I went to the Chicago show the other night and since I hadn't actually gone to any VGM concerts before then, I thought it was pretty great. However, I absolutely agree with the criticism that there's not enough new material in the lineup. I did enjoy all of it, but it was kind of disappointing listening to the EXACT SAME arrangements of FFVIII's songs that have existed since FLWV came out almost a decade ago. However, the lead-up to Don't Be Afraid scored big points for hilarity, as did several of the big-screen presentations. The parts I liked most were the ones where I was actually hearing new stuff, like the old guy noodling around in Vamo' Alla Flamenco (incidentally, I was sitting about eight feet from him, which was awesome), and the fantastic encore of Terra's Theme.
Since then, I've been trying to figure out how I would improve a Final Fantasy concert, since it's getting a little bit stale and is just about the only one with enough popular/nerd appeal crossover to draw crowds in any number. Yes, there's Play and Video Games Live and all the other shows, but Final Fantasy, I think, will always be the core appeal for the uninitiated video game music fan. Most of the people at the show didn't seem to be too knowledgeable about the whole game music scene, even the ones in the meet 'n' greet line, so it made me wonder why places like CDJapan or Play-Asia wouldn't want to advertise there.
Anyway, I would first change the Final Fantasy concerts by opening up the available track selection from just Uematsu's compositions to the entirety of the series, including MQ, the Ivalice games, CC, Compilation of VII, etc. Second, I'd bring in electric guitars, bass, synthesizers... basically Black Mages, I suppose. Third, more battle music in general. I should really iron out a tracklist for my ideal Final Fantasy concert, although that's probably fodder for a different thread. I still want my Namco-brand Ace Combat/Soul Calibur/Tekken concert, too.
Oh well. I got my FFVI OST and Celtic Moon signed by Uematsu, and that makes me happy.