It’s the first day of spring and you’re just settling into the family farm your grandpa left you after he died. There’s a package of parsnip seeds inside the house, your pockets are full of tools, and you step outside into the bright spring sun. An uplifting composition of wind, string and percussion instruments playing overhead welcomes you to the Stardew Valley.
The gameplay in farming simulator Stardew Valley is rather simple, which lets small details that often go unnoticed by players, like the soundtrack, shine brighter. Once you’ve explored your farm and gotten familiar with the game’s mechanics, you’ll find your way to nearby Pelican Town, where a twangy banjo plays somewhere in the distance.
And in a few weeks, when you’ve started seriously diving into the mines beneath your farm and hit some icy levels, the twinkling sounds of a synthesizer and a rhythmic marimba’s high timbre seems like it’s being played on the bones of skeletons your character must fight through.
Each holiday and special occasion in Stardew Valley has its own track, too. It’s pitch black out on the last night of the summer, and a soothing chime-filled melody accompanies glow-in-the-dark moonlight jellies dancing in the sea. As you traverse the spooky maze during the Spirit’s Eve Festival, the sound of a grumbling guitar soon fades into a witchy oboe solo.
Even when you’re a good person and bring the perfect gift to the Feast of the Winter Star for your secret friend, you’ll listen to a sleigh bell-filled tune while gritting your teeth as one of the town’s children, Vincent, gives you a single piece of clay for your gift.
Music is so ingrained in Stardew Valley that you can even befriend the town chef, Gus, and he’ll give you a jukebox that can play any of the game’s 100+ tunes. This soundtrack, created by the game’s sole developer, ConcernedApe, is so popular that a 35-piece orchestra is touring the country with their take on it.
The live concert composed by Thanapol Setabrahmana and produced by SOHO Live, Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons, performs at Spokane’s First Interstate Center for the Arts on Tuesday, Sept. 3. The concert includes Stardew Valley‘s top hits, from the start of the game to its ending at the Summit, plus some new takes on the tracks that players love.
“I wanted to preserve the intimacy and atmosphere that make Stardew Valley so beloved, while at times also reimagining it in ways that feel fresh and alive on stage,” Setabrahmana told the Portland Tribune in an email. “What concertgoers will recognize most is the soul of the music. What may surprise them is how expansive and vivid it becomes in an orchestral setting.”
Though the depth of the music in a live setting may surprise some listeners, it’s not very surprising that Stardew Valley is getting the concert treatment, or that it’s coming to the First Interstate theater.
Back in March, the OG magical girl Usagi Tsukino came to Spokane in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live. Though not a traditional concert in the way that Symphony of Seasons is, the show set the tone for what’s possible on one of the city’s largest performing arts stages. After the Stardew Valley concert, a collection of four more similar events featuring movie or video game soundtracks are on the First Interstate Center’s calendar.
Twilight In Concert, presented by GEA Live and Lionsgate, shows at the theater on Sept. 12. This event features a screening of Twilight accompanied by a live band. The 12-piece ensemble of rock and orchestral musicians will play along with the movie’s best songs from Muse’s “Supermassive Black Hole” and Paramore’s “Decode” to Blue Foundation’s “Eyes on Fire” that went viral in posts satirizing the song’s backing vocals.
On Oct. 18, fans can celebrate the 10th anniversary of the popular dark fantasy role-playing game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and take another journey with monster hunter Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher In Concert. A live orchestra performs the game’s soundtrack as visuals play on screens above. The show also includes a special appearance from Polish folk metal band Percival; its members co-produced the game’s original soundtrack.
One month later get ready for another celebration as Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert commemorates the 20th anniversary of the popular cartoon. This two-hour concert on Nov. 16 puts award-winning composer Jeremy Zuckerman’s score front and center as important scenes and dialogue from throughout the series play in the background.
Spokanites get a brief break for the holidays, but in February 2025, Playstation: The Concert aims to blow the lid off all these other single-source concerts. It’ll feature music from the console’s top-performing games, such as God of War, The Last of Us, Ghost of Tsushima, Bloodborne and Uncharted. Instead of a full orchestra though, the tracks are played by a group of soloists each trying to embody the soul of these Playstation classics.
While the influx of these concerts could be a passing fad fueled by nostalgia, there’s a very real possibility that events like this become more common in the future. There are tons of memorable soundtracks from video games and movies that would translate wonderfully, and smart producers should do what they can to highlight this often underappreciated artform. ♦
Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons • Wed, Sept. 3 at 8 pm • $50-$150 • First Interstate Center for the Arts • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • firstinterstatecenter.org
MORE POP CULTURE POTENTIAL
Considering this concert format could be around for a while, we thought it would be fun to pitch some for other pop culture franchises.
SUPER MARIO IN CONCERT
With music-based levels in the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Wonder and the killer soundtrack including vocal stylings from iconic mayoral chanteuse Pauline in the 2017 Super Mario Odyssey, it’s clear that the Super Mario franchise would do well in this format. Don’t believe me? Check out the Super Mario Super Big Band performance from Nintendo Live in 2023.
HANNAH MONTANA: SEE YOU AGAIN
If we’re looking for more to celebrate, Hannah Montana, the show featuring Miley Cyrus and her pop star alter ego, turns 20 in March 2026. This could just be a live viewing of the show’s iconic scenes with a choir singing along to Hannah’s songs. However, if somebody with a bigger budget wants to produce this, one can only hope that Miley Cyrus would reprise her role.
GREY’S ANATOMY IN CONCERT
This world needs someone brave enough to make this one, because while there were some bangers in Grey’s Anatomy, you had to deal with all the trauma of an episode’s storyline to listen to them. “How to Save a Life” by The Fray, “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol, “Such Great Heights” by The Postal Service. I mean, come on — “The Story” by Brandi Carlile! There are so many options to fill a two-hour concert slot.
