Spiderman goes to an innovative live concert

As a classically trained pianist and violinist, I entered the Golden Gate Theater on Sunday evening with something more than skepticism: curiosity and intrigue. I had never experienced a true blend of electronic music and string orchestra, although the idea was brought up countless times during my orchestra program before college. Boy, was I glad that my first introduction to the marriage of classical music and scratch DJ was in the good company of Miles Morales and his Spidey crew, portrayed by Daniel Pemberton in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Live in Concert” was orchestrated?

Since its world premiere at London’s Royal Festival Hall, the show has shared – through sell-out performances – the film’s innovative soundtrack. As she entered San Francisco, conductor Shelbie Rassler introduced the 14-piece orchestra while encouraging audience members to cheer as their favorite Spiderverse character appeared on the screen. This encouragement of audience interaction and expression provided an interesting contrast to classical concerts, which instead emphasize silence. I think it also fits the tone of the film well: a nice touch of fun.

At first I was a little worried that the percussion would trump the strings – an experience that made full orchestra rehearsals torture in my role as a string instrumentalist in high school. I also used to associate electronic music with the overwhelming volume of classical music. But the balance in the ensemble quickly put these concerns aside. The DJ mixed the tracks seamlessly, almost making me wonder if I was hearing the soundtrack recording straight from the film.

The sound of the orchestra enveloped me and I was reminded why I enjoy live concerts so much: they embody unique moments in which I can be present and share them with those I love. The father sitting in front of me put his arm around his daughter as Miles and his mother had their personal conversation. I wondered if he was imagining the moment when he, too, would have to let his little girl out into the world.

I have always felt the magic of movies and the reason why I get attached to movie characters is because of the music. The musical accompaniment to the conversations between the characters increases the volume of the emotions conveyed in Heart-to-Hearts. Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched Miles’ mother let him spread his wings – just like the first time I saw the scene. The strings swelled, the violins maintained the tension as they created a crescendo through their tremolos. I felt the deep eardrums in my chest as my heart beat.

On later songs that played into the closing credits, the strings continued to take the spotlight while harmonizing with the voice recording and rapping. I particularly liked how the orchestra saw through the performance and played every track in the film, from the beginning of the introduction for SONY to the end credits. I was amazed by the perfect timing of the drums as superhero cartoon expressions like “BAM!” jumped on the screen. I sat there in a trance as the orchestra concluded the evening with a recapitulation, with the DJ in the spotlight and clean scratches layered over a grand orchestral finale.

The flashiness of the film’s animation was one aspect that struck me upon first viewing. This feature was brought even more to life by thoughtful stage lighting in the concert hall. Just as neon lights flashed on the screen when Miles broke down, so did the stage lights. Shades of yellow, red and green temporarily filled the stage before fading to rich purple, drawing the audience’s attention back to the musicians and the action.

Although the initial invitation to viewers to interact with the screening felt novel and exciting, I have to say that old preferences die hard. Sometimes I just wanted to enjoy the musical transitions when new Spider-Verse characters were introduced. But the excitement and screams of the crowd drowned out some of the music, especially when Hobi Brown and Pavitr Prabhakar came into view.

The huge screen illuminated the musicians throughout the concert, taking me back to when I first saw the film – 40,000 feet above the ground on a trip to Taiwan. I couldn’t (and still can’t) say whether Miles and his crew didn’t make it faster or farther than I did on this trip. What I can say with certainty is this: Just as Gwen learned from Miles, I learned at this concert that “anything is possible” when it comes to combining classical string instruments with an electronic DJ.

Editor’s Note: This article is a review and contains subjective thoughts, opinions and criticisms.