CONCERT REVIEW OF TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
by Rodeo Marie Hanson
TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA’S
CHRISTMAS EVE AND OTHER STORIES 2021 TOUR
Live performance of debut that raised the standard for concept albums, a feast for the auditory and visual senses on 25th anniversary of release
Twenty-five years ago, lyricist, composer, producer and impresario Paul O’Neill had a dream to create great art that just might catch on if luck allowed. O’Neill began his artistic odyssey as a high school student with guitar in hand playing for several bands, the traditional American teenage rite of passage musicians must endure. Slowburn was O’Neill’s first professional band effort in the 1970s, which reflected his love of progressive rock. Dissatisfied with the final recordings, perfectionist O’Neill pulled the plug on the project and transitioned to the business side of things at Leber-Krebs, the music management firm with a talent roster including Aerosmith, New York Dolls, Def Leppard and Joan Jett. In the excess era of the 1980s, O’Neill promoted concerts by Madonna, Sting and rock festivals overseas in the “Land of the Rising Sun”—closing out the decade with producer credits on such gems as Aerosmith’s Classics Live! and Classics Live! II
Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs during their 2021 Christmas Eve and Other Stories Tour at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA – Photo Credit Rodeo Marie Hanson
Long flowing hair, salt and pepper beard and signature shades with black leather jacket, O’Neill’s appearance embodied that of a rock ’n’ roll messiah. Music fans would ultimately be the ones saved by Paul O’Neill’s full circle journey of the music world when he came into the orbit of progressive heavy metal band Savatage. Taking on the role of producer for Savatage’s Hall of the Mountain King (1987) led to additional collaborations with band members Jon Oliva, Al Pitrelli and keyboard player Robert Kinkel on subsequent releases including Streets: A Rock Opera and Dead Winter Dead. The roots of Trans-Siberian Orchestra can be found in these albums which would offer a glimpse of O’Neill’s vision to harvest all the exciting elements from progressive rock, heavy metal, opera, gospel and Broadway—fusing them together to create music which would push boundaries but defy being categorized.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra harvests all the exciting elements from progressive rock, heavy metal, opera, gospel and Broadway—fusing them together to create music which would push boundaries but defy being categorized.
Atlantic Records got on board with O’Neill, financing his vision which became fully realized with Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s 1996 debut release Christmas Eve and Other Stories, a conceptual piece and first installment of a trilogy about Christmas. For the uninitiated, TSO reflects like a mirror all the greatness that follows when artists take risks. To put it into perspective, think the Beatles dabbling in psychedelia with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Who elevating teen angst into rock operas with Tommy and Quadrophenia, and Pink Floyd constructing a narrative piece, brick by brick, with The Wall. Now take that foundation and imagine composer Jim Steinman and author Charles Dickens summoning all of their creative greatness for an album about Christmas—and you begin to have context for the template that O’Neill and Trans-Siberian Orchestra created, which raised the standard for concept albums.
Christmas Eve and Other Stories is set against the mundane backdrop of a city bar. An older man relays to a younger man a tale about God sending an angel to earth in search of kind deeds that embody the Christmas spirit. Through the story, elements of the celestial (God, the birth of Jesus Christ and the angel) are mingled with earthly issues like war—to explore our humanity and common threads that unite all nations. It becomes clear when listening to the album today that some of the worldly thematic elements have unfortunately yet to be resolved in the 21st century. “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24,” which first made an appearance on Savatage’s Dead Winter Dead, highlights O’Neill’s writing ability to craft an original from a medley of standards “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” and “Shchedryk.” Part of TSO’s genius is the way the group blends music familiar to children during the holiday season with compositions featuring shredding guitars, cymbal crashes, strings on steroids and a driving, relentless heavy metal beat creating a somewhat surrealistic landscape. The album’s palette is a spectrum of colors, balancing head banging with piano power ballads like “An Angel Came Down” and gospel inspired “The Prince of Peace.” Sprinkle in songs worthy of a Broadway show that can also stand alone as singles like “Ornament” and “Old City Bar,” with Christmas iconography—and a hit album is born, certified 3x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America—that’s three million copies sold. Two other installments in the Christmas trilogy followed (1998’s The Christmas Attic and 2004’s The Lost Christmas Eve)—both of which went on to achieve double platinum status.
Cranes lift members of TSO above the audience to rock out without missing a beat at PPL Center in Allentown, PA during the band’s 2021 Christmas Eve and Other Stories Tour – Photo Credit Rodeo Marie Hanson
TSO usually makes its live presence known from November to the end of December, with a relentless work ethic which sometimes includes multiple shows on the same day. The band’s annual touring schedule began in 1999 but was interrupted in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Triumphantly, the mighty Trans-Siberian Orchestra returned to the road with 2021’s Christmas Eve and Other Stories tour, bringing music of the debut release on its 25th anniversary to multiple cities across North America.
Part of Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s genius is the way the group blends music familiar to children during the holiday season with compositions featuring shredding guitars, cymbal crashes, strings on steroids and a driving, relentless heavy metal beat creating a somewhat surrealistic landscape.
I caught their show when it came to PPL Center in Allentown, PA on December 19, 2021. Making my way from the parking lot to the venue is a short jaunt but adequate time for cold, blustery weather to make its impression upon me. It’s only a few days away from Christmas on an east coast night with all of the trappings. Cars lined up bumper to bumper litter the main streets leading to the arena. A group of fans huddle together outside fighting off the cold, while others waiting in line to pay for parking use flashlights on their phones to illuminate the keypad at the kiosk. They punch in their license plate information and then struggle to find an elusive debit card to complete the transaction. A mass of humanity soon converges onto the arena. Make no mistake about it, the fans are ravenous for TSO’s return and are willing to endure the elements, traffic and any other obstacle standing in their way—just to see their winter warriors live and in the flesh.
My relationship with Trans-Siberian Orchestra is non-linear at best. I was just starting school, when an uncle introduced me to Savatage’s “Hall of the Mountain King” music video on VH1 Classic. Soaking up the imagery flickering on the television screen both captivated and scared me. A few years later my parents took me to see my first TSO concert when the band’s annual tour visited my hometown. Memories retained from that experience were of loud music and pyro—lots of pyro and things that go boom!
TSO conquers both the stage and space above the audience during concert at PPL Center in Allentown, PA on band’s 2021 Christmas Eve and Other Stories Tour – Photo Credit Rodeo Marie Hanson
Fast forward to 2021, and I’m writing a piece about the band as their Christmas Eve and Other Stories winter tour winds down. Going in this time, I am a little bit older and possess the proper context to appreciate what TSO is about and what the band’s live performance offers diehards and the casual fans.
Once inside the arena, I survey the audience. Fans outfitted in heavy metal regalia stand alongside traditional holiday revelers donning Santa Claus red hats with white trim. The person walking in front of me is wearing a suit with a gift wrap pattern. There is an equal representation of younger, older, male and female devotees, a veritable United Nations representing multiple generations and tastes in music. An audience is in some ways a barometer for a band’s appeal and TSO checks the boxes for many, if not all, demographics.
What Trans-Siberian Orchestra captured in the studio is so bombastic and larger than life that you can’t help but wonder how it can be recreated for a live performance. Such pondering quickly evaporates with a feast for the auditory and visual senses almost too grandiose to be contained by the arena. There are more lights in use here than I have ever seen at this venue or any other. Momentarily, I need to take a breath just to absorb the impact of what is unfolding. My seat is on the floor about 20 rows back and I can feel the heat of the pyrotechnics on my arms, the only reminder this experience is in fact real. TSO’s live performance suspends, if only temporarily, the outside world. Time and space are bent just enough to grant admission to a special place. There is an aura of magic and collective good will—and everyone in the arena is fully invested in the euphoria that comes with it.
TSO make their presence known at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA during the band’s 2021 Christmas Eve and Other Stories Tour – Photo credit Rodeo Marie Hanson
Yes, a spectacular light show, plumes of smoke, explosions, pyrotechnics, video screens and a phenomenal sound system well-endowed with many amplifiers are part of a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert—but it is the music that ultimately defines why people have purchased tickets tonight. Christmas Eve and Other Stories was released in an era removed from the events of September 11th and COVID-19, proving good songs truly can stand the test of time and will not wither.
This is not a quartet or combo; it is exactly as the name explicitly expresses an orchestra complete with keys, drums, dual guitars, backup singers, strings and multiple lead vocalists. There are many players with individual personalities. Guitarist Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake) plays the role of a golden guitar god—shredding his axe as his long blonde locks flow effortlessly around him. Hoekstra looks to the heavens, a soul possessed. Violinist Roddy Chong reinvents what the instrument can do—it’s not just for playing classical music anymore. Strings can rock and Chong proves this when he takes flight above the audience with the assistance of a crane. Chris Caffery works every inch of the stage, his guitar an extension of the rock star persona. Caffery serves as a kind of master of ceremonies. Bassist Tony Dickinson has the responsibility of driving this behemoth. He doesn’t waver and is rock steady. Vocal acrobatics courtesy of American Idol winner Caleb Johnson supplied gospel-flavored rock while serving as a touchstone for younger fans. Narrator Bryan Hicks was the glue for the show, providing a bridge between the story and songs, punctuating the emotion with soul and sensitivity. When such compelling material is performed by world-class virtuosos, it only follows that the audience will leave satisfied yet waiting with anticipation for the next album and tour.
Fans at PPL Center in Allentown, PA awestruck during TSO’s 2021 Christmas Eve and Other Stories Tour – Photo credit Rodeo Marie Hanson
All of the songs from Christmas Eve and Other Stories are performed faithfully to the studio versions. There are a few surprises tonight, including material not often done on tour—with a selection from 2009’s Night Castle, 2000’s Beethoven’s Last Night and snow falling from the rafters above. Audience members shout out Savatage in between songs, a tip of the hat to TSO’s musical pedigree. Reminiscing about the first tour in 1999 and shows in the Philly area, the band acknowledges the efforts of Paul O’Neill, who passed on in 2017, as Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Angel in Heaven.” These words reverberate louder than all the drums and guitars combined. Reverence seizes the moment and emotion swells up inside me. From the corner of my eye, I catch a father carrying his son across the aisle. In that moment, I see the next generation of TSO’s fan base. Well done, Mr. Paul O’Neill—you exceeded the boundaries of your dreams which now stretch like glorious wings unchained.
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TSO spectacular light show at PPL Center in Allentown, PA during the group’s 2021 Christmas Eve and Other Stories Tour – Photo credit Rodeo Marie Hanson
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