Tommy Tallarico believes in giant leaps.
Which could explain why he and "Video Games Live" co-creator Jack Wall wanted to launch their orchestra-meets-video-game concert event on one of the world's most famous stages with one of the country's most famous orchestras.
"For me, there was no second bet. The first show I did had to be on the most famous stage in the world with the most people watching as possible," Tallarico recalled in a phone call last month from his home in Orange County, Calif.
So he took his idea of creating a stage show that combined singing, costumed characters and video games to the Los Angeles Philharmonic. And he proposed that the orchestra perform it at the Hollywood Bowl.
"Everyone thought I was crazy. Everyone thought I was insane," he said.
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Until 11,000 people showed up.
"People didn't think I was so crazy anymore," said Tallarico, who is largely credited with revolutionizing video-game soundtracks.
On that sunny L.A. day in 2005, Tallarico and co-creator Wall launched what has become a worldwide phenomenon. They did two other concerts that first year; both sold out.
In 2006, they did 11 shows, including two in Brazil and one in London. All sold out.
Each year since, they have grown - to 55 concerts in 2009 and nearly 100 planned for this year - and have sold out nearly every one, from Mexicali, Mexico, to Milwaukee.
He said the appeal of "Video Games Live" is its marriage of culture and pop culture.
"It's kind of like all the power and emotion of a symphony orchestra but combined with the energy and excitement of a rock concert, mixed together with all the cutting-edge visuals and technology and fun that video games provide," he explained.
Bio file
Tommy Tallarico started writing compositions for video games nearly 20 years ago, when soundtracks consisted of bleeps, blings and bloops. He crafted vivid, imaginative soundscapes that borrowed equally from pop and rock, contemporary symphonic music and classical.
He got into the business by luck. Newly arrived in Orange County, Calif., he was literally plucked from a guitar store on his first day on the job and hired to test games by the then-fledgling Virgin Games. He said the exec was drawn to his TurboGraphix T-shirt.
Now 42, Tallarico has composed the music for more than 250 games, including "RoboCop Versus the Terminator," "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater," "Advent Rising," "Messiah," "MDK," "Pac Man World" and "NFL Blitz 2001."
• Trivia: Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is his cousin.
