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Hans Zimmer puts on grand showcase at Smart Financial Centre / Houston Chronicle - Houston Press

From Houston Chronicle - If Aphex Twin and Richard Wagner had a lovechild, it'd be a lot like the second act of "Hans Zimmer Live" - turbulent, primordial, mathematical. While the first half of the concert featuring one of the world's best known film score composers is fun but noisy and directionless, the two-hour finale that occurs after intermission is both a tribute to classical, electronic and rock history and a study in delayed gratification. "This is going to get weird," Zimmer told a quiet, attentive crowd at the Smart Financial Centre on Friday night during act two. "You'll make it through."

Making it through might be Zimmer's words for yet-another night of his grand multimedia presentation featuring a full band, an orchestra and a choir. But sit near the stage where the lights shower down on you and you can feel the bass in your chest, and suddenly it's a gross understatement for what feels like entering into a wormhole from "Interstellar."

 

From Houston Press - Zimmer's entire band was on fire all night, and although the vocal mix was a bit rough from time to time, overall hearing the songs was enjoyable the same way that hearing songs a pop show is: music is so much heavier when it's not been processed to hell and back. There were moments in the show, especially during the songs he's done for the DC film universe, that felt heavier than anything I've seen from a rock band this year. That doom and gloom was balanced nicely with his piano-centric pieces, which it feels like Zimmer has a particular fondness for.

 

It was a night that made me hope that this could become a trend for film composers who would like a few more ovations in their life. Best of luck to anyone who wants to try: Hans Zimmer has set the bar pretty high.  PHOTO: Jason McElweenie

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