Final Fantasy "Dear Friends" concert coming to Chi

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-12-15 12:58pm

Any Chicago-area Final Fantasy fans might want to take note of this.

Yahoo! wrote:'Dear Friends -Music From FINAL FANTASY-' Concert Series to Kick Off February 19, 2005, in Chicago
Tuesday December 14, 8:04 am ET
Success of First Stateside FINAL FANTASY Orchestral Performance Generates Tour Celebrating Video Game Music

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix(TM) interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that a FINAL FANTASY® symphony concert series will kick off on Saturday, February 19, 2005, at the Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, IL. The concert, to be performed by the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra and the CPO Festival Choir, will be the first in a series of long awaited concerts in North America featuring award-winning music from Square Enix's world-renowned FINAL FANTASY video game series. Outstanding graphics will tie memorable moments from the video games along with the scores on massive screens during the performance.(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040218/LAW013LOGO)

"After the fantastic support received at the first concert in Los Angeles, I am thrilled and honored to extend the experience to Chicago," said series composer Nobuo Uematsu. "I'm looking forward to sharing the moments with those who love the music and games of FINAL FANTASY."

"The first FINAL FANTASY concert in the U.S. brought fans from far and wide together in Los Angeles to share in an unforgettable musical experience," said Ichiro Otobe, president and COO of Square Enix, Inc. "We are pleased to announce that, due to the overwhelmingly positive response, a North American tour will soon bring the emotionally moving and powerful scores to fans across the country."

The 2-hour program produced by Uematsu, will be conducted by Grammy award winning Arnie Roth, music director and principal conductor of the Chicagoland Pops. This concert is presented by the orchestra in association with Jason Michael Paul Productions. VIP tickets will be available for this performance, offering fans a meet and greet opportunity with Uematsu. All tickets including the VIP meet and greet are available at the box office, Ticketmaster locations, by credit card at 312-559-1212 or on the internet at www.ticketmaster.com/venue/32892.

Building upon the success of the 2002 FINAL FANTASY concert held in Japan, Square Enix announced a six-city, seven-show tour of Japan titled "Tour de Japon -Music from FINAL FANTASY-," for 2004. The first stateside concert, "Dear Friends -Music from FINAL FANTASY-," followed on May 10, 2004 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, CA and sold out in three days. It featured music from Square Enix's world-renowned FINAL FANTASY video game series, performed by the acclaimed Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The positive reception of this performance gave rise to the U.S. concert series beginning next year.

Video game music has grown increasingly popular in the last few years. With the technology available in today's gaming consoles, video game music has moved beyond the stereotypical blips and bleeps of its predecessors and become far more sophisticated. Music plays an integral role in today's games, enhancing players' overall experience. While still a growing market, video game soundtracks are now sold in major outlets and include a variety of genres such as rock, hip-hop, electronica, classical compositions, and songs performed by popular artists. The FINAL FANTASY soundtracks, which are original compositions, have grown so popular that Time magazine named series composer Nobuo Uematsu a notable "Innovator" in its recent "Time 100: The Next Wave -- Music" feature. Square Enix hopes to pioneer awareness and appreciation of not only its own musical creations, but also video game music throughout the industry.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-12-15 01:01pm

Bastards need to come round here for a change. Who the hell cares about Chicago? Only Al Capone did and he's dead. Here, dammit! Here, here, here.

[/Rant]

bohemianfey · Post by **bohemianfey** » 2004-12-15 01:11pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Bastards need to come round here for a change. Who the hell cares about Chicago? Only Al Capone did and he's dead. Here, dammit! Here, here, here.

[/Rant]

I feel the same way. I want to see this.l

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2004-12-15 01:20pm

Dammit! Why can't they come to WV?

Post by **Beowulf** » 2004-12-15 01:32pm

LadyTevar wrote:Dammit! Why can't they come to WV?

There exists such a place a WV?

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-12-15 03:43pm

bastards! we should get this in the Denver area. if we're big enough to have Ozzfest, we're surely big enough to have this.

Post by **Zaia** » 2004-12-15 03:57pm

*sniffs air*

Seems it's only 701.39 miles from Baltimore to Chicago. Dost I smell a road trip?

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2004-12-15 03:58pm

Zaia wrote:*sniffs air*

Seems it's only 701.39 miles from Baltimore to Chicago. Dost I smell a road trip?

Sure...I mean that's what a day's drive?

lessee at 75 MPH....merely ten hours...give or take...fah...easy enough

bohemianfey · Post by **bohemianfey** » 2004-12-15 04:05pm

Heheehee. I'ma gonna be there. The Kernel, Durandal, Durandal's cousin (right?) and I are going to see the concert together. Sa-weet.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2004-12-15 04:07pm

bohemianfey wrote:Heheehee. I'ma gonna be there. The Kernel, Durandal, Durandal's cousin (right?) and I are going to see the concert together. Sa-weet.

I'm so jealous

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-12-15 06:04pm

bohemianfey wrote:Heheehee. I'ma gonna be there. The Kernel, Durandal, Durandal's cousin (right?) and I are going to see the concert together. Sa-weet.

Yep. I think I'm going to cum about 40 times during the course of the show.

bohemianfey · Post by **bohemianfey** » 2004-12-15 06:05pm

Durandal wrote:
bohemianfey wrote:Heheehee. I'ma gonna be there. The Kernel, Durandal, Durandal's cousin (right?) and I are going to see the concert together. Sa-weet.
Yep. I think I'm going to cum about 40 times during the course of the show.

I'll race you. We'll see who can fanwank the most. Two words: Multiple Orgasm.

Mayabird · Post by **Mayabird** » 2004-12-15 11:09pm

Chicago? I could drive there in a day. The Iowans on the board would have an even shorter trip. (Watch out for the Illinois State Police.) of course, there's the entire "I'm in school" problem. Hmm...

Executor32 · Post by **Executor32** » 2004-12-15 11:38pm

I could get there in an hour, perhaps two.

Unfortunately, a total lack of funds for the forseeable future means I can't go. *sobs, then wishes he could find a job* Curse you, President Bush! Your fucking up the economy has made it very difficult for me to get a job!

Post by **Dalton** » 2004-12-16 01:13am

No doubt that it'll come to New York soon enough. Z, open invitation...

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-12-16 01:26am

Ditto for everyone in the Southeast if they come to Atlanta. This would be fantastic to hear in Woodruff Arts Center!

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2004-12-16 03:02am

Joe wrote:Ditto for everyone in the Southeast if they come to Atlanta. This would be fantastic to hear in Woodruff Arts Center!

Indeed, something modern that they wouldn't automatically walk out of.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-12-16 03:05am

That's kind of insulting, actually (but what would I know, I'm just a stupid hick from Jesusland).

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2004-12-16 03:15am

Joe wrote:That's kind of insulting, actually (but what would I know, I'm just a stupid hick from Jesusland).

Hey, that's what my Dad was complaining happened when they got some 20thC music into one of the performances.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-12-16 03:21am

I don't care what your Dad said, I've been to around a half dozen or so ASO performances and I've never observed people walking out with any greater frequency than I would observe at a movie theatre.

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2004-12-16 03:23am

Joe wrote:I don't care what your Dad said, I've been to around a half dozen or so ASO performances and I've never observed people walking out with any greater frequency than I would observe at a movie theatre.

He does go with greater frequency. But I'm sorry if I offended you. With the Atlanta crowd it's more likely snobs who don't like modern music.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-12-16 03:31am

Oh, I see what you're saying. Just some miscommunication and a little bit of knee-jerking from moi.

Yes, ASO shows featuring more recent twentieth century composers tend not to do as well, with the exception of maybe Copland. Early 20th-century music tends to do quite well, though - the Stravinsky and Holst shows I went to, the Holst show especially, where people were sitting in the aisles - were packed.

Seggybop · Post by **Seggybop** » 2004-12-16 04:03am

Since it's a tour, I'm sure they'll get to NY eventually. And when they do, no way I'm missing it.

Sriad · Post by **Sriad** » 2004-12-16 05:56am

Beowulf wrote:
LadyTevar wrote:Dammit! Why can't they come to WV?
There exists such a place a WV?

Yes; it's pronounced "Wuv" ie what we feel for FF music.