Last weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to go Los Angeles with my friends and see the NieR: Orchestra Concert 12024 [the end of data] presented by AWR Music Productions. The first showing of the world tour was held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, January 27, 2024.
I’ve been to various video game concerts over the years, including series like Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, and now NieR. When I learned about the NieR: Orchestra Concert several months ago, I jumped on the chance to go. The scores for the NieR video games are brimming with hopeful, disquieting, and grandiose tracks that have stayed with me for many years.
Setting the Stage
The Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles has a seating capacity of 7,100 and is home to one of the largest indoor stages in the United States. Needless to say, the scale of this theater was massive, and well-attended. By the time the concert started, the majority of the seats were filled up, with audience members still pouring in. You won’t be surprised to hear there were numerous cosplayers of 2B, 9S, A2, and Emil.
We were seated the second floor balcony in the center, so we had a great view of the main screen. Something I immediately noticed about the venue were the two extra screens as well; two on each side of the main screen centered behind the orchestra. This is the first video game concert I’ve been to that has had three screens, and it was a much appreciated addition.
As huge as the theater is, it helps give the audience more visibility, especially if they’re seated on the sides of the venue. I don’t know if the venues for future NieR: Orchestra Concerts will have three screens as well, but it made this first performance special and unique.
The First Half
To begin the night, composer Keiichi Okabe joined conductor Eric Roth on stage and spoke to the audience. He revealed that this video game concert would be a bit unique. According to the NieR Orchestra Concert website, the performance would feature “…a specially created program with HD video projections from NieR series director Yoko Taro and composer Keiichi Okabe.”
Not only that, but the video footage would feature a new story scenario created for the concert, with character narration and voice acting throughout. Typically, at the previous video game concerts I’ve been to, the screen plays footage from each game. The videos weren’t usually necesarilly synced with the ebs and flows of each song, and with few exceptions, the cutscenes from the games aren’t usually visually altered or manipulated.
At the NieR: Orchestra Concert, though, the video projections quickly gave it a unique identity. Any cutscenes from the games were supplemented with text narration and other projections and effects, ranging from stunning artwork of landscapes in the NieR franchise, a snowy sky, and other abstract imagery (such as colorful sound waves and patterns) moving across the screens and synced to the music.
It’s hard for me to put into words just how incredible these effects were to see live with the orchestra. No two songs used the same projections and imagery; it gave each song its own identity and distinct visuals that matched each song beautifully.
In addition, the English voice actors for 2B and 9S, Kira Buckland and Kyle McCarley, have pre-recorded dialogue and narration that would often play in between each song. The story created for the concert did an excellent job of connecting the lore of NieR Replicant and NieR: Automata together in a way that felt organic and fluid.
As another wonderful touch, each performance had a title card showing the title of the song. This is a feature that I sincerely hope future video game concerts adopt. By including the title card, the orchestra had greater freedom to perform medleys of songs together and not need to take breaks. It was also great for me to track songs that stuck out to me and be able to find them later.
The Setlist
The concert featured a great blend of tracks from both NieR Replicant and NieR: Automata, with stand outs such as “Song of the Ancients,” “City in Ruins,” and more. The first half of the concert featured more tracks from NieR Replicant, while the second half had more songs from NieR: Automata, but that’s not to say the setlist was unbalanced.
The First Half
- “Crumbling Lies” (NieR: Automata)
- “City in Ruins” (NieR: Automata)
- “Snow in Summer” (NieR Replicant)
- “Song of the Ancients” (NieR Replicant and Automata)
- “Amusement Park” (NieR: Automata)
- “Gods Bound by No Rules” (NieR Replicant)
- “Deep Crimson Foe” (NieR Replicant)
- “Shadow Lord” (NieR Replicant)
The first half featured more songs from NieR Replicant than NieR: Automata, but I enjoyed the selections. Many of the arrangements expertly blended slower and more epic and faster paced orchestral versions.
Both Emi Evans and J’Nique Nicole, the singers who performed several tracks between both soundtracks, came out on stage and performed “Song of the Ancients” in the first half. This rendition of “Song of the Ancients” was excellent, blending the battle and slower versions into an incredibly memorable ballad. But I think my favorite song from the first half was “Snow in Summer.” The arrangement and visuals were absolutely haunting and beautiful. I’ve been listening to the track nonstop since I got back.
The Second Half
- “Copied City” (NieR: Automata)
- “Emil” (NieR Replicant and Automata)
- “A Beautiful Song” (NieR: Automata)
- “Fleeting Words” (NieR Replicant)
- “The Sound of the End” (NieR: Automata)
- “Forest Kingdom” (NieR: Automata)
- “Possessed by Disease” (NieR: Automata)
- “Dark Colossus” (NieR Replicant)
- “Bipolar Nightmare” (NieR: Automata)
- “Mourning” (NieR: Automata)
- “Ashes of Dreams” (NieR Replicant)
- “Weight of the World” (NieR: Automata)
- “Kainé” (NieR Replicant and Automata)
The second half the concert contains many of my favorite songs from the games, including “Copied City,” “Emil,” “The Sound of the End,” and “Kainé.” I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of “Copied City” in particular; I’ve always been partial to piano-heavy tracks, but didn’t expect it would be performed at the concert. The second half also took advantage of longer medleys; for example, “Forest Kingdom” and “Possessed by Disease” were played back to back with no breaks.
The soundtracks for NieR Replicant and NieR: Automata are made for live performances. Almost every single song benefited from the rich orchestrations and powerful choir; for me, this was especially apparent with “Song of the Ancients,” Snow in Summer,” “Emil,” and “A Beautiful Song.” The only song that I didn’t adore the live performance of was “Weight of the World,” but it’s a nitpick; the performance was excellent. Emi Evans and J’Nique Nicole were featured more prominently in the second half, singing “A Beautiful Song,” “Fleeting Words,” “Ashes of Dreams,” and “Weight of the World.”
Lastly, “Kainé” was performed solo by Emi Evans as the encore song, and it was lovely. The visuals in the second half continued to be astounding and visually stimulating, and the “Kainé” visuals revolved around previous NieR: Orchestra Concert tours, as well as the future.
Afterward, Keiichi Okabe returned to the stage and was joined by Yoko Taro wearing his signature Emil helmet. The crowd was incredibly excited when he came on stage and spoke to the audience. Keiichi Okabe and Yoko Taro also revealed that the Enlish voice actors for 2B and 9S were there to enjoy the performance. Somewhat surprisingly, though, they didn’t come on stage and weren’t spotlighted in the crowd. Not a deal breaker, but it was a little disappointing not being able to see them.
Closing Remarks
If it wasn’t apparent, this concert blew my expectations out of the water. I’ve always enjoyed video game concerts, and I always thought Final Fantasy would remain at the top. Now though, the distinct presentation and thoughtful storytelling at the NieR: Orchestra Concert has me seriously reconsidering.
Final Score: 5 out of 5 stars
This concert was truly a special experience. If you are a fan of the games, love the soundtracks, or just want to enjoy an incredible blend of storytelling and music in tandem, the NieR: Orchestra Concert won’t disappoint.
Featured Image: NieR Concerts
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