Bloglander

Time was, a song like "Amazing Grace" was the thing that everyone recognized, that united people of all races and ages in a common cultural touchstone. Today, however we've upgraded. Hear the opening bars of the Star Wars opening crawl or The Imperial March, and see the people around you immediately begin making "Pew pew" sounds and pantomiming lightsaber fights.

John William's Star Wars music turned the films from something corny and tacky to something downright heroic -- epic even.

June 19, that music is coming to the Spokane Arena. Amid turbolaser fire and movie scenes space battles on a Jumbotron, a full orchestra and full choir will send X-Wings flying down the Death Star canyons, the Millenium Falcon dancing through asteroid fields, and Darth Vader choking the various faithless scum who've failed him for the last time.

Anthony Daniels, who played C3PO (Human-cyborg relations), will emcee the event.

Tickets for the June 19 Spokane Arena show go on sale Friday. Visit www.spokanearena.com/starwars (but watch out for the sudden dramatic audio crescendo upon clicking the link.)