Nelson audiences are about to get a blast from the video game past.
From Sonic the Hedgehog to Final Fantasy, Los Angeles-based Extra Lives is bringing the games many Kiwis grew up with to the Theatre Royal Nelson this month – with the audience deciding how the adventure unfolds.
“It’s one part nostalgia, one part concert, one part ‘choose your own adventure’,” guitarist Michael Kohl tells Nelson Weekly.
The interactive concert combines a narrated story with visuals, sound effects and footage drawn from console games of the 80s, 90s and 2000s, while the musicians of Extra Lives provide the live score.
The audience has a big part to play, using their smartphones to vote at key points in the story, with the results shown live and the decisions determining where the adventure heads next.
Those who feel strongly about which path to take can even get up on stage and try to persuade the rest of the audience to vote their way.
With multiple endings and more than 60 possible variations, each 50-to-70-minute performance can play out differently.
Michael says the idea for Extra Lives was born out of the Covid-19 pandemic, when he and his fellow Los Angeles musicians found themselves with time on their hands.
“All we were back then was a nerdy side project for a bunch of musicians working in the pandemic.”
The question they set out to answer was: “How can we create something for people who loved 80s, 90s and 2000s video games?”
Extra Lives debuted to a sold-out Hollywood audience in 2022 and has since performed more than 150 shows across 15 countries.
The group – Michael on guitar, Wendell Phipps on synths, Marc Dolgin on drums and Dave Maciel on bass – has appeared at events including the Game Developers Conference, LA Comic Con, MCM in London and the Portland Retro Gaming Expo.
Between them, the musicians have also shared stages with some big names, including Beck, Britney Spears, Danny Elfman, Ramin Djawadi and Mansionair.
The group toured New Zealand in 2024, but only major centres. This time around, Michael says, they are looking forward to getting to places such as Nelson, meeting locals, and eating “lots of pavlova”.
There will be a stronger New Zealand flavour to the show this time too, with local musicians joining Extra Lives on tour and subtitles in te reo Māori.
And you don’t have to be a gamer to enjoy it, Michael says.
“If you are on the fence, you should absolutely come… it’s not just for video game nerds – it has been built to be inclusive and fun.”
Extra Lives – The Interactive Video Game Concert is at Theatre Royal Nelson on Saturday, 26 September, at 7.30pm.
Tickets are available from www.theatreroyalnelson.co.nz.
Nelson Weekly has a double pass to give away. Email kate@topsouthmedia.co.nz and tell us your favourite video game by 16 September to enter.
