Booking - Silent Film w/Live Soundtrack
Available in 2026:
Faust - Nosferatu - Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
"Seriously, if you’ve never seen Nosferatu or The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari with a live soundtrack from musical maniacs Invincible Czars, do you really even silent cinema, bro?" - Austin Chronicle
"Bizarre, haunting scores..."
- Kerrang
"Gorgeous.”
- Metal Sucks
"(The
Invincible Czars score for Nosferatu) is a brilliantly realized wedding
of contemporary musical sensibility and technology with early 20th
century cinema.”
- Chico News Review
"The Invincible Czars have mastered the art of silent horror accompaniment."
- Austin Film Society
CURRENTLY BOOKING:
Anytime - Nosferatu, Dr. Caligari
2026 - Faust (Centennial)
2027 - Metropolis (Centennial)
WHY BOOK US?
"An Experience That Can't Be Downloaded"
Looking for quality programming online streaming services can't compete with?
The Invincible Czars' live silent film soundtrack shows are a movie and a concert all in one. As our friends at Vancouver's Rio Theatre say, it's "an experience that can't be downloaded!" We love independent cinemas, classic movies and film soundtracks and champion all three with these shows
Fun, Educational, Quality Live Entertainment Performed by Humans
Our tastefully modern soundtracks have made us favorites at independent cinemas, PACs, schools, museums, libraries and other arts organizations. You won’t find another silent film accompaniment act that’s as fun and engaging for contemporary audiences who value novel entertainment experiences - something independent cinemas can really use these days!
When you host us, you'll present a meticulously prepared live performance that is entertaining and performed by actual humans without the aid of computer generated backing tracks. We play everything you hear*.
Each musical passage is crafted to enhance the story on screen at any given moment. We rehearse extensively to ensure precise timing. We know these movies in and out and while we strive for cohesion with the picture, each performance is unique.
Our shows can also be educational. We know these movies intimately and are constantly learning and sharing our knowledge with audiences
We're Fun and Audiences Love Us
We've built quite a following around the US and Canada in the last decade but we are still humbled by responses from audiences who've never seen us before.
It's a feat to perform these soundtracks live and audiences appreciate the attention to detail. Our favorite comments have been, "You made this movie actually scary," and, "I never want to see Nosferatu without your score again!" In Boston, a hub of modern silent film accompaniment, our music was called "the most cinematic" of silent films groups by long time programmers, staff and audience members.
Audiences love experiencing the delicate elements of a chamber group mixed with the energy of a rock band. Our ensemble includes violin, flute, clarinet, piano, drums, guitar, and keyboards.
Our music and performances are meant to honor these early motion pictures and while we can do so in a reverent manner, our live shows are meant to be fun and engaging for contemporary audiences, many of whom experience silent film for the first time with us. We encourage attendees to dress in spooky attire and join in the soundtrack - howling, laughing, whispering and even leaving their seats. This practice evolved organically as we noticed audiences from city to city behaving the same way at the same moments each night. We simply began giving them permission. The more fun they have, the more we can bring! When a couple of young people in Olympia, WA inspired the entire audience to dance in the bal masque scene of Phantom in 2025, we challenged all audiences from then on to match their energy and we were rarely disappointed!
We also create custom artwork for each film and bring posters, t-shirts, DVDs, CDs, etc. for anyone who wants to take a piece of the show home. We're happy to pose for photos with attendees, staff, etc
Easy to Present
Equipped with our sound engineer and a digital mixer, we can seamlessly integrate with any live music sound system - or use our own PA suitable for rooms up to 750 seats. Specifics are detailed in our tech rider.
We Promote
We provide custom 30-second promotional trailers or still-image announcements for each show, proven to boost audience engagement and ticket sales when used show in pre-show trailers. We also have marketing assets available for online and traditional promotion.
* We occasionally use a pre-recorded instrument tracks and sound effects because it's less stuff to set up, but even those were performed by us!
TECHNICAL STUFF
SOUND
We bring our own sound engineer and digital mixer that can run out to a house sound system or we can bring our own PA suitable for approx. 700 seats. We bring all our own instruments. We're happy to be in the hands of a capable house engineer, too. Check our tech rider for specifics.
PICTURE
We also have multiple media options available for each film.
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
Click the titles below for film-specific marketing material
Nosferatu
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Phantom of the Opera (1925 version)
Faust (new in 2026)
The Lodger (new in 2027)
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
The Wind
The Unknown
Retired:
Martyrs of the Alamo
Aelita Queen of Mars