee dum dum, da dada da dum dee dum dum. And who could forget Mega Man's dada dada dadee dum, dadum dadum dum daaa?If you're a video gamer who appreciates everything from 8-bit beeps and boops to rousing orchestral scores, we encourage you to drag those big ears of yours to a Video Games Live concert. Created in 2002 by composers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall, Video Games Live honors a wide range of games in -- thanks to its 50-show strong world tour -- a wide range of American and international venues. See a complete list of planned concert locales (including France, China, Taiwan, Scotland and Portugal) and dates after the break.
Video Games Live announces 40 shows across the globe
Video Games Live has announced approximately 40 shows to take place across the globe over the next year. Full details aren't available on some locations, but there will be special concerts at GDC, Comic-Con, Leipzig and a bullring in Mexico (full list of locations after the break). There's really nothing more to say about VGL other than you should go and see hear it. The quality of the show is absolutely worth the price of admission and there's nothing quite like getting a chill from hearing your favorite piece of game music played by a full orchestra. If going into public isn't your thing, there's always the CD.[Via Press Release]
Postal devs lay Person of the Year award at Tallarico's feet
Video Games Live co-creator Tommy Tallarico has been singled out as the 2007's Person of the Year. No, not by Time magazine, or really any outlet from which we'd expect such acclaim to originate, but rather by outspoken game studio Running with Scissors, creators of the controversial Postal game franchise. As the first such award bestowed by the studio, the accolade was announced during Running with Scissors' annual holiday shindig. We appreciate the effort, and are glad to see when personalities within the game industry are recognized, but in all honestly we can't recall a time when anything said by Running with Scissors was met with anything but indifference. If we were Tallarico, and believe us when we say that nothing could be further from the truth, we'd be inclined to accept the award, nod, and back out of the room. Slowly.
Video Games Live coming to your CD and DVD player this Fall
And you do have a CD or DVD player, right? If not, you've probably made a slight typing error in your efforts to visit Koistiq.com, the world's most popular fish enthusiast blog. As for the rest of you, please note the following: Video Games Live has finally announced that a CD and DVD recording of one of their extravagant concerts will be released in the US and "throughout the world" this Fall.The alliteratively awesome Tommy Tallarico, video game composer and co-creator of Video Games Live, says he's been ignoring pleas for five years! "Since we started Video Games Live over 5 years ago we've always received at least a few e-mails and letters each week asking if and when a DVD and CD would be available." Since we're sure 90% of those messages and threats came from us, we're especially pleased that the group has finally relented and seen (heard?) fit to preserve last Novembro's Rio De Janeiro, Brazil concert in digital form. You'll find a trailer embedded after the break.More information concerning exact release dates and prices will be revealed in August. Oh, and if any fishermen are still reading this, get yourself a DVD player before then.
Game on, rock out to cover versions of top gaming themes
Game Music Central is now selling copies of "Best of the Best: A Tribute To Game Music", which is a collection of classic game song, covered by new artists. The composers might not be names that you know that well, with the exception of Video Games Live composer Tommy Tallarico, but they've composed the music for World of Warcraft, SOCOM II, EverQuest, God Of War I & II, Myst III & IV, Jade Empire, Pirates of the Caribbean, Hitman, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 1 & 2, Shrek the Third and King Kong. Not too shabby of a musical resume.It remains to be seen how useful the website itself will be, but it has the chance to become a great place to go when you find yourself wondering "What song was in that level with all the lava?" For now, visit the site and get a preview of the songs on the CD. Our money is on that cover of the Mario Bros. theme song for being the "most annoying song of 2007," but the year is only halfway over. Who knows what our ears might be treated to in the coming months.
A classical approach to Blizzard with Video Games Live
Where there's gamers, classical music will follow. Video Games Live announced today that they'll have two special Blizzard-themed concerts at Blizzard Entertainment's two major gaming conventions. The first will be at Blizzard's World Wide Invitational this Saturday in Seoul, South Korea, and the other will be at BlizzCon, held in Anaheim, Calif., in August. We're willing to put good money down right now that the orchestra will play (or at least have video of) something from the new possible Starcraft game after the big announcement this Saturday -- those of you attending in Korea get your camera phone's video option ready!The best part is admission to the concerts is included in the price of both events. No additional purchase will be required. BlizzCon prices are $100 USD per person. For those who haven't seen a Video Games Live concert it is definitely a non-meh experience -- you may very well get chills when the theme to a game you really like starts. Considering these concerts will be held with Blizzard fans present, we expect the chills to be of frost nova proportions in the audience.[Via Press Release]
Video Games Live holding 14 shows at 10 North American cities [update 1]
Video Games Live continues to spread its musically inclined tendrils across the North American continent, with the announcement of 13 upcoming concerts in 10 different cities. If you can't make the GDC concert next month (featuring Nintendo's Koji Kondo), perhaps you'll find solace in the complete list of events presented after the break.In addition, Video Games Live concerts are currently being planned for several European, Asian and South American venues. Keep an eye (and an ear) out for further announcements regarding international events.
Video Games Live hits Philly tomorrow
The previously canceled but now resuscitated Video Games Live show is ready to play its third show to date at Philadelphia's Merriam Theater in Center City tomorrow night. Like their show at GDC in March, this one is tied to a popular event -- namely Wizard World Philadelphia -- giving them a built-in audience who've already traveled to the city. The GDC show in San Jose sold out, no doubt as a result of the hoards of gaming geeks and industry insiders around, but there are still tickets available in Philadelphia (comic book geeks, what's up?). In addition to the great music, the pre-show festival includes a costume event and a special meet and greet. Philadelphia attendees include Marty O'Donell (Halo), Jason Hayes (World of Warcraft), Martin Leung (Video Game Pianist) and me! Alright, maybe I'm not a celebrity, but I'll be there with a handful of Joystiq t-shirts so if you see me*, ask for one. If there's enough Philly readers going (c'mon guys!) it might even be fun to meet up before hand, play some Metroid Prime: Hunters, you know the deal.*I'll be the tall guy with a Joystiq shirt on!
