Video Games Live [Massey Hall, Toronto]

Game composer Tommy Tallarico brought his multimedia-meets-symphony stage show back to Toronto for the second time, bringing along a few special guest performers, and making some changes to the playlist since the last show in 2006. Even before the show started, it was clear this wasn't a regular night at the symphony. The over-40 set were in the definite minority, most of them having been brought by their 20-something offspring. A smattering of cosplayers dressed as their favourite characters added a festive atmosphere, with a particularly young Link winning the best costume contest preceding the show. It was also worth noting that the men probably didn't outnumber the women by much of a margin either.

Starting with an homage to old-school gaming, a large video screen played footage of a few dozen milestones of early arcade history like Pong, Space Invaders and Defender. Fans were then treated to music from the Metal Gear Solid series, accompanied by a montage of footage spanning the various titles. During the performance, a generic soldier made his way around the stage, with a cardboard box following close behind. As the score ended, Tallarico appeared onstage and revealed that the box contained none other than YouTube and E3 phenom Martin Leung, the "video game pianist." Leung dazzled the crowd several times throughout the show, performing his famous blindfolded, high-speed version of Super Mario Bros., a medley of various Final Fantasy titles, and music from Chrono Cross.

While most of the show was dedicated to big console hits such as God Of War, The Legend Of Zelda and Sonic The Hedgehog, there were nods to the world of PC gaming as well. The music of World Of Warcraft proved popular, and the tribal sounds and chants of Civilization IV provided some diversity. Not being a typical orchestral concert, there were also crowd participation segments where two audience members were pitted against each other for prizes in a game of Frogger, and another had a chance to win a home arcade system by playing Space Invaders and having to move back and forth across the stage as the "base." It's also worth noting that the orchestra, choir and special guests The Runaway Five, a local jazz group, were all from Toronto.

Even though the evening had a decidedly fun and light-hearted atmosphere, it was also good to see Tallarico go out of his way to have some substance as well, partnering with the History Channel to put together actual war footage for the Medal Of Honor (sic) segment. While it's doubtful that many of the parents who attended the show through their children's interest are going to start listening to game soundtracks en masse, the show's success at bringing game music to a wider audience and more serious appreciation is another sign of the industry's increased acceptance and relevance.

9/10