When whispers of the Evil Dead in Concert event first floated through Halloweenies HQ, we were intrigued. When we read the press release, we were sold. And most importantly, we knew we needed to go right to the source to get all the deets on what the 50-city Evil Dead in Concert tour entails. The source in question is, of course, none other than composer Joseph LoDuca.
LoDuca is a two-time Emmy–winning composer who has produced some of the genre’s most indelible scores. His first film score ever, the famously scrappy music for Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead, helped establish him as a go-to collaborator for directors who treat and value music as a critical part of the storytelling, not just wallpaper. Over the decades, LoDuca has lent that storytelling sensibility to fun, adventurous projects like Xena: Warrior Princess, Spartacus, Leverage, the Child’s Play franchise, and Brotherhood of the Wolf. And now, LoDuca’s knack for unsettling textures and evocative orchestral palettes can be experienced like never before, as odds are, this very special live Evil Dead experience will be coming soon to a town near you.
For Evil Dead In Concert, LoDuca has reimagined and reorchestrated the original score material for a lean, chamber-style ensemble. As he tells it on the episode, the project grew out of new, expanded suites and remasters, and a persistent belief that “intimacy can be scarier.” Paired with a newly restored print of Raimi’s 1981 classic, this synergistic combo ups the visceral, visual impact in a communal, live space.
During our interview, LoDuca traces the project from a remaster/remix impulse to a live-to-picture concept. He’d previously reworked material and played it at one-off shows. That, plus interest from promoters and his own love for the material, grew into the touring production. He explains that the original Evil Dead cues were tiny by design (the original relied on only a handful of players), and rather than pad the music into something bigger, he doubled down on the smallness.
“ I always had the idea that the score to Evil Dead, there was something really interesting about it in that it was only five string players. I always thought that intimate was even more scary. The way I mixed it, it was recorded in an attic, and I was thinking about the old Hammer films and how they just slathered everything in reverb. This is more in your face. And I think [this live experience] brings the music to the forefront.”
That “in your face” sensation is the throughline of our episode. Live instruments give the film an immediacy that the music bleeding from your speakers simply doesn’t. In this setting, the audience hears the scrape of bows on strings, sees the players working in the moment, and reacts collectively. The laughter, the screams, provide a vibe similar to a Rocky Horror screening, which is a vibe LoDuca makes a point to call out. He also notes that this kind of presentation can help younger listeners discover the power of ensemble performance.
“ There is magic in the music making. I think that the audiences feel that, and I’m happy to see that. In general, it’s harder to get younger audiences invested in classical music and orchestral performances, and this is one way of keeping the flame alive.”
Through our conversation, it quickly becomes evident that Evil Dead In Concert is more than nostalgia bait. This is restoration and reinterpretation and a way to bring people together. The decision to keep the ensemble lean not only honors the scrappy ingenuity of the original Evil Dead, it also re-frames the score as a theatrical, physical force where the listener feels as much as hears.
Of course, we couldn’t let LoDuca leave without chatting a little bit about our very special “friend ‘til the end” and his longtime relationship with Chucky and the world of Child’s Play. LoDuca scored Cult of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, and the entire run (so far) of the Chucky TV series. And, he made it clear he’s not ready to put Chucky back in the box for good. When asked if he’d ever return to the franchise in some way, LoDuca responded with zero hesitation saying, he’d be there “at the drop of a hat.” He also noted that he and creator Don Mancini share “a mutual admiration society” and a shared love of utilizing music as an active storytelling device.
To hear even more from LoDuca, and a few exclusive clips of music from Evil Dead in Concert, check out our full conversation below. Evil Dead In Concert launches a 50-city tour beginning September 22, 2025 (including a multi-night Halloween run in L.A.), so grab tickets now at evildeadinconcert.com and experience a familiar film like never before.