It’s a pleasant spring evening in the Scottish capital, but walking down Edinburgh’s Clerk Street, it doesn’t take long for things to appear more like Pelican Town.
Tonight is the country’s only date of the Stardew Valley: Festival of Seasons concert world tour, which sees the myriad earworms of the beloved farming sim sensation brought to life by an orchestra. Such adaptations aren’t much of a rarity in gaming with the likes of Zelda, Pokémon, and NieR having enjoyed this treatment but never before has it happened to an indie title on such a scale - emblematic of Stardew Valley's enduring appeal and ever-growing legacy.
The sold-out crowd start congregating early. Full-on cosplayers are oddly conspicuous by their dearth but many attendees are sporting farmer chic - headscarves, dungarees, and straw hats are out in force with one instance of the more leftfield witch’s hat, an in-game wearable. As the queue wends its way inside, I stop to take snaps of those who’ve come dressed as their favourite characters. I can’t tell if one guy is meant to be the scorned shopkeeper Pierre or if he just looks like him, so I avoid asking, lest he punch me in the face like I’m JojaMart’s Morris.
The musicians take to the stage promptly as those still in the serpentine merch line hurriedly make their purchases. The conductor for the UK shows is Andy Brown of the London Metropolitan Orchestra, no strangers to the gaming medium, having worked on titles including The Sims 4 and Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars. Emerging to warm applause, Brown introduces the ensemble as “the best musicians in Scotland” — a claim that they give us no reason to doubt — and pays tribute to Stardew Valley’s creator ConcernedApe, AKA Eric Barone, before giving us an oversight of the proceedings. This is to be the story of a year in the valley, split into seasonal suites.
The first of these springs to life with It’s A Big World Outside. This is a favourite of mine and undoubtedly dear to all in attendance, being the accompaniment to your first day on the farm. As sublime as the original digitised version is, the power with which it translates into the live arena soon becomes clear. The music is lent such an emotive resonance that it quickly takes hold of the audience; someone in the row in front appears to have something in their eye by The Valley Comes Alive, while partners excitedly reach for each other’s hands at certain moments.
As much as there are creative rearrangements, with accentual frills and interludes that link the pieces seamlessly, they’re faithful to the OST in many ways. The sitar of The Sun Can Bend An Orange Sky is even replicated, seemingly via a guitar effect - one of a few nontraditional instruments that sit alongside the strings, wind, and percussive sections. Even the more whimsical, folksy tunes of Pelican Town and the Stardrop Saloon start as something more akin to the originals before extended bars see the additional instruments find their way in, bringing new dimensions and rousing crescendos to even these more playful tracks.
There are no immersive screens with gameplay footage or the like, only some abstract projections on the backing curtain and lights that symbolise the colours of the seasons. While perhaps not as ambitious as the big-name events, this intimate chamber performance feels more in keeping with Stardew Valley’s minimalist, rustic aesthetic.
There’s still more to enjoy than just the music, though; Andy Brown makes this something of an interactive experience. He comes armed with references that are lapped up the appreciative patrons, including taking us for a beer and a pizza at Gus’s, facing “unspeakable things” in the mines, and getting a big laugh when he declares that “winter is a time for reflection and spending time with those we love - except Pierre!” We’re also quizzed with naming aloud who several of the characters’ leitmotifs belong to, our collective knowledge at which he’s impressed. He even turns from the orchestra to incite clapping at one point. As he says himself, “The community is why the game is so special.”
The tranquil Dance of the Moonlight Jellies sits pride of place at the halfway point of the setlist, a favourite of both Brown and Barone himself. We’re even given a copy of the sheet music upon entry as a nifty keepsake.
The second act features the latter two seasons of the year, marking a tonal shift to more sombre melodies, but it’s perhaps the musicians at their most evocative as they conjure some spellbinding soundscapes. Pizzicato violins make the autumnal The Smell of Mushroom particularly stirring but the wintry Ancient takes the audience’s collective breath away like a sharp intake of icy air; it’s so enthralling that even the desolate silences between its tense chords and twinkling keys are deafening. A lone “Wow” that breaks the silence afterwards pretty much sums it up.
The surprising inclusion of Journey of the Prairie King gets a chuckle - although we should probably expect the unexpected from ConcernedApe by now. The retro-style jingle of this 8-bit minigame would be more at home in a chiptune environment but this frantic orchestral reworking is a delight, cementing this as a concert that sparks both joy and tears.
And it’s that ability to connect and move people that’s the greatest takeaway from the night. Barone’s single-handed harvesting of Stardew Valley into a gaming phenomenon is one thing but for these one-man compositions to carry so triumphantly into venues across the globe defies what you'd think possible from an indie release.
Andy Brown cryptically states “to be continued” before leaving the stage - might there be more to come from the tour? Will ConcernedApe’s upcoming Haunted Chocolatier one day have its soundtrack ring out into auditoria? Whatever the case, the smiles and enthusiastic chatter that accompany satisfied customers out of the Queen’s Hall tonight suggest a renewed appreciation for the sounds of the valley and speak volumes about the power of both games and music.
Stardew Valley: Festival of Seasons continues its nigh-on sold-out world tour, with dates in the US, Europe, and Asia in the coming months. Check out the official website for details.