A Magical Night Out and a Possible New Convert
by SaxophoneKing on 9/16/25Greek Theatre - Los AngelesRating: 5 out of 5I have been an avid fan of Stardew Valley for many years now and was excited to hear about the Festival of Seasons concert that toured previously. Sadly, my previous employer was a tad behind on payroll and I couldn't swing the tickets at the time. So when this show came around I, with my new job and better financial stability, jumped at the opportunity. I bought section B tickets for me and my wife, right down the middle, where we could see everything perfectly.
Now my wife has never played the game, let alone listened to the music, so she was uncertain if she would enjoy herself here. Luckily she's wonderful and willing to tag along with me to any event provided I feed her, so she joined me. To say that she loved it is an understatement. She was worried she was going to be dozing off as orchestral music isn't her forte, but she couldn't be distracted from the show (save for eating her food from the venue). She even said that she wants to try the game now as the music and art peaked her interest.
Now for my thoughts. As a musician I was curious how the music of a pixel art game would translate into full orchestral arrangement. I had listened to the album of the music from the prior tour and thought it sounded nice, but this was a whole different level. The overall direction was well thought out, not just a collection of songs from the game, but a proper (if cheaty) story of year 1 in the game. The conductor seemed to enjoy interacting with the audience and his direction made for a very balanced sound from the band.
Speaking of the band, the musicians were stellar. The ensemble sound was well balanced and in tune with no noticeable errors that I could pick up on. In addition, the soloists were astounding as having to basically stand on your own in a group of that size in front of that many people is a lot. Every time an instrument was on its own it was crystal clear and definitely well practiced.
Lastly is the show as a whole. The music was paired with some truly beautiful artwork and snippets of the game that meshed well with the story direction. Time and love clearly went into making visuals, just as much as went into the rest of the performance.
Overall, my wife and I had a lovely time, the venue was clean and unique, and the music was exactly what I had been hoping for. If you have the opportunity to see this show I highly recommend it. Also, if there is ever an album (especially vinyl) I will buy it in a heartbeat. Long live Krobus.