One reason I know I’m not a true nerd is that a) I don’t think I’ve ever actually enjoyed a piece of machinima, and b) I don’t see the point of large orchestras performing music from video games. That said — and maybe I’ve said too much already — I’m going to “embed” below a couple of YouTube clips of videogame music performances that have had a lot of replay value for me. Both came to my attention via Kotaku.
1. Halo theme music:
Check out the mid-gig Mario theme breakdown! Predictably the violinist, one Hanah Stuart, became an instant Internet lust object. Kotaku interviews her here. There’s another video of the same group recording the theme here.
2. Speaking of Mario, check out a percussion ensemble doing the theme from Super Mario Bros. 2:
All eyes on Christine the marimbist as she pauses the game mid-set. Huge. She is so the new Hanah Stuart!
Also, huge props and no-prizes to commenter Josh Y., who alerted me to Five Iron Frenzy’s amazing song “Wizard Needs Food Badly,” and commenter Church, who hooked me up with an mp3. It was my first experience with nerd-ska, and it was worthy of the Gauntlet legacy.