Would you like to hear something beautiful?

The Syracuse University Library is making digital copies of their old wax cylinder recordings available. Have a listen to these beautiful church bells, recorded in 1923.

It's a part of Syracuse University's Belfer Audio Archive. They are digitizing thousands of these old wax cylinder recordings.

Not into church bells? How about a rousing march, instead? Or perhaps some whistling?

It gives me goosebumps to think of the wonderful audio treasures they're preserving and sharing with the world. Explore their site and enjoy.

Chicago Food and More on Distant Worlds

And now for a more complete chronicle of my Chicago trip.

I had window seats both ways, so I enjoyed watching the clouds and the landscape below. The area near the Missouri River is mostly brown, with very scant patches of residual snow. The further east we went, the whiter everything got. Illinois is still fully snow covered.

On the flight out, I saw one of the coolest spectacles I've ever beheld: the reflection of the sun on the surface of the clouds. There on the smooth, flat sea of white was one luminescent spot, surrounded by a faint halo of red, orange, and yellow. Exquisite.

I did not get to do a single bit of sightseeing. Our unfabulous hotel was in a sort of industrial area far, far from any points of interest. To take a taxi to the downtown area would have cost well more money than we had on us. We could probably have used a credit card, but it hardly seemed worth it, given that we would probably have had little more than an hour to play once travel time was factored in. So we hung around the hotel watching Animal Planet, and then we went for an early dinner before the concert.

I ate three meals in Chicago, two of which were in O'Hare airport. Upon arrival, before we went to the hotel, we had wood-fire-baked pizzas at Wolfgang Puck's. I had spicy chicken with red and yellow bell peppers. Oh, it was delicious, but it was nothing to compare to dinner that evening. Since we weren't getting to do any sightseeing, we opted to make dinner a memorable experience, and we decided to go for steak. We chose Gibson's Steak House because a) it was walking distance from the theater, and b) it was highly recommended by our hotel's shuttle van driver, who seemed like a nice guy. (Well, otherwise we would have blindly picked a place out of the tourist brochure.)

I was not really prepared for the caliber of this establishment. To say the least, we were underdressed. The wait staff were all in white suits and black ties, and the service was impeccable. Entrees started at about $10 for a simple hamburger, and they went up to about $100 for Australian lobster with turf. Most entrees were in the $30-$50 range, before sides. My natural instinct to save money kicked in, and I had almost decided on a steak sandwich, which cost slightly more than the hamburger, but was still near the bottom of the price range, but then the waiter brought out a tray with several cuts of meat to show us. Once I saw the superb quality of the beef (USDA Prime) and realized how rare of a culinary opportunity this was, I upgraded my order to filet mignon.

Oh, it was one of the most delicious, flavorful, tender pieces of beef I have ever tasted. I savored every bite like it was manna from heaven.

My friend and I split a half-order of fries, and they were the best I've ever had. (And even a half-order split between the two of us was plenty.) They were thin cut with the potato skins still present, and the seasoning was delicious. And--unlike any other fry I've ever had in my entire life--they retained their excellent flavor even after they'd gotten cold. I love fries--and potatoes in general--but this was an unprecedented experience for me. Generally a cold fry is a dead fry, unsalvageable. These, on the other hand, were good to the last crumb.

The marvelous quality of the beef and potatoes encouraged me to splurge further and get the creme brule for dessert. It was simply divine. In short, if you're ever in Rosemont, Illinois, and you want a superb steak dinner, go to Gibson's.

After dinner we walked over to the Rosemont Theater for the Distant Worlds concert. While we were standing with the crowd outside waiting for the theater doors to open, Nobuo Uematsu himself stuck his head out to see the fans. I was too far to hear what he said, but I saw his face pretty clearly. I thought it was very cool for him to greet the crowd personally.

Although I've already described the concert in my completely lackluster post last night (sorry about that--I was dead tired by then), I'd like to add that I am almost at a loss for words to convey how wonderful it was. Every single performer was masterful, from the Spanish guitarist to the opera singers to the pianist. The chorus was magnificent, as was the orchestra. The conductor, Arnie Roth, effused his delight in the music, and he knew how to play the audience as well, feeding on and feeding into the collective frenzy. Uematsu was received like a rock star, with much hooting and cheering. The pieces were arranged in a variety of styles, from swing to flamenco to opera, but always with a sweeping, classical orchestral flavor. This was music to stir the heart and soul. And it's not just the effects familiarity and nostalgia: I'd never heard any version of "Memoro de la Stono~Distant Worlds" before, and I was still blown away.

"Liberi Fatali" and "One-Winged Angel" were the perfect bookends to this concert. I can't imagine a stronger start or a stronger finish. The selection and order of the pieces throughout the concert was likewise well balanced.

I loved watching the videos projected onto the screens, too. For the Final Fantasy games I've played, it was a trip down memory lane. For the ones I haven't, it was a helpful glimpse into the world described by the music. But while the music would surely be enjoyable for someone who had never played Final Fantasy or heard the music before, most of the videos would probably have seemed incomprehensible to non-gamers. (And before you ask why I think any non-fans would attend a concert like this, I know there was at least one present--I met her in the lobby. She was attending with her son-in-law, who was a die-hard fan. She was a very gracious lady, but she seemed a bit bemused by the spontaneous game-talk among total strangers. I do hope she enjoyed the concert, though. The music stands by itself.) One comment on the video for "Swing de Chocobo": I can't understand why no Final Fantasy VII chocobos were shown, given that chocobo breeding and racing were big parts of that game; I think they showed chocobos from every other game.

Oh, and if I may digress yet again . . . the conductor happened to mention (perhaps without Uematsu's permission) that a third Black Mages album is coming very soon, and that "Maria and Draco" will be one of the pieces on it. I am intrigued by the idea of a heavy metal arrangement of the opera. But whatever pieces will be on it, when I hear "Black Mages," I'm already sold.

I only have two criticisms about the concert. First: the lack of bags and poster tubes for souvenirs. I bought a T-shirt, a CD, and a program, and I found it pretty difficult to wrangle all of them on my lap during the concert. (I bought them first because they were selling very, very fast, and I doubted there would be anything left after the performance.) My friend bought a poster that had been autographed by both Arnie Roth and Nobuo Uematsu (real signatures--not printed or stamped--we compared them with those on the poster purchased by the guy sitting next to us), but with no cardboard tube to protect it, the poster was pretty badly damaged by the time we got back to Omaha. Air travel is not kind to posters, even as carry-ons.

My second criticism: the lack of a program listing all the songs performed, in order, with the names of the soloists. As it was, I do not have a record of exactly who and what I heard. Every piece on the CD was performed at the concert, but not in the same order, and not by the same orchestra, chorus, or soloists. And there were at least two pieces performed which were not on the CD. The glossy program I purchased tells a bit about each game in the Final Fantasy series, and it is filled with beautiful artwork, but it does not contain any specific information about the music. I like it, but it's really more of an artbook than a concert program. So I would have liked a program with details about this performance. Even a simple photocopied sheet would have been nice.

Neither of those complaints detracts from the quality of the music or the performances. The concert was spectacular, and I hope they do more concerts in North America. I would love to hear a live performance of "Dancing Mad" or "Cosmo Canyon."

The next morning (that is, this morning), we were at the airport before dawn, so we missed out on the hotel's free breakfast, having left before it started. Then our flight was delayed, so we ended up sitting in the airport for quite a while. This brings me to my third and final meal in Chicago. I decided to get a genuine Chicago style hot dog, just so I could say I've had one.

The dog itself was a little different from the hot dogs I'm used to. It was more of a red hot, as long as the bun. Then there were the toppings, many of which just seemed weird to me. The dog was buried in a sloppy mess of yellow mustard, chopped onions, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, and several large slices of tomatoes. Notably lacking was ketchup, the one thing I personally consider essential to hot dogs. I didn't know whether or not I'd like it, because I dislike both onions and mustard, but somehow it all worked together. I think it was the two kinds of pickle that saved it for me, since I love pickles. It was good, and I'd gladly have it again.

My friend got a hot dog with ketchup only. Now, I've heard that street vendors in Chicago will refuse to make one this way. It's Chicago style or nothing. But in the airport, since there are so many tourists, they were willing to customize. My friend informed me that the ketchup they used was rather spicier than she was used to, along with the sausage itself being spicier.


And now for the photos. Here's Red XIII, showing us where the Rosemont Theater is on the map.



And sure enough, there it is! Despite the burned out bulbs in the sign, it's a beautiful theater inside and out, with a massive grand chandelier that reminded me of the Phantom of the Opera.



Here's Red showing off all my loot. I have listened to the CD several times already today. It is fabulous.



And here is Nobuo Uematsu's signature on my friend's poster. Sweet!

Distant Worlds

The Distant Worlds concert was absolutely fantastic! Although he did not conduct, Nobuo Uematsu was present, and he came on stage a couple of times, to multiple standing ovations. Arnie Roth was the conductor, and he was awesome. I bought the CD, which was a recording of the Stockholm concert. I hope they put out a CD of this concert too, though, because they performed two pieces not on the Stockholm CD: “To Zanarkand” and “Terra’s Theme.”

The concert began with “Liberi Fatali,” and the moment the chorus started, all the hairs on my head stood on end. I’ve always loved that piece, and hearing it live was utterly electrifying.

All through the concert, images from the games were projected onto huge screens. Not just the polished cutscenes, but scenes from actual game play. So during “Don’t Be Afraid,” they projected images of several fights as the FFVIII characters were running across the bridge. “Aerith’s Theme” was accompanied by many scenes from Aerith’s life (but not her death, which everyone associates with that song).

They did a version of “Maria and Draco” from FFVI with three opera soloists performing the roles. This was especially cool, given that the original opera never had vocals--the sound technology on the old game cards couldn’t handle it. But they timed the text lyrics with the music so well in the game that you almost didn’t notice the lack of actual vocals. But it was extremely cool to hear it performed all-out as a real opera.

The audience was mixed with people dressed to the nines on down to people in T-shirts. There were a few cosplayers, but not many. I did spot a really nice red mage and white mage down on the main floor, near the front.

I’d write more, but I’m really tired, and our flight back to Omaha leaves really early tomorrow.

To Distant Worlds

Whee! I'm going to Chicago today to see Nobuo Uematsu's Distant Worlds concert! I've never been to Chicago before. Unfortunately, I won't be able to see much of the city, as we're flying out late this morning and returning very early tomorrow morning. Someday I hope to go to Chicago and actually have time to go to all the museums and stuff, but for now, the concert will be plenty.

Red XIII is pretty excited, too, even if his theme song is not on the program.

Note that for the purposes of this trip, the part of Red XIII will be played by his stunt double, a former key-fob that has long since been liberated from the cruel chain that once sprouted from his back like a manacle attached directly to his spine. He will be riding along in my pocket. (As if I needed to prove my nerdiness.)

Here's little Red XIII sitting atop my luggage, receiving a goodbye hug from my Yuffie action figure. Since they're not on the same scale, poor Red looks like a cub.

Rest in Peace, Reuben Kee

I was saddened to learn of the passing last week of Reuben Kee (1984-2007), widely known simply as "Reu" by fans. I did not know him, but I loved his music. He was a very talented young pianist, and seeing his name attached to a piece of music, I would leap to download it. I never had to wonder if I would like it. I knew I would. His work was always magnificent. I am sad to know that the world will never hear a new track from him.

Some of his arrangements of music from video games are available at OverClocked Remix. I especially recommend "Ascension to Cosmo Canyon," in my opinion, the most powerful and moving arrangement of Nobuo Uematsu's "Cosmo Canyon" in existence.

The rest of his work is available at his own website. I only learned of this site today, so there is much there I have not heard. Based on the 17 tracks by Reu in my iTunes playlist, though, I am sure they are all wonderful.

Rest in peace, Reu. You brought beauty into the world with your music, and your imprint shall last as long as people listen.

The Awakening

I picked up the new Melissa Etheridge album, The Awakening. In the booklet, after sharing a bit about her battle with cancer and chemotherapy and the stillness and spiritual journey it forced upon her, she wrote, "If you are able, I hope you would take an hour out of your day, be still, and listen to this album from beginning to end." And I thought I would try to honor the wishes of the artist, so I set the album aside until I had time and inclination to be still.

It sat for quite a while.

Finally I decided I was going to listen to it anyway, even if I couldn't be still to do it. So I put it in while I cooked and ate dinner tonight. By the third song, I was in tears. When I finished my meal, I went and lay on the couch until the album was finished, just listening.

These are songs of power. They are distinct and individual works, but they also comprise a cohesive whole. A few short interludes, like brief refrains that have strayed away from their songs and made their own way into the world, serve as punctuation between the sections of the album. The album is haunting, full of pain and sorrow. It is also full of hope, compassion, and peace. This is the kind of music that can churn the sediment at the bottom of your soul and dredge it to the surface, where the light can burn it away.

If you listen to music to cheer you up, this album is not for you. If you listen to music to feed your sorrow or your rage, this is not for you either. If you just want your music to be a background distraction, this is definitely not for you. (Not that there's anything wrong with using music in any of those ways. I routinely use music for all those things.) But if you want music you must sit down and experience, that demands the same focus and thoughtful attention as reading a novel or studying a great painting, then give The Awakening a listen.

John Williams

John Williams is John Williams, and he will always sound like John Williams. A few months ago, I turned on my favorite radio station, KVNO, and heard a piece I thought I recognized as the Jurassic Park theme. At the end, though, the announcer identified it as being from Indiana Jones. This morning, on the way into work, I thought, "Oh, they're playing the Indiana Jones theme again." The announcer then identified it as Jurassic Park. I like John Williams' music, but it does all sound kind of similar.