Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Entertainment System

Over the past three decades, video game noises have evolved from the blips and bloops of early Atari consoles to the stereo-immersion scores of Myst and Final Fantasy. Since 2005, the genre-busting concert series “Video Games Live” has paid tribute to basement-couch soundscapes by pairing classical musicians with epic joystick compositions. Created and produced by industry veterans Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall, the culture-jamming juxtaposition stops in Burlington with an appropriate set of performers: the under-19 musicians of the Vermont Youth Orchestra and Chorus. (It’s the first youth symphony to tackle the series’ sonic challenges.) Jack Wall conducts, as huge projections illustrate each game with G-rated footage. The Flynn hosts preshow gaming and costume contests, and selected audience members participate in onstage challenges. The best part, for those who remember arcades? No need to carry quarters.