Paige FTW: Kingdom Hearts World Tour
Video game-themed concerts are few and far between here in Hawaiʻi. The last one I can remember coming here was The Legend of Zelda’s Symphony of the Goddesses back in 2016. I regret it now, but at the time, I just felt ambivalent. What was so special about live music? I could just listen to the game soundtracks, right?
But when I heard that the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra – World Tour was making a one-night appearance at Blaisdell Concert Hall, performed by Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra and Oʻahu Choral Society, I could not resist. I love the series! I actually really enjoy the music! At worst, it would just be a dull but pleasant evening.
It was amazing.
Sure, I know what Hikari sounds like, and sure, I can find a perfect orchestral rendition of it on YouTube right this minute, but somehow hearing it in person has no parallel. I was transported back in time 15 years in an instant, to my first encounter with Sora, Riku and Kairi. I could feel tears prickling my eyes. The nostalgia was sharp and pure. Those were simpler times, indeed.
It should go without saying that to hear songs like Destati and Vector to the Heavens performed live is a treat. I also appreciated that they did a lot of medleys — there were at least four (characters, battles, boss fights and world themes).
In this way, the concert managed to cram in an impressive quantity of songs in two hours, all of which were accompanied by footage from the games themselves. Representation was very fair: You’d never guess 358/2 Days was a handheld spinoff title for the attention paid to it that evening. Every heroic character, from Sora to Namine to Terra, was paid equal reverence.
The evening’s highlight was, however, truly unexpected: Composer Yoko Shimomura herself performed on piano during the evening’s final number.
If the concert ever returns to Hawaiʻi, I highly recommend attending. I’m just hoping that Final Fantasy Distant Worlds makes an appearance one day…
