Goonies in Concert!

Hey, you guysssssssss!

This weekend Jake and I did something super special! We went to see Goonies in concert accompanied by the Oregon Symphony.

Goonies has always been one of my very favorite movies. And even on Jake and I’s first date when he asked me what my favorite movie was, I immediately answered Goonies. Which he then went on to confess that he had never even heard of the movie. To say I was flabbergasted would be an understatement.

How could he not know the movie Goonies?!

Therefore, one of the first movie dates we had was cozying up and watching this Spielberg classic. Needless to say, Jake ended up loving it (which is a good thing because talk about deal breaker LOL!) and he has since encouraged my Goonie escapades.

I think one of the reasons I always loved the Goonies growing up is because I related to that ragamuffin bunch of kids. I loved how quirky each of them were. And I loved how even though they were all so totally different, they were still great friends.

Looking back, it’s funny to me that I always felt like the Goonies scenery was super dreamy, only to find out after moving to Oregon that it was filmed here! Go figure.

Goonies is an adventure comedy, think Indiana Jones with a spunky twist. If you have never seen this movie I highly encourage you to don your sweatpants, microwave some popcorn and settle in for a thrilling ride.

Goonies never say die!

Our date was this past Saturday evening, and I excitedly wore my Chunk tee-shirt all day in anticipation for the fun event. It says, “Do the Truffle Shuffle.” If you know, you know ;)

After putting Dove down for the night and giving the sitter the monitor, we sped off to Portland, excited for our unique date night!

This was my first time at The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, which is located in the heart of downtown Portland. However, if you’re an Portlandian, you would refer to it as “The Schnitz”.

Built in 1928, this stunning building features Italian Rococo Revival architecture. The theater was packed, filled with other cult classic film lovers like myself. We purchased some popcorn, a couple sodas and then settled in for the film to begin.

The live orchestra was warming up on stage, and hearing all the instruments reminded me of my time in band when I played the flute and piccolo. It made me quite emotional, because being a musician was a true passion of mine. I miss playing within a band, as there’s no greater feeling than performing a beautiful score.

I have always had an affinity for live music, I used to even spend all of the money I made and money I didn’t have (thank you credit cards) on concerts and music festivals. I have since become more picky with which music events I go to, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that a part of my heart just sings whenever I hear any type of music live.

The lights flickered on and off, the audience quieted down and the film began. The symphony began playing the Goonies theme song and my mouth dropped open in awe. Hearing the movie score live was incredibly moving, and in that moment I knew this night was going to be one for the books!

A Little About Goonies

I feel the need to tell you a little about this 80s cult classic.

Goonies was released in 1985 and is about a group of young misfits who uncover an ancient map and set out on the adventure of a lifetime to discover a legendary pirate’s long-lost treasure. Much of the movie was filmed in both Astoria and Cannon Beach, Oregon.

If you go to Astoria, you can see the actual house that Mikey and Brand lived in. Jake and I have visited Astoria on multiple occasions and toured the premise, because all our out-of-town visitors always want to see it. The house is just as awesome as in the movie, and it even has two majestic bald eagles that live in the towering tree on the property. If you visit you may be able to hear them chirping to one another.

You can also see the museum that their father in the film worked in (the Captain George Flavel House Museum) and you can tour the old Clatsop County Jail where the scene of the Fratelli jailbreak took place. The jail has actually been turned into an Oregon Film Museum, with an entire Goonie shrine that has a lot of cool props and fun facts inside it.

Astroia is a town filled with Goonies love as the mayor even named June 7th as “Goonies Day” in honor of the movie. Every year the town hosts a huge annual celebration, so of course now I have to make sure to be there sometime!

Being a 90s baby myself, I never had the opportunity to see the gem in theaters. But alas, dreams do come true! With two showings, the one last night that we went to and one tonight. Pssst, it’s not too late to snatch up your tickets for a last minute adventure!

Final Verdict

Seeing Goonies in theaters, accompanied with the live orchestra, was one of the coolest experiences. During the entire film I couldn’t decide if I would rather watch the movie or watch the musicians. Hearing the music live truly elevated the experience of the film, making you feel like you were one of the gang on this wild adventure.

It was so fun to close my eyes and be able to pick out the different instruments playing. It really made me want to dig my flute out of the closet and start playing again.

The crowd was amazing, with many people like myself dressed up and obviously huge fans. There was even a teenage boy who wore the EXACT same outfit as Chunk in the movie. It was so awesome, and gah, I wish I had gotten a photo with him!

During the film there was lots of clapping at exciting scenes and booing at when the Fratellis did something especially malicious towards the Goonies gang. You could tell everyone was really enjoying themselves with this blast towards the past.

The movie ended with the Orchestra giving a few more scores from the movie. You could tell everyone was completely captivated by how whisical the musical performance was.

All in all, this was such a fun date night. I am truly grateful to have been able to experience this unique event!