http://www.bso.org/Performance/Detail/46594
http://www.vgo-online.org/
http://www.originalsoundversion.com/new … me-guests/

VGO is playing at Boston Symphony Hall on October 7th.  Full orchestra, a rock band featuring VGO founder Shota Nakama, and vocalists.  Hitoshi Sakimoto, Noriyuki Iwadare, and Kinuyo Yamashita will be in attendance.  100 bucks gets you a VIP seat and a meet & greet with the guests after the show, which I'll be doing.  Any other STC people planning to go to this aside from Zane and myself?  Really excited for this show, VGO never disappoints!

The thought of hearing anything from FFT, Vagrant Story, or FFXII played live on stage with Sakimoto in attendance excites me like you wouldn't believe.  Oh, and maybe Theme of Grandia while Iwadare looks on?  Yes please.

I'm nervous and excited at what selections they're going to pull from the repertoire of Sakimoto and Iwadare. Regardless of what they choose from Yamashita's work, it will be good (I mean, I'm not expecting Esper Dream, but I'd be happy about that too!).

For Sakimoto -- I've not yet heard a *good* concert rendition of FFT music here in the US, and I would also love Vagrant Story.

For Iwadare -- based on the bio alone I'm assuming we will get Grandia and Phoenix Wright music, but personally, I want me some Lunar. Specifically, Rondo of Light and Shadow from Lunar Eternal Blue would be amazing.

As stated in the OSV article, I'll be there, so if anyone wants to get drinks afterwards or w/e, send me a PM.

I am extremely excited for this show for a lots of reasons, including getting to meet Sakimoto and getting to see Miker (whom I haven't seen since the last VGO show we went to which was back in... November of 2009? Whenever Wataru Hokoyama was here). I don't want to get my hopes up for what they will and won't play (I'm betting on a suite or a few pieces from each composer's history along with a chunk of the usual stuff), but I would be very pleased if they tackled ANYTHING from Vagrant Story ("Staff Roll" seems obvious - fingers crossed!). I am excited and grateful, regardless.

Also, Pat: I hope I can, at the very least, give you a high five in person!

wish i could make this one too but i've already committed to the 25th Anniversary FF concert in December in Chicago... can't do both

I'll be going.  Silently judging the shit out of people.  Or maybe not so silently, depending on how ::facepalm:: they are.

I'll be there as well. This combined with the Zelda concert at Wang Theatre is making October an epic month for concerts!

I just checked Google Earth and the Boston Symphony Hall is 1216 miles from my place. The estimated drive time is 20 hours. I'd love to go, but that's no jaunt.

I'm bringing albums for each composer to sign. This is the one I really WANTED to have Kinuyo Yamashita sign, but it's ... as they say ... "too rich for my blood."

http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g103372962 (Esper Dream Memorial Best)

That auction just went up. Maybe one of you high-rollers will pick it up and get it signed? ^_^

Last night, VGO confirmed via their official Twitter account that they'll be performing a 14 minute Grandia medley, arranged by Iwadare himself.

https://twitter.com/theVGO/status/239498861343801344

Vampire Killer from Castlevania has also been confirmed.

https://twitter.com/theVGO/status/239635430222487553

Ramza,

If you really want to bring a copy of Esper Dream to have signed, I could send you my copy

If you send it, I'll get it signed and sent back to you (with a metric ton of bubble wrap).

PMing you now.

What's the item signing etiquette at these types of events?  One/two items?  three pushing it?

Beats me, but I'm going to take off my shirt and make Sakimoto sign my chest.

Generally one item per person.  If you're able to get to the front of the line the first 10 or so people can usually get two items signed but after that they crack down and enforce one item per otherwise they wouldn't get out of the venue until well past midnight.

There's now a Kickstarter page regarding this event.  If they raise $30,000 or more, the show will be professionally recorded and released on CD, "presented with first class art and premium booklet."  Rewards such as a signed CD, making-of video, t-shirt, show tickets, etc. are available depending on how much you pledge.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vgo … hall-album

Everyone needs to get up on this kickstarter. I'm a little surprised it's not raised $10k yet... apparently there's no demand for an orchestral CD with new, unique arrangements for games we *never* get orchestral arrangements for (hello GRANDIA, and for Sakimoto we don't know yet but probably FFT and Valkyria, maybe FFXII).

never heard anything of these guys, and the video is not working for me currently. castlevania and grandia are very welcome, but i don't need more final fantasy clutter.

I'm tempted to pledge for this project, but at least two things scare me off at the moment:
(1) Rockestral -- this brings bad memories (something involving this Tallarico guy...)
(2) The project description doesn't even mention Grandia, which would be my main reason for supporting this...

Surf Rock de Chocobo (5/23/2009 @ Anime Boston).  This video doesn't have the greatest audio quality but it's a good representation of their "rockestral" pieces.  I love how much fun they have on stage, you can tell they're really passionate about what they're playing.  I was at this show!

The campaign funds will go toward recording and releasing the October 7th show on CD.  VGO previously confirmed on Twitter that there will be a 14 minute Grandia medley performed at the show, arranged by Iwadare himself.

If I...
1) Knew for sure it would ONLY be music and no MC type stuff and
2) Knew it'd be a PRESSED disc

...I'd back for the $20.

Thanks for the link. This was already like I feared. Like you pointed out, this is appears to be more a show than a concert. Call me a purist, but I don't think that highly of these kind of "crossovers". Light show (not here, but in other clips from their YT channel), big screen, calling out performers, showing off on stage, etc. -- this doesn't have a place in a orchestral concert (IMHO).

I don't know if they're keeping this style also for upcoming event, but with my current knowledge I don't think I'm gonna be interested in this at all. I can just hope they don't mess up Grandia's music.

I'm aware of that Twitter announcement. But in my opinion information like that should be put up on the project page. If they want people to support this, they should make it transparent what to expect on that live recording.

Current we've got this on the project page:

This has almost no informative value. It mentions the "big ones" to draw attention, yes. But that's marketing. What I'd like to see is at least some game breakdown.

I'll have update articles on OSV. Hopefully the Kickstarter will get updated too, but I did get the following confirmations from VGO founder Shota Nakama this afternoon (by pointing him to this thread):

1) pressed CD, not CD-R
2) all music, no MC stuff
3) "we are recording the entire show and will select the best tracks from it [for the CD]."

I will try to confirm if the $15 tier includes the entire show, and if $20 backers get the $15 digital release to download as well.

Ramza

From the FAQ:

Maybe I'm getting old, but seriously, WTF?!? There's a certain etiquette on how to behave in a (symphonic) concert hall. And it certainly doesn't involve the audience to sing along with the performers...

Count me out...

It really depends on the concert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46k7Gp5L0v4

Or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r94sjdHQ0c

Both 'classical' music concerts, and the audience certain 'joins in'.

Etiquette is based entirely on context. If the audience is supposed to, encouraged to, or allowed to participate... then no problem. There's no magical, universal "etiquette" for symphonic concerts that I'm aware of (and I've been to way more than my fair share). If a more casual experience isn't your thing, then that's fine. Stick to attending formal events. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with a casual atmosphere. Honestly, I know where people get those misconceptions, but they really need to go away. Symphonic =/= formal. >_<

The problem it seems is that ALL game orchestral concerts in the USA these days are the "casual" sort (which I'd consider a flattering term to use if it constitutes people whooping and hollering as they please).

I'm certainly less inclined to pay for an orchestral concert album I haven't heard, knowing it's going to be that sort.

In the Little Jack Orchestra's Chrono Trigger concert they performed an encore rendition of "Millennial Fair" where they had the audience do the clapping and "hooah!" parts.  That was cool.  But this after the orchestra did their own version during the main program, which made it much better.

I think for this VGO recording they're most looking forward to getting the applause at the end of each piece, or perhaps at the end of a solo section.

My understanding is that the Böcker-produced shows with the WDR in Germany are a little more formal and don't have that kind of crowd interaction. If that's what you're looking for, I suggest you buy a plane ticket for Final Symphony. If I weren't scraping together my last bits of spending cash just to go to the VGO show (which is just a drive for me), I'd be doing the same.

The WDR is not involved with Final Symphony, as you can see from the current homepage status:
Link

indeed it is not. Many of the prior concerts were. It's too bad. I mean, it's probably not a big deal, I'm sure all the musicians are good. I just really like WDR for who they are, being the German equivalent of a BBC session orchestra.

Why is it a "flattering" term? "Casual" is exactly what it is and that's the point I'm trying to make: there's this common misconception that because an orchestra is involved, the concert is automatically more "formal" than other concerts. Whooping and hollering is standard fare at many concerts. Why shouldn't it be allowed at a symphonic performance? Once again: it's not the instrument ensemble or musical genre that determines etiquette; it's the atmosphere of the event itself.

I'm not saying you have to like the atmosphere that's being encouraged. There's nothing wrong with having, enjoying, or preferring formal concerts. They're great and I'd agree that we haven't many formal video game concerts. I'm just sick and tired of associating formality with symphonies. That's utter nonsense.

http://www.originalsoundversion.com/vgo … gn-update/

Shota Nakama has a personal message for those who have backed the KS so far and those who are on the fence. And, for anyone in the Boston area that is also on the fence about *going* to the show, check out the news: a fourth guest is coming! Yoko Shimomura.

I'm personally psyched just to meet Shimomura-san in ... 3 weeks (wow time is flying by).

But, yeah, please support this if you can. The fact that all these composers are coming for the VGO show should be a sign that they're not just some weak fan group that can't produce *solid* arrangements. Having seen them ... 3 times now ... they haven't let me down yet. You are free to loathe the term "rockestral" and the style of having traditional rock instrumentation (guitar/bass/drum/keyboard) alongside a full orchestra, but considering they do a variety of styles with a variety of sizes (there are some wind&string only arrangements they've done and other "small group" arrangements), I think there will be something for everyone.

And I've never seen Nakama-san try to show-boat the way Tallarico does. Just sayin'.

Just noticed that there is a 50% student discount to take advantage of! Glad for this, considering work has been slow lately.

FYI all ... on Monday OSV will be putting up a giveaway contest for 2 VIP (meet-and-greet) tickets!

so you'll want to be watching for that if you haven't bought tickets and have been thinking about going. Maybe it's worth the distance traveled for free tickets.

Tentative setlist was sent out via kickstarter today:

The concert setlist will be:

Bombing Mission
Street Fighter II
God of War
Baba Yetu
Vampire Killer
Kingdom Hearts
Metal Gear Solid ~ Snake Eater
Chrono Trigger ~ Chrono Cross
Grandia (15 minute arrangement by Noriyuki Iwadare)
Sakimoto Medley
Final Fantasy VII Suite

The CD album will contain the following recordings:

God of War
Vampire Killer
Kingdom Hearts
Metal Gear Solid ~ Snake Eater
Chrono Trigger
Grandia
Sakimoto Medley
Final Fantasy VII Suite

They've also confirmed a limited edition vinyl and some other new tiers on the Kickstarter.

Seriously ... a unique arrangement from Iwadare himself for Grandia. That's what you want, right there. I know I want it. I also talked to Nakama-san last night (podcast to go up on OSV soon), and that "Sakimoto Medley" will contain FFT, FFXII, possibly some other Ivalice items, and possibly some things outside his Square Enix work. Nakama has said he's even open to fan suggestions on this from Kickstarter backers, so ... yeah. If you desperately want something crazy like Radiant Silvergun or Stella Deus, say so.

And again, those free VIP tickets will be offered starting tomorrow. W00t!

As promised:

http://www.originalsoundversion.com/vgo … -giveaway/