‘Thrones’ live event knocked out audience like Daenerys destroying King’s Landing
“Game of Thrones” fandom is alive and well.
Fandom, at least, for Emmy Award-winning composer Ramin Djawadi, whose music was on full display Friday at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion — where a boisterous, near-sold-out crowd cheered and hollered as it relived the most emotional moments of the eight seasons of America’s favorite fantasy epic.
Say what you will about the last season of HBO’s vaunted, wildly popular show. That the writing was rushed, over-plotted and nonsensical. That it ruined modern television’s most inspiring female character, Daenerys. That the show didn’t live up to its reputation for careful character development, combined with devastating but ultimately wellexecuted twists.
Even if the final season wasn’t what every “Thrones” fan wanted, Djawadi, known best for composing the main theme — by now as recognizable as John Williams’ “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars” themes — did what showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss couldn’t do. He exceeded expectations.
Which is why it was so thrilling to watch a live showcase of the music played during the third episode of the final season, “The Long Night” (for which Djawadi won his Emmy Award). Remember when Jon Snow faced off against the blue-eyed ice dragon, his face full of terror as Theon, Brienne, Jorah and others took a final stand against the dead?
The “Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience” has been touring the world since 2017, marrying a live orchestra performance of Djawadi’s themes with “Game of Thrones” footage. The show served as an excuse for “Thrones” fans to indulge in the world created by George R.R. Martin again, when the rest of the world has seemingly moved on to other fare.
And so to hear the music to “The Long Night” played live is to revisit all those emotions you felt while first watching that climactic, terrifying episode, in the company of thousands of people who understand exactly how you feel.
The name of the song is “The Night King.” It introduces a simple, minor-key melody played on the piano right as the battle seems to reach the point of defeat. This haunting theme isn’t as triumphant as the main theme, nor as devilish as “Light of the Seven,” which features a descending piano riff that alternates between minor and major keys, which symbolizes Cersei’s two-faced, manipulative prowess (that piece accompanies her execution of a mass murder of her political enemies in King’s Landing in Season 6).
No, “The Night King” is slower and sadder, reflecting the characters’ realizations that all may soon come to an end, that all the work accomplished in the previous seasons may have been for nothing. The mission north of the wall to capture a Wight. The successful joining of factions who, in any other situation, would never fight together. The long, arduous journey that Daenerys Stormborn has taken, since the first season, in her attempt to rule the world.
The tiny squabbles and wars of humankind, which form the meat and bones of “Game of Thrones,” just might come to an end as the Night King marches into Winterfell. What had been pounding war music turns into a contemplative piano solo. As Jon Snow faces what appears to be certain death, the orchestra — which, in the live show, consisted of all Houstonarea musicians — swells and recapitulates the piano’s melody. The sound is filled out with basses and cellos.
A man in the front of the audience stood up and yelled at the top of his lungs when — spoiler alert — the music stops, and Arya Stark plunges a dagger into the heart of the Night King, shattering both him and his undead army. Now, I’m sure that man has seen that scene before. I’m sure he’s had long hours of discussions about the last season. He knew exactly what was coming.
And yet he was so moved by that moment, again, that he stood up and cried in triumph. This is further proof of how effectively Djawadi is able to elicit emotion. A crowd full of thousands of “Thrones” fans felt like they were watching their favorite television show for the first time again.
The presentation of “Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience” is what you’d expect from a fan-service event of its kind, featuring three big screens and an appropriate amount of smoke, fake snow and pyrotechnics. The event wasn’t so much about the relationship between the performers and the audience, however, as it was an excuse for the audience to relive the best moments of “Thrones.”
Djawadi’s music soars during the Battle of Blackwater. The Lannister family theme felt cruel during the Red Wedding scene, yet that same melody took on an element of sorrow during Jamie and Cersei’s final embrace.
A lot of the battle music was merely functional, featuring repetitive drums and percussive uses of the violins — forgettable fare. That didn’t matter in the end, when “The Night King” reminded us that, even if “Game of Thrones” didn’t end perfectly, the show still represents eight important years of our lives — eight years of emotional highs and lows that might not be matched by another television show ever again.