Evil Dead is already quite a visual adventure, but what if you could kick that experience up a notch? Why not watch the movie in a theatre…With…Live…Music! Fellow horror fiends, last night I was honored to be given the chance to experience the live performance of Evil Dead in Concert, which kicked off its 2025 tour in my backyard… well, not literally. The tour began its gore-filled musical journey at the Riviera Theatre, home to one of the few working Wurlitzer Organs. I would like to thank Black Ink Presents, After Dark Presents, and The Riv (what we locals call this theatre) for this amazing opportunity to experience the film that made Sam Raimi a cultural icon!
I know the experience may be different depending on the venue, so I’ll focus more on the performance itself. For only having six musicians (two violins, viola, cello, upright bass, and percussion), they produced a lot of sound! If you ever wanted to see what horror soundtracks look like being played on classical instruments, you’re in luck! I really enjoyed that the musicians dressed up as characters from the film; I don’t know why; maybe it’s the theatre person in me, but it made it fun!
Along with the music was impressive lighting that added to the scenes as they played out, along with the music, and set the tone for scenes, and even helped aid in some jump scares. Even if you know it’s coming, it still makes you jump! For those who like collecting, yes, there is merch for sale! I got myself some stickers, buttons, and a magnet of the Necronomicon.
As I’ve said, your experience may be different depending on your venue, but if it was amazing here, I have no doubt you’ll enjoy watching Evil Dead with live accompaniment to help enhance your experience. If he went any further, then we’re looking at a GWAR concert! It’s worth the price of admission.
You can see the complete list of shows below!
