Final Fantasy Concert: Distant Worlds
O M F G
On twitter last night, I saw that some of the Final Fantasy 7 accounts I follow mentioned something about a FF concert in St. Louis. I was like O_O. Whut. It was already happening and I live too far away to have made it on time, and I didn't have any plans made or anything. I sighed, and told my mom about this concert next day. She suggested me checking online to see if they were still in town.
They were. And so my boring Saturday suddenly became a really totally super awesome amazing day, high up there on my list of "best days ever." :D
It was at Powell Symphony Hall. I've been there before. It's very red and velvety. When we got there, there were all sorts of people with different hair colors and cuts and styles. There were people in tuxes and gowns to people in velour trackpants and crocs, so. I wore normal clothing, I guess. I almost went in heels and slacks, but decided not to. It totally wasn't formal.
It was packed with people! They were all talking about Final Fantasy! I've never been around such a large crowd of people interested in the same thing as me before. I could have started a conversation about Sephiroth with anyone nearby and they would have followed along without even blinking an eye.
Our seats were in the very back row, which I didn't mind. We sat right behind a gay couple, which was nice. In the small town in which I live, there either aren't many gay couples, or if there are some, they don't advertise it. There was a family with a small kid to one side, a costumed steampunk guy in a top hat to the other, and video game fanboys galore~
The concert was amazing. The music was performed by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Watching them made me miss playing music a lot. I used to play all those neat instruments like the tympani, snare drum, chimes, glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, and all the accessory percussion instruments. I saw the tympanist (he had FIVE tympani!!!) do all the things I used to do, like work the pedals, use different mallets with different density heads, and dampen the heads of the drums. Oh, I missed the tympani sorely.
There was a giant screen hanging, and it showed the video game footage from the Final Fantasies while the songs were being played.
AND THE SONGS. I cried at least 3 times. The opening song was the opening theme from FF7-- Bombing Mission. I was so overwhelmed and it was fantastic. They played the victory theme. I cried again when To Zanarkand came on. I know how to play that song on the piano too, and it means so much to me emotionally. <3 There were more songs I wasn't as familiar with, since they were from games I hadn't played before. One called Vamo' Alla Flamenco from FF9 was really good. They brought out a singer that the crowd screamed for, and she sang the ever-beloved Suteki Da Ne from FF10. <3<3<3<3<3 Chocobo theme song medley! *happy dance* More songs, and then Aerith's theme. My brother was gasping in joy, and I was around the same. It was so beautiful! They didn't make it a spoiler for everyone who hasn't played it (lol, who hasn't played FF7, it came out in 1997 or something) by not showing the scene were Sephiroth stabs her. More amazing songs, and then an opera piece.
There aren't words to describe the music other than beautiful, energetic, ethereal, uplifting, viscious, emotional, and memorable. It was all very good music. I like orchestra music anyway, but it meant so much more to me because of my emotional investment in the music from playing the games. It was that much more enjoyable to me.
Then the bonus song. ONE. WINGED. ANGEL. Nobuo Uematsu himself came out on stage. The conductor guy asked us to sing the chorus, and we did. There were lyrics onscreen but me being the nerd I am already knew them. Mr. Uematsu was really adorable because he had these giant cue cards for the lyrics too. Sephiroth! ..... Sephiroth! His cards also said other things that made people laugh, but we were too far back to read them. It's ok. It was enough that I was there. When they started playing One-Winged Angel, I was euphoric that I was actually listening to this song in person, live, live orchestra, with Nobuo Uematsu conducting it. I couldn't stop grinning. I was singing the lyrics in Latin and the kid next to me was staring like I was some kind of weirdo. Yep! That's me. ^_^
I wanted to somehow let Mr. Uematsu know that his songs are a part of my life. I heard them in the games, and can play them myself. They mean so much to me, and I wanted to thank him for composing them and giving them life. One time, my fingers forgot how to play To Zanarkand. I was heartbroken, as if a very dear old friend of mine had died. I even cried about it. I got the sheet music back out and reviewed it, and it all came back to me, thankfully. I wanted to tell him it's his music that did that to me. I know/knew how to play all the songs from FF7, and some from FF10. I composed a tribute song to FF7 that will never see the light of day if I can help it, but I wanted to let him know all the same. Thank you, Mr. Uematsu, for making music that is such an unforgettable part of my life.
I woke up this morning expecting a normal Saturday, and I ended up going to a Final Fantasy concert. I've been wanting to go to one since I was fifteen. Finally. And to think if I didn't follow the people I do on twitter, I would have never known the FF orchestra tour was in town. It was amazing. Amazing.
Merch! I don't normally buy merch (I went to Disneyland and brought home a napkin that had Mickey on it) but I figured this was a one in a lifetime experience, and something I'd been wanting to go to for a long time. So I got a shirt and a DVD! The original soundtracks were for sale too, which was probably a deal since otherwise you have to pay extra because they're imported.
Totally wearing my shirt while watching the DVD tomorrow. :D I'm so incredibly happy~ And we totally got milkshakes on the way home, so awesome day got even more awesome.
On twitter last night, I saw that some of the Final Fantasy 7 accounts I follow mentioned something about a FF concert in St. Louis. I was like O_O. Whut. It was already happening and I live too far away to have made it on time, and I didn't have any plans made or anything. I sighed, and told my mom about this concert next day. She suggested me checking online to see if they were still in town.
They were. And so my boring Saturday suddenly became a really totally super awesome amazing day, high up there on my list of "best days ever." :D
It was at Powell Symphony Hall. I've been there before. It's very red and velvety. When we got there, there were all sorts of people with different hair colors and cuts and styles. There were people in tuxes and gowns to people in velour trackpants and crocs, so. I wore normal clothing, I guess. I almost went in heels and slacks, but decided not to. It totally wasn't formal.
It was packed with people! They were all talking about Final Fantasy! I've never been around such a large crowd of people interested in the same thing as me before. I could have started a conversation about Sephiroth with anyone nearby and they would have followed along without even blinking an eye.
Our seats were in the very back row, which I didn't mind. We sat right behind a gay couple, which was nice. In the small town in which I live, there either aren't many gay couples, or if there are some, they don't advertise it. There was a family with a small kid to one side, a costumed steampunk guy in a top hat to the other, and video game fanboys galore~
The concert was amazing. The music was performed by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Watching them made me miss playing music a lot. I used to play all those neat instruments like the tympani, snare drum, chimes, glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, and all the accessory percussion instruments. I saw the tympanist (he had FIVE tympani!!!) do all the things I used to do, like work the pedals, use different mallets with different density heads, and dampen the heads of the drums. Oh, I missed the tympani sorely.
There was a giant screen hanging, and it showed the video game footage from the Final Fantasies while the songs were being played.
AND THE SONGS. I cried at least 3 times. The opening song was the opening theme from FF7-- Bombing Mission. I was so overwhelmed and it was fantastic. They played the victory theme. I cried again when To Zanarkand came on. I know how to play that song on the piano too, and it means so much to me emotionally. <3 There were more songs I wasn't as familiar with, since they were from games I hadn't played before. One called Vamo' Alla Flamenco from FF9 was really good. They brought out a singer that the crowd screamed for, and she sang the ever-beloved Suteki Da Ne from FF10. <3<3<3<3<3 Chocobo theme song medley! *happy dance* More songs, and then Aerith's theme. My brother was gasping in joy, and I was around the same. It was so beautiful! They didn't make it a spoiler for everyone who hasn't played it (lol, who hasn't played FF7, it came out in 1997 or something) by not showing the scene were Sephiroth stabs her. More amazing songs, and then an opera piece.
There aren't words to describe the music other than beautiful, energetic, ethereal, uplifting, viscious, emotional, and memorable. It was all very good music. I like orchestra music anyway, but it meant so much more to me because of my emotional investment in the music from playing the games. It was that much more enjoyable to me.
Then the bonus song. ONE. WINGED. ANGEL. Nobuo Uematsu himself came out on stage. The conductor guy asked us to sing the chorus, and we did. There were lyrics onscreen but me being the nerd I am already knew them. Mr. Uematsu was really adorable because he had these giant cue cards for the lyrics too. Sephiroth! ..... Sephiroth! His cards also said other things that made people laugh, but we were too far back to read them. It's ok. It was enough that I was there. When they started playing One-Winged Angel, I was euphoric that I was actually listening to this song in person, live, live orchestra, with Nobuo Uematsu conducting it. I couldn't stop grinning. I was singing the lyrics in Latin and the kid next to me was staring like I was some kind of weirdo. Yep! That's me. ^_^
I wanted to somehow let Mr. Uematsu know that his songs are a part of my life. I heard them in the games, and can play them myself. They mean so much to me, and I wanted to thank him for composing them and giving them life. One time, my fingers forgot how to play To Zanarkand. I was heartbroken, as if a very dear old friend of mine had died. I even cried about it. I got the sheet music back out and reviewed it, and it all came back to me, thankfully. I wanted to tell him it's his music that did that to me. I know/knew how to play all the songs from FF7, and some from FF10. I composed a tribute song to FF7 that will never see the light of day if I can help it, but I wanted to let him know all the same. Thank you, Mr. Uematsu, for making music that is such an unforgettable part of my life.
I woke up this morning expecting a normal Saturday, and I ended up going to a Final Fantasy concert. I've been wanting to go to one since I was fifteen. Finally. And to think if I didn't follow the people I do on twitter, I would have never known the FF orchestra tour was in town. It was amazing. Amazing.
Merch! I don't normally buy merch (I went to Disneyland and brought home a napkin that had Mickey on it) but I figured this was a one in a lifetime experience, and something I'd been wanting to go to for a long time. So I got a shirt and a DVD! The original soundtracks were for sale too, which was probably a deal since otherwise you have to pay extra because they're imported.
Totally wearing my shirt while watching the DVD tomorrow. :D I'm so incredibly happy~ And we totally got milkshakes on the way home, so awesome day got even more awesome.