Move it, football head! Because the sounds of Hey Arnold! are leaving Hillwood and heading out across the country.
With the beloved Nickelodeon animated series preparing to celebrate its 30th anniversary, fans are getting a rather special way to revisit Arnold, Gerald, Helga and the rest of the P.S. 118 crew with The Music of Hey Arnold! Live.
And yes, the man behind that unmistakable sound is coming along for the ride.
Original Hey Arnold! composer Jim Lang will lead the PS118 AllStars on a 20-city U.S. tour this fall, bringing the music of the classic animated series to the stage. Even better, series creator Craig Bartlett will be joining the celebration as a special guest.
For anyone who grew up with Hey Arnold!, you already know just how important the music was.
Rather than simply sitting in the background, Lang’s combination of jazz, hip-hop, blues, R&B and funk helped give the series its identity. It made Hillwood feel like an actual living city and added another layer of heart to Arnold’s quieter moments, while perfectly matching the humor and chaos surrounding the kids of P.S. 118.
Three decades later, that music is finally getting its own spotlight.
The Music of Hey Arnold! Live will feature themes, original songs and selections from the show’s signature score performed live by Lang and the PS118 AllStars. The concert will also incorporate multimedia visuals, nostalgic moments and behind-the-scenes stories about creating the music and world of the series.
And Bartlett isn’t simply tagging along to reminisce.
Fans can apparently expect the creator of Hey Arnold! to step into the shoes—or perhaps we should say microphone—of none other than Dino Spumoni for a few songs along the way.
Now that is a deep cut.
The tour will kick off on October 26 in Pioneertown, California, before traveling across the country and eventually returning to California for its final performance on December 2 in Los Angeles.
The full tour schedule includes:
- Oct. 26 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy and Harriet’s
- Oct. 29 – Philadelphia, PA – City Winery Philadelphia
- Nov. 1 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
- Nov. 2 – Boston, MA – The Wilbur
- Nov. 3 – New York, NY – (Le) Poisson Rouge
- Nov. 4 – Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club
- Nov. 6 – Nashville, TN – City Winery Nashville
- Nov. 7 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
- Nov. 9 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom
- Nov. 10 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
- Nov. 12 – New Orleans, LA – Fillmore New Orleans
- Nov. 16 – Houston, TX – House of Blues Houston
- Nov. 17 – Dallas, TX – Texas Theatre
- Nov. 18 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater
- Nov. 22 – Seattle, WA – The Neptune
- Nov. 24 – San Francisco, CA – The Castro Theatre
- Nov. 28 – Fresno, CA – Tower Theatre
- Nov. 29 – Santa Ana, CA – Observatory
- Nov. 30 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
- Dec. 2 – Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco
For fans looking to make the night even more special, a VIP Experience will also be offered. The upgrade includes a 25-minute Q&A with Lang and Bartlett, an exclusive signed print, VIP laminate and tote bag, early venue and merchandise access, a vinyl signing session and a photo/autograph opportunity with the duo.
There may even be an opportunity to convince them to play another song or two.
For a series that first arrived back in 1996, Hey Arnold! has remained one of those special pieces of animation that never really disappeared. Its characters, stories and surprisingly thoughtful approach to childhood have continued finding audiences across generations.
But just as important was the sound that made Hillwood feel like home.
Thirty years later, it’s finally time to hear that music the way fans never could from their television speakers.
Live, loud and surrounded by an entire room of fellow football heads.
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
YouTube
RSS