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88bit

@88bitmusic

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Award-winning pianist/composer recreating the NES (Nintendo) library on piano 👾🎹 aka @robkovacsmusic

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THE VGS IS COMING TO PITTSBURGH! 🎮🎶⭐

The Video Game Symphony couldn't be more excited to announce our historic Pittsburgh debut at Heinz Hall on Saturday, May 22, 2027, at 7:30 PM! 🎉

We'll be bringing the following epic program to the Steel City:

🥊 Super Smash Bros. Brawl
✨ Final Fantasy VII
🍄 Super Mario Bros.
🐉 Baldur’s Gate 3
🏰 Kingdom Hearts
💨 Sonic the Hedgehog
🔥 Helldivers 2
🌟 Kirby
🐲 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
⚡ Pokémon
🎨 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
🌎 Civilization IV
❤️ Undertale
🚀 Halo
🗡️ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

This landmark concert will bring together more than four decades of extraordinary video game music for a night filled with excitement, wonder, and pure nostalgia—all brought to life by more than 100 musicians on the legendary Heinz Hall stage! 🎻🎶🕹️

Pittsburgh, it's time to PRESS START! ✨

🎟️ GET YOUR TICKETS HERE! 🎟️

https://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/production/110109/video-game-symphony-press-start

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(I'm just gonna send it) I never got to play Brawl all the way through, but I've always loved this cover from @insaneintherainmusic and his friends! I listened to it in college all the time, and maybe now I can use it for practice.
#trumpet #jazz #videogamemusic #supersmashbros #cover

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If you had told me a year ago that “Carlos you’re gonna play the Boutique theme from Pokémon X/Y / Pokémon Legends: Z-A live at Pokémon Worlds and end it with a crazy band cadenza” I would have ABSOLUTELY not believed you… but somehow it happened. This might be the single most “rockstar” moment of my life thus far… and it was so much FUN!!!

This tune was intended to be our second encore for our band sets at PokémonXP, and unlike every other song in our set, the band used no sheet music for this song. During a rehearsal, I demonstrated each individual part to each individual band member basically by rote, and everybody memorized a ~4 bar loop that became the basis of this song. Then we came up with the structure of the arrangement to feature a solo from everyone in the band, eventually ending in this sax cadenza at the end (which was not my idea initially tbh!) But holy crap it was so much fun. Watching this video back I still kinda pinch myself and say “did this really happen?”

This is the last clip I’m going to share from my performance from PokémonXP, at least for the next while. Thank you all for checking out these clips and the full video ❤️ We hope to play live again in the future!

Band:
Trumpet: @maxboikomusic
Acoustic Guitar: @joshvasquezguitar
Keyboard: @88bitmusic
Electric Bass: @nicomendozamusic
Drumset: @dompalombimusic
Tambourine: @toastymarshmellow_  Video Edit: @kim_sutton

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My weekend plans. I’m not free cause I’ll be playing Austin City Limits! Dream come true. Look at this lineup! I’m playing FOUR sets over the two weekends with some incredible friends backing me up. See yall there!

WEEK 1
**Saturday, 10/03/2026 Gamers Set
Performance time: 2:45 PM - 3:15 PM

**Sunday, 10/04/2026 Buddy’s Set
Performance time: 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

WEEK 2
**Saturday, 10/10/2026 Buddy’s Set
Performance time: 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

**Sunday, 10/11/2026 - Gamer Set
Performance time: 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

@acltv

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Excited to be playing keys with @mega_ran at @acltv! See you in Austin!

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My favorite EWI solo moment from PokémonXP! This is “Battle! Team MZ” from Pokémon Legends: Z-A, originally composed by Shinji Hosoe, and if you didn’t know any better… based on this rendition you might think this was a T-Square song!

Well, it just so happens to work out that I am a massive fan of T-Square, and also absolutely love playing the EWI, which is commonly used as the lead instrument in T-Square’s music. I remember when I discovered the EWI (electric wind instrument) around 2013, I was blown away that such an instrument even existed, AND that it was played by my favorite sax player of all time Michael Brecker AND has been used by the lead wind players of T-Square - a very serendipitous link that I still think is super cool. Reminds me of the term “multiple discovery” in history where completely independent civilizations figured out the same thing at around the same time… maybe I’m reaching with that one though LOL

Anyway, rare is the moment when I get to rip on an EWI and have it be stylistically appropriate… but here is one of those moments :D

(Also watching back this clip… man it’s kinda weird having my name written in such big letters right over my head… I don’t think I’m ever gonna get used to that LOL)

Band: 
Electric Guitar: @joshvasquezguitar
Keyboard: @88bitmusic
Electric Bass: @nicomendozamusic
Drumset: @dompalombimusic

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Okay now that our full show video is out… it’s MY turn to share some of my favorite clips from our live performance at PokémonXP!

Here’s my sax solo over “Lumiose City (Night)”. This might just be my favorite live solo I’ve ever played - it’s not very long or anything but I love the challenge of playing something meaningful in a relatively short amount of time! The reed I had on during this show cooperated with me very nicely and gave me some really nice split tone altissimo A’s! I’ve also struggled in the past with making “fast flurry of notes” passages feel meaningful, and when I listen back to this solo… the parts where I kinda just spam notes actually feel pretty good. So I’m really happy with this! (Can you tell that my favorite saxophonist is Michael Brecker?? If it’s not obvious… then maybe I’m doing something wrong 🤣)

This was a song I arranged for the soundtrack of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and I’m overjoyed to have had this chance to perform it live with such an incredible band 🙏

Band:  Tenor Saxophone / EWI / Flute: @insaneintherainmusic
Trumpet / Flugelhorn: @maxboikomusic
Acoustic / Electric Guitar: @joshvasquezguitar
Keyboard: @88bitmusic
Electric Bass: @nicomendozamusic
Drumset: @dompalombimusic Video Edit: @kim_sutton

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Many of you asked for this… and I’m sooooo excited to share that I’ve released a full hour-long+ concert video of one of my band performances at PokémonXP! The entire week of PokémonXP was the best week of my life so far, so I’m really happy to be able to immortalize Sunday’s show in video form. If you caught the show in person, now you can relive it again, or if you weren’t able to make it to the concert in person… now you can see it no matter where you are in the world!

The full video is up on my YouTube channel. Please enjoy our performance ❤️ We all had SO MUCH FUN playing these shows, and I hope you can feel that energy as you watch this video :D

Band:  Tenor Saxophone / EWI / Flute: @insaneintherainmusic
Trumpet / Flugelhorn: @maxboikomusic
Acoustic / Electric Guitar: @joshvasquezguitar
Keyboard: @88bitmusic
Electric Bass: @nicomendozamusic
Drumset: @dompalombimusic
Vocals: @toastymarshmellow_ Video Edit: @kim_sutton

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Just got back from an awesome week performing with Carlos Eiene (@insaneintherainmusic ) at PokémonXP / Worlds. We did three sets, one on each day of the event, of music from Pokémon Legends: Z-A — music that Carlos wrote and arranged for the game. We had an absolute all-star band, we played tight and the crowds were jamming out the whole time.   I feel lucky and grateful to be a part of events like this, certainly one of the biggest events I’ve played. I loved the spectacle of the whole event. It was extremely well produced and just a huge celebration of the Pokémon franchise and the people how love it.   And I couldn’t be happier for Carlos! Seeing him go from successful YouTuber and VGM cover artist to composing for a Pokémon game and then performing his music live in front of an enthusiastic audience is quite the career ark!   And now it’s on to the next thing!
#pokemonworlds #pokemonxp

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Excited to join the @video_game_symphony & @88bitmusic on stage at Severance Hall as part of their CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER CONCERT!! Come enjoy a show of your favorites ranging from Pokémon Red to Claire Obscure: Expedition 33!!

Come to the Press Play pre-show to enjoy vendors and cosplay and themed drinks!

#music #videogame #streamer #claireobscure #pokemon

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You do NOT want to miss the premier 88bit's epic new Castlevania cadenza on Sunday, along with a scorching hot solo rendition of Bob-omb Battlefield from Super Mario 64! 🔥🔥🔥

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More exciting news! I’m very excited to announce I’ll be at PokémonXP in San Francisco next week playing keys with Carlos Eiene @insaneintherainmusic
#pokemonxp

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