STAR WARS: MAY THE SYMPHONY BE WITH YOU

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The music from the Star Wars movies has become so well-known that I could write something as ridiculous as “dun, dun, dun, da dun-dun, da dun-dun” and you’d actually know what I was talking about. One huge part of our multi-decade obsession with the George Lucas film franchise is the iconic music that accompanies it and, later this month in Montreal, you’ll get the chance to hear it in person….

I’m lucky enough to be have been raised on the original Star Wars trilogy, which everyone from the super-nerds to the common man can agree is vastly superior to the prequel trilogy that came later. There have been innumerable reasons why people prefer the originals, so I’ll make my condemnation simple: Hayden Christensen, in the role of the young Darth Vader, turned in one of the worst acting performances in the history of cinema.

But one thing which everyone can agree on is that the music that composer John Williams created for Star Wars is incredible. He has the Oscar and Grammy awards to prove it and, in 2005, the American Film Institute declared his score from the first film of the trilogy to be the “Greatest American movie score of all time”. Perhaps this explains how a massive international tour like Star Wars: The Concert could exist. Not only does it feature a full symphony orchestra playing music from all three of the Williams-scored flicks, but Anthony Daniels (aka C-3PO!) will narrate the evening’s proceedings. There will also be clips playing on a three-story-tall, high-def LED screen and, for the super Star Wars nerds, a full display of Jedi costumes, props and original pages from the Williams score. The Star Wars in Concert tour hits Montreal on November 25th at the Bell Centre. Get your tickets here and may the symphony be with you!

But perhaps you like to see your Star Wars given a bit more modern a twist, like the DJ Z-trip mash-up video below. Montreal has you covered on that front too. I present to you Jedi Electro, a collection of great Montreal musicians and beatsmiths who put a monthly night at the SAT. I’ll admit that musically they stray far, far away from Williams’ view of Star Wars. But the question is: do they play live electro music with the focus and clarity of Jedi Knights? Think so, yes I do. The next Jedi Electro at SAT fires up its funky musical light sabers on December 17th.

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