My Amazing 'Play! A Video Game Symphony' experience!!!

Tonight I went to 'Play! - A Video Game Symphony' here in Chicago. ( http://www.play-symphony.com/ )

And last night I went to a meet and greet at the Tower Records in Chicago where Nobuo Uematsu (Composer of all the music from the Final Fantasy series and a lot of other music) was appearing as well as Arnie Roth (The conductor of the symphony) and Angela Aki (Working on the theme song for Final Fantasy XII as well as performing at the symphony and other stuff).

Here are the pics from that...

A CD I bought at Tower Records that they had imported to sell for the signing autographed by Arnie Roth, Angela Aki, and Nobuo Uematsu:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ographs001.jpg

My copy of FFIX that I got autographed by Nobuo Uematsu:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ographs004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ographs005.jpg

Here are the pictures of Nobuo Uematsu at the autograph signing, along with Arnie Roth and Angela Aki.
There was supposed to be a thrid picture with me facing the camera and giving a thumbs up and Nobuo Uematsu posing and smiling for the camera too, but the damn thing ran out of batteries right before my gf took the picture.
But here are the other two:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...olyshit001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...olyshit002.jpg



AND NOW for the most amazing part!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tonight at the concert I got to meet Yasunori Mitsuda, the composer of the music for Xenogears, Xenosaga, Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and a bunch of other stuff. He's by far my favorite composer ever.

I got him to sign my copy of Xenogears that I brought to the show:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ographs002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ographs003.jpg


AND THEN I even got to take a picture with him!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...olyshit003.jpg


Seriously, I was expecting maybe a 1 in a million chance to even see the guy let alone shake his hand, get an autograph of my favorite game ever, and take a picture with him! I had to catch him after the show when he was on his way out through the side of the lobby to the VIP room.
He only came to America for this ONE show in Chicago and then he's going back to Japan. This was totally a once in a lifetime chance for me, and I got so much more than I expected out of it.
Since this was the world premier of 'Play!' that's why there were so many big stars there.

I'm still in total awe of how awesome tonight was.

Yeah, I know I'm a nerd for it, but seriously it was cool as hell. There were 10 times bigger nerds there than me.

And, yes I took the paper cover out of the plastic Jewel case to get autographed, I didn't have them sign the plastic covers. That would be stupid...

Oh, and here's a short video of like the first 30 seconds of the Chrono Cross opening theme that they played during the show.
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.ph...37E69F7EC17A81
My camera is awful for recording video though so it looks like the stage is 3 miles away and its really dark...

This is my first post here, but I used to be a member like 6 years ago on these forums. I thought you guys would enjoy my story/pictures so I joined up again to share.

Later

[Strong Bad]

You are a lucky SOB. I'm more jealous than you could possibly imagine. You could probably put those CDs up on E-bay and sell them for an arm and a leg. I'd hold onto them if I were you and wait till the composers are dead. (Worth more that way!)

But seriously.. wow. Chrono Cross probably has my favourite soundtrack of any game. You're a lucky fella.

haha. I do wonder how much they would sell for.
Although, I would never dream of selling them.
Yasunori Mitsuda is a freakin' god to me. ^_^

Later


MERGED POSTS


Another thought...

There wasn't really ANY security on any of the guys.
There were security guards around the doors to the VIP room, but that's about it, so it was really really easy to just call out to Mitsuda and go up to him for the autograph.
AND I was the ONLY one who got to take a picture and get an autograph with him that didn't have VIP tickets, and probably the only one with a picture with him at all, since nobody else really went up to him, or probably even knew who he was.

If it was in Japan, I bet they would all have been mobbed!
They're pretty laid back and not worried about excessive attention in America I guess.
I was shopping in Tower Records like 15 minutes before the meet and greet began and Nobuo Uematsu was just walking around the store by himself casually looking at stuff on shelves. It was really weird just shopping and seeing him walk by like it was nothing. I probably could have asked to take a picture with him then, but I didn't want to bug him while he was minding his own business.


And for meet and greets they usually don't let you take pictures with the people, they're usually just sitting at a table signing autographs for lines of people walking by.
That's how it was with Uematsu at the signing at Tower Records. They were like "you can take pictures OF him at the table, but not WITH him" since they didn't want two hundred people trying to stand there and pose with Nobuo Uematsu holding up the line.

Later

[Hildegarde]

Oh, my, you lucky boy!, and I thought I was special because I got to stand some feet away from Uematsu at another event.
I would love to have a couple of words with Mitsuda.
;_;

I don't think Mitsuda speaks English, or maybe not very well...
Or maybe he's just really shy, because he didn't really say anything!
He's very quiet

When I handed Nobuo Uematsu my FFIX to autograph he was like "I love this game!" and I was like "yeah it's my favorite!"

Later

[Hildegarde]

Originally Posted by Jordan311

I don't think Mitsuda speaks English, or maybe not very well...
Or maybe he's just really shy, because he didn't really say anything!
He's very quiet

Well, sign language, then, I'm sure I can convey "OMG, OMG, OMG I LOOVE YOUR MUSIC!" with gestures, or maybe that would scare him.

[relm]

OMG! I'm jealous....

I've always wanted to meet Nobuo. Actually, I've
always wanted to sit and compose FF music with him.
To add to that I've always wanted to be in his
Orchestra, and the Black Mages.

Again, I say, I'm jealous!