REVIEW: Hans Zimmer in Oakland
HANS ZIMMER’S OAKLAND PERFORMANCE was a show and memory I’ll remember forever. A showcase of his mastery in blending orchestral grandeur with cutting-edge soundscapes would be an understatement. Known for redefining the live concert experience, Zimmer's 2024 North American tour amplifies the emotional weight and complexity of his music, delivering both breathtaking audio and visual elements. The evening was more than just a concert—it was an immersion into the cinematic world that Zimmer has shaped across decades of film scoring.
The production featured Zimmer and his amazing orchestra composed of all the original musicians that created the scores we’ve come to love. I do want to note that I contractually can’t mention specific setlist/song information, but if you’re familiar with Hans Zimmer he played most of his popular/major scores with some of them being renditioned for live performance instead of what you may have heard from the studio version. You could feel the comradery between Zimmer and the orchestra on top of how down to earth Hans is as a human. Throughout the entire show Hans was telling stories and shining light on many of the lead musicians and vocalists. It really felt like a family performing together. A definite star of the show was Mariko Muranaka (Cello). While Tina Guo (out due to COVID) is usually the one to perform the Wonder Woman and Last Samurai scores, “Mariko had to learn the entire songs in just 24hrs” explained Hans. From both the audience and Hans himself, she played “flawlessly”. It was amazing to see and made those songs even more memorable.
Other notable performers included Golden Globe winner Lisa Gerrard with an outstanding performance of Gladiator. The other worldly vocalists Loire Cotler who performed on scores from both Dune 1 and 2. I’d like to add respectfully that the studio version does not do Loire’s vocalists justice. The power, emotion, and ability to transport you into the Dune universe/atmosphere that she had was like no other, and it was 10 times that in person. Lastly the great Lebo Morake took us back in time to one of the all time greatest movies Lion King which included his choir from South Africa. To our surprise his daughter Rifi Sings was also performing with the tour as she had been adding vocal support and solos throughout the entire night. It was a surprise as many of us in the crowd didn’t know she was Lebo’s daughter until Hans dropped that little bomb on us which got a big reaction from the crowd.
This tour marks Zimmer’s return to North American arenas after several years, following sold-out runs in Europe and special appearances in venues like Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena. His ability to curate such compelling live experiences demonstrates why Zimmer remains a giant in both film and live music, consistently reminding audiences of the unmatched emotional power of music performed live. Not many people get to experience or think about going to a orchestral concert these days but as I mentioned in the beginning this was a show and memory I’ll never forget, and would highly recommend it if Hans is coming to a city near you next time. By the time this is up the tour will have played their last North American show in Las Vegas so if you missed out be sure to follow HansZimmer Live to catch the next tour whenever that is!
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