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Video Games Live (VGL for short) was born from a noble mission: to honor video games as an artistic medium, and bridge the gap between generations by bringing electronic entertainment to a symphonic setting.
More than just a concert, VGL’s website says it best: “It’s the power and emotion of a symphony orchestra mixed with the excitement and energy of a rock concert and the technology and interactivity of a video game all completely synchronized to amazing cutting-edge video screen visuals, state-of-the-art lighting and special on-stage interactive segments with the audience.” For anyone who has been to one of the over 400 concerts put on since 2005, they know the description is spot on.
In the 12 years since its debut concert, Video Games Live has only continued to pick up steam, receiving several Guinness World Records, including “Most Videogame Concerts Performed” and “Largest Audience for a Live Videogame Music Concert.” The former was achieved with a staggering 750,023 fans watching via livestream, and 2,086 in-person at the venue in Beijing.
Though the setlist often changes as it tours the world, classic Nintendo titles are the headliners of VGL. Fans eagerly await the familiar melodies of Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and Donkey Kong to begin.
VGL wouldn’t have existed without video-game composer Tommy Tallarico, who, among his more formal accomplishments, you could easily argue is one of gaming’s biggest superfans. His two passions growing up were video games and music. “The first time I ever saw a video game system was in 1975. Me and my dad were over at our friend’s house and they have the Coleco Telstar, an old faux-woodgrain system which was basically a glorified Pong and that changed my life,” said Tallarico, explaining that the ability to control action on a TV was “unreal” at the time. His love for the hobby solidified with the NES release. That hobby evolved into a career when the Super NES hit the market, which occurred at the pivotal time he was beginning to break into the industry as a composer. The technical advancements for sound on the Super NES made it extra appealing to him as a composer, and resulted in phenomenal game scores from Tallarico and numerous peers.
“The music becomes a part of you. No company has done that better than Nintendo.”
Many of the Super NES’s most memorable games have become staples at his show, demanded by fans who wouldn’t feel fulfilled experiencing a VGL without them. “We’ve traveled all over the world for the last 15 years. Zelda, Mario, Donkey Kong Country, Metroid – those are all things that we do in almost every single show we do no matter where we are in the world,” explained Tallarico, also revealing that they have an entire segment dedicated to his all time favorite game, Super Mario World. Tallarico believes that fans become emotionally attached to gaming music because they see themselves as the character. “The music becomes a part of you. No company has done that better than Nintendo.”
There are a handful of reasons Tallarico feels Nintendo’s music has the edge. “What makes Nintendo’s music better than everything else out there—the works of Koji Kondo or Davis Weis—the thing that connects people to music the most and it’s the reason why we’re still humming Beethoven 250 years later, is melody. Melody is the most important thing in music,” he continued. “250 years from now, people are still going to be humming Mario, and that’s really amazing to think about. A composer like Koji Kondo is the Beethoven of our generation, just like John Williams is for film scores. His melodies are going to live on forever.”
Tallarico has had many opportunities to share moments with these music luminaries over the years, as dozens have attended his concerts and even performed live. “I have Koji Kondo come on screen and he introduces the music to Mario and Zelda. What he says is very funny, he goes, ‘30 years ago, when I originally created the music to Mario Brothers, I never thought 30 years later that people would still want to hear it.’ Here we are today listening and still enjoying this incredible music and there’s something to be said about that. The melodies that Nintendo puts out there are second to none.”
Although Mr. Kondo has made several concert appearances, Tallarico shared an emotional moment with Mr. Kondo when he first heard his work played live by a full orchestra. “Likewise, when we were in Tokyo, we played two big shows at the Tokyo Game Show and it was the very first time that Koji Kondo ever performed in Japan. Can you believe this? I couldn’t believe it. I thought he’d done it before. Again, to have him perform in his own country for the very first time, it was emotional.”
Seeing the influence of his work in person, Tallarico remembered asking Mr. Kondo what he thought of the fan tributes to his work which poured in from around the world. “He said, ‘Look, for me, that’s the ultimate honor to know that my music encouraged someone else to create art, to create a piece of music, to be inspired.’”
Video Games Live has done more than just entertain over the years. Like game music itself, it has had the ability to bring people together in meaningful ways. One story in particular has always stuck with Tallarico. “Over 10 years ago we were playing with a very, very prestigious symphony—the Pittsburgh Symphony. They’ve been around since the 1800s. Johann Strauss used to conduct for them. This is big time orchestra. Before the show a woman comes up to me who was playing in the woodwind section, and she had tears in her eyes and she said, ‘Tommy, I just want to thank you so much for creating this show and taking it around the world.’”
“I said, ‘Oh, it’s very kind of you. Thank you so much,” remembered Tallarico. “She goes, ‘No. You don’t understand. I had been playing in this orchestra for 20 years and I’m a single mom of a 17-year-old son. It’s been tough raising him as a single parent, and I have always wanted my son to come and see one of my shows. I wanted him to see me perform because it’s a great honor to be a part of the Pittsburgh Symphony. For years and years and years he had never seen me play.’ Then the tears start coming down her cheeks and she said, ‘Until tonight. Tonight, not only is my 17-year-old son here to see me perform for the very first time, but all he’s been doing is bragging to his friends in school. He’s here with a whole bunch of his friends and all he’s been doing is bragging about how his mom is going to be playing the music to Mario and Zelda tonight.’ She said ‘You know for the first time, I was able to connect with him.’ The music to Mario and Zelda changed this woman’s life, and she’d never even played a video game. It’s pretty amazing.”