One of horror’s most famous names is making a rare appearance in the U.S. this Friday, and it’s right here in Cincinnati.
Fabio Frizzi, the legendary composer known for his work on many of Lucio Fulci’s iconic horror films like “Zombi 2,” “The Beyond” and “City of the Living Dead,” is performing his unique brand of synth-focused scores at the Hoffner Ballroom in Northside this Friday.
The concert, titled “Frizzi 2 Fulci,” will feature Frizzi and a live band performing his most famous works as clips from the corresponding films play across screens. When local concert promoter Chris Alsip heard that the 75-year-old composer was crossing the globe to do a tour in America, he knew that he wanted a stop in Cincinnati.
“I’m a huge horror fan, and it’s definitely one of those things on my bucket list. I’ve been watching Lucio Fulci’s movies since high school, maybe even younger. And without the work of Frizzi, who is such a great composer, those movies wouldn’t nearly be as iconic as they are,” he said.
He booked the show last year, but Frizzi had to postpone the tour for a year. When the new dates were announced, Alsip jumped at the chance to get a new date. One problem: independent venues in Cincinnati have rapidly dwindled over the past few years. So he hit up Julia Green, owner of the temporarily closed venue DSGN CLLCTV.
“He said, ‘Is there a place we can do this at?’ Since, as you know, it’s really hard to find a good venue in Cincinnati these days,” she said. “We’re painting a mural right now on the side of the Hoffner Lodge, so we talked to the owner and booked the show. And it’s perfect, because the lodge has a — I don’t wanna say creepy vibe, but it’s definitely an older space. The horror scene in Cincinnati is really big, and we want to bring more stuff like this to the city.”
While Alsip has met many a horror icon thanks to his position as an organizer of the HorrorHound Convention, Cincinnati’s yearly celebration of all things horror, he never imagined he’d get to meet Frizzi, given that he’s a 75-year-old man who lives halfway across the world. He’s especially excited to hear the score from “Zombi 2.”
“It means the world to me. You don’t really get the chance to meet your idols, for one, but especially composers,” he said. “I’ve met movie stars and actors, but this is a whole different story. You won’t get very many opportunities in your life to see something like this.”
In the future, Alsip plans to book more shows like this so that local communities who love music, film or all things horror can intersect even more.
“This may not be the biggest show on the planet, but it’s still a big deal. Like, he’s here from Italy. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime concert from an iconic composer who’s super talented,” he said. “And it’ll make a lasting memory. Someone could be at home watching these movies with their family or a friend or a date and say ‘Hey, by the way, I went and saw the composer of this film in a small room in Cincinnati,’ and they’d be like, ‘Really?’ It’s an opportunity for people to experience something that they’ve never seen and probably never will get a chance to see again.”
For more information on “Frizzi 2 Fulci,” including how to buy tickets, click here.
