This is the second time this month that we have gone to the DSO, and both times it was wonderful! The shows we chose were by no means the ordinary “symphony” that the high class would attend. Instead, both times were a huge congregation of nerds! The first one we went to was all the music from Star Trek, not to be confused with Star Wars =) They did a history of Star Trek and played music that covered all the series and movies in the order they were released. It was a grand sound!

Last night we went again and this time it was Video Games Live. This particular concert was unlike anything they have ever done! There was a huge big screen over the orchestra where they showed game clips that followed the music. They also chose a time line format for this performance playing really classic games like Space Invaders, Frogger and Tron, to games that have not even been released yet like the next installment of Halo. They did tributes to many game chains like Mario and Zelda where within the piece they followed a time line. They even had a huge piece on the game that stole so much of me and Dean’s time, World of Warcraft, which was accompanied by the massive choir.

This was a very audience participatory event as well! We all went crazy when our favorite game was played and there were a few contests both before the event, like Guitar Hero) and during the event. The first during the event was a costume contest, and the winner was based on applause. The second contest the host chose a person from the audience to play a classic in front of all of us, space invaders! He was given 2 minuets to beat the first level, but with a twist! The host gave him a shirt to put on which had a glow-in-the-dark image of his ship on it. And to move his ship on the screen, he had to gallop back and forth on the stage! Sadly he lost, but got many prizes anyway!

The next contest they chose 2 participants, and there were many vying for it because it was very expensive and really was a good choice based on the composition of the audience: a top-of-the-line gaming lap-top. The game: Froger!

I sprang out of my seat and jumped around like an idiot so he would pick me, and he did! All the 5 people that came with us to the event were going crazy when he pointed to me, especially Dean! I walked to the front on hopped up on stage to stand next to the host. I never realized that the people on stage cannot see the people in the audience, but as soon as the spot light was on me, everyone else vanished in a rainbow haze.

The adrenaline was coursing through my veins, not because I was in front of at least a thousand people, but because I had a 50% chance of winning a $2,500 laptop! He chose a 16 year old girl as my competitor, and she looked like a good match for me. He explained that the symphony would be playing the music in real time as we played! That must have taken some practice and a kick ass conductor for that because every time a frog got hit or made it across, they had to play the corresponding music.

We each introduced ourselves and he asked which would like to go first. I let her go fist, because it has been years since I have played! I wanted to watch her so that I could get a mini refresher course. She got hit by cars many times, but managed to get 3 frogs across the street to safety. I was scared!

He gave the controller to me and everything else went silent. I knew the audience was cheering behind me and the and DSO was playing 2 feet from me, but I did not hear them. All my focus was on the huge screen in front of me. The last thing I hear was the host telling me to start.

I hopped across the first street with no issues then jumped from log to log across the river and got the first frog in the last slot. The same with the second frog, but also getting the bonus points in the slot he landed in. The third one made it over and I knew the crowed must have gone crazy! We were tied and I had yet to loose one frog to the onslaught of traffic or the sinking of a log! I got the 4th frog across and won, but he said to keep going. I got EVERY frog home without loosing even one for a perfect game!

I gave him the controller and thrust my arms high in the air to signify my victory and it felt great! He handed her a bag of goodies including the original frogger and turned to me and handed me an Acer Ferrari 5000 laptop, which was designed by Ferrari! I went over to my competitor and shook her hand and said, “good game”. I did not want to jump off the stage so I took the stairs which lead me all the way from the front of the audience to the back where I got high fives and congratulations!

By the time I got to my seat, I realized what had happened and I think once I sat down, I almost passed out from the shock of all of it! The guys sitting with me were so happy and excited that I has won! We enjoyed the rest of the concert and after an encore where they played the music from the yet to be released Halo, we got up to leave. It was hard for the rest of the audience not to see that I had been the winner since I was lugging around that giant box, so I was greeted with more congrats and many offers to buy it from me!

It is always someone else in life that something happens to, but last night it was me and it felt great!


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