General / Music · 2008-03-05

You kids get off my lawn!

In the category of “things that make one feel old”: If you know what it’s like to have your heart race as the Space Invader blips speed up, or remember staking your claim to a game console with a big stack of real quarters, check out this wonderful series of performance-art projects that simulate arcade video games from the golden age.

I had seen the Space Invaders project video before, but only came across the others today. Back in the day, I played Tetris so much that I could close my eyes and play whole simulated games behind my eyelids. (Actually, I had no choice — it would happen unbidden.) I had an original Tengen version on my beloved NES and can still hum the Russian-y theme songs annoyingly on command.

And when my band indulges in some 12-bar blues jamming, I’ve been known to slip in the Moon Patrol theme. Ahem. Maybe that was TMI. But if you happen to be in Seattle on March 22nd and come see us play, feel free to request it…