Inundated by ads for Fever candlelight concerts? Yeah, we were too, and when my daughter actually asked if we could go to one, I was happy to comply.
The concert she selected was titled The Best of Anime but primarily featured selections from Studio Ghibli movies, with a couple exceptions. I will admit that I am not too familiar with the studio’s roster– I’ve seen Totoro many, many times, and that’s pretty much it– but I love live music in any form. I found the performance to be by turns moving, entertaining, and informative, not only about the movies but about orchestral music in general, and I’m looking forward to watching the films featured and listening for the pieces I heard.
The show was advertised at 60 minutes, but lasted maybe 10 minutes longer than that. The audience was asked not to record until the final song (an encore, the theme song from My Neighbor Totoro) with no flash so as not to disturb the performers.
The quartet, who perform a number of the Fever candlelight concerts (if not all of them– this was unclear to me), boasted musicians from the US, Siberia and Kazakhstan, mixed and matched from Temple University and Juilliard, who all currently reside in Philadelphia. They mentioned that earlier in the day they’d done performances featuring the music of ABBA and Queen.
They were lovely and personable, taking questions post show and happily posing for a photo.
The venue was the auditorium in BOK Philadelphia, an old high school turned workspace for the community. They offer free tours, and I definitely want to get back for one as the space seemed really interesting. Parking in South Philly was no fun, and I deeply suggest avoiding it if at all possible; otherwise give yourself plenty of lead time to find a spot. In addition, I would say to bring a cushion as the wooden fold-down seats are deeply uncomfortable, and to dress lightly as the auditorium was very hot on this 80 degree evening.
Doors opened an hour prior to the beginning of the performance. Tickets are sold by section, and it’s first come first served for seats within that section. This particular show was well attended; we arrived about 45 minutes early and were seated in the second row. We were advised to have one of us stay and hold our seats if leaving to get drinks or use the bathroom.
We did pay for a photograph in a staged area prior to the show (above, post edits) but it was basically just someone using my own cellphone for the photo, not a professional setup taking the tricky lighting into account.
We were able to take our own photos after the performance (we didn’t return to the staging area although we could have if we felt like waiting), and they turned out just as good if not better (see below). That option may or may not be available at all performances– to be honest I was surprised they didn’t immediately turn on the lights after, both to preserve the exclusivity of the candlelit photos and to ascertain people didn’t trip on their way up the aisles. In any case I didn’t begrudge them the cost of the photo to support the endeavor, especially as I don’t have a lot of shots of us together.
I’ve seen upcoming Fever candlelight concerts featuring the music of Taylor Swift (July 11 in Wilmington!), heavy metal, hip-hop, Marvel movies, Disney movies (I suppose technically those are the same thing now) and much more, on rooftops and after hours at the aquarium. We definitely recommend seeing one if you can!
It’s a beautiful way to experience the wonder of orchestral magic at a more manageable price point, especially considering that the Fever app allows you to collect reward points good for discounts on future event purchases AND earn $8 for everyone that buys through your link (here’s mine– check out what events are coming up).
Be sure to expand your search area! For some of you, like us, Lancaster is just as close as Philly and has lots of options to choose from as well. Be sure to check age requirements as they vary.
If you’ve been to a different candlelight concert, let us know which one and what you thought!
