Wells Fargo Center transformed into the world of “Game of Thrones”
The Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience on Feb. 27 allowed fans of the show to experience every situation we thought we lived through when watching the show on TV.
This concert took me into a land of George R. R. Martin’s dreams.
The loud and rhythmic beat of the percussion replaced the pounding of my heart. I saw the life leave his eyes and my blood ran cold. I could feel the beating of the percussion grow louder until it consumed me.
I froze and began to sweat while running through the city of Meereen.
Silence was followed by clapping. My eyes shot open to see the composer, Ramin Djawadi, taking a quick bow as he ended the opening and began to ready the next piece.
I took this time to look around. I couldn’t recognize the Wells Fargo Center, as it was occupied with seven stages varying in size and over a dozen screens. I could see the orchestra at the far end of the stadium from my seat.
The composer’s stand was covered in swords, just like the Iron Throne. The mark of the Sparrow hung from the ceiling in a daunting spotlight.
Hordes of Wildlings and Sons of the Harpy lingered about, acting as the chorus and main musicians for the concert.
It didn’t feel like I was in Philadelphia, but rather a long day in Westeros or Essos, as the acts of great people like Daenerys Targaryen or Tyrion Lannister were recreated around me.
While watching Game of Thrones, viewers are thrown through the high and low points of every character’s life. You are propelled into a whirlpool of emotions through battle, crying over the loss of the King in the North, and then watching a love story take place.
No event was left out of the concert. I lived through the Battle of Blackwater, which I only ever watched on TV. I was on the rocking ship as it was the target of dozens of flaming arrows. I watched as the water was engulfed in green fire and burned every ship to ash.
I saw the piano Djawadi played rise from the stage and the screens turn to the endless stream of organs. I watched the screens to see the events in King’s Landing as Cersei Lannister planned the death of the Sparrow.
The Sept of the Seven burned with the same green fire that took over the ships in Blackwater. When the song reached its climax, the stage around him rose in an endless stream of smoke lit up by green lights.
No happiness engulfed me as I watched the stage rise once more during the battle between Ramsay Bolton and Jon Targaryen. I could feel the shields of the Boltons painted red with the flayed man closing in on me.
I couldn’t breath as the stages once more transformed, splitting the screens and allowing Djawadi to be surrounded by the shields just like Jon Snow and his warriors.
I felt myself short of breath awaiting each event that burned itself into my brain during the seasons of the HBO show.
I’ve seen 60 episodes and six seasons, and yet just over two hours watching these scenes accompanied by the brilliant music had completely immersed me into Martin’s world.
I was the puppet and the music was my puppeteer. Even after I left, I was never allowed to leave the world Djawadi created around me, as each and every chord sung throughout the arena.
