Five stars
Hilbert Circle Theater; Aug. 15-16

Put together musicians from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, music from some of your favorite video games, a great light show and a theater full of gaming enthusiasts, and you have Video Games Live. What started out in 2005 as a video game music concert in Los Angeles has turned into a worldwide tour of sorts, with shows regularly selling out. It’s not surprising either — with a variety of acts in the shows, there was something for everyone to enjoy. Host (and co-creator of VGL) Tommy Tallarico was an engaging and entertaining host who also plays a pretty good guitar. One of the most enjoyable acts of the evening was a highly entertaining Guitar Hero contest. A lucky audience member came on stage to strut his video gaming skills to Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion” while Tallarico (cousin of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler) played the actual guitar part. Another highlight was video game pianist Martin Leung, who wowed the audience with his piano skills, and his thorough knowledge of all the music to every Mario Brothers game ever released. From beginning to end, this was one of the most entertaining shows I’ve ever seen at the Hilbert.