{"id":20390,"date":"2022-01-05T12:43:49","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T19:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=20390"},"modified":"2022-01-05T12:47:07","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T19:47:07","slug":"concert-review-trans-siberian-orchestra-by-rodeo-marie-hanson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2022\/01\/concert-review-trans-siberian-orchestra-by-rodeo-marie-hanson\/","title":{"rendered":"CONCERT REVIEW – TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA – by Rodeo Marie Hanson"},"content":{"rendered":"

CONCERT REVIEW OF <\/strong>TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
\n<\/strong>by Rodeo Marie Hanson<\/p>\n

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA’S
\nCHRISTMAS EVE AND OTHER STORIES<\/em> 2021 TOUR<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Live performance of debut that raised the standard for concept albums, a feast for the auditory and visual senses on 25th anniversary of release<\/h3>\n

Twenty-five years ago, lyricist, composer, producer and impresario Paul O\u2019Neill had a dream to create great art that just might catch on if luck allowed. O\u2019Neill 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\u2019Neill\u2019s first professional band effort in the 1970s, which reflected his love of progressive rock. Dissatisfied with the final recordings, perfectionist O\u2019Neill 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\u2019Neill promoted concerts by Madonna, Sting and rock festivals overseas in the \u201cLand of the Rising Sun\u201d\u2014closing out the decade with producer credits on such gems as Aerosmith\u2019s\u00a0Classics Live!\u00a0<\/em>and Classics Live! II
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

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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<\/p><\/div>\n


\n<\/em>Long flowing hair, salt and pepper beard and signature shades with black leather jacket,\u00a0O\u2019Neill\u2019s appearance embodied that of a\u00a0rock \u2019n\u2019 roll messiah. Music fans would ultimately be the ones saved by\u00a0Paul O\u2019Neill\u2019s full circle journey of the music world when he came into the orbit of progressive\u00a0heavy metal band\u00a0Savatage.\u00a0Taking on the role of producer for Savatage\u2019s Hall\u00a0of the Mountain King<\/em> (1987) led to additional collaborations with\u00a0band members Jon\u00a0Oliva, Al Pitrelli and\u00a0keyboard player Robert Kinkel on subsequent releases including Streets: A Rock Opera<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Dead Winter Dead.\u00a0<\/em>The roots of\u00a0Trans-Siberian Orchestra can be found in these albums which would offer a glimpse of\u00a0O\u2019Neill\u2019s vision to\u00a0harvest all the exciting elements from progressive rock, heavy metal, opera, gospel and Broadway\u2014fusing them together to create music which\u00a0would push boundaries but defy being categorized.<\/p>\n

Trans-Siberian Orchestra harvests all the exciting elements from progressive rock, heavy metal, opera, gospel and Broadway\u2014fusing them together to create music which\u00a0would push boundaries but defy being categorized.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Atlantic Records got on board with O\u2019Neill, financing his vision which became fully realized with Trans-Siberian Orchestra\u2019s 1996 debut release\u00a0Christmas Eve and Other Stories,<\/em> a conceptual piece and first installment of a trilogy about Christmas.\u00a0<\/em>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\u00a0Sgt. Pepper\u2019s Lonely Hearts Club Band,<\/em>\u00a0the Who elevating teen angst into rock operas with Tommy\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Quadrophenia,\u00a0<\/em>and Pink Floyd constructing a narrative piece, brick by brick, with\u00a0The Wall.\u00a0<\/em>Now\u00a0<\/em>take that foundation and imagine composer Jim Steinman and author Charles Dickens summoning all of their creative greatness for an album about Christmas\u2014and you begin to have context for the template that O\u2019Neill and\u00a0Trans-Siberian Orchestra\u00a0created, which raised the standard for concept albums.<\/p>\n

Christmas Eve and Other Stories\u00a0<\/em>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\u00a0spirit.\u00a0Through the story, elements of the celestial (God, the birth of Jesus Christ and the angel) are mingled with earthly issues like war\u2014to explore our humanity and common threads that unite all nations.\u00a0It becomes clear when listening to the album today that some of the worldly thematic elements have unfortunately yet to be resolved in the 21st<\/sup> century.\u00a0\u201cChristmas Eve\/Sarajevo 12\/24,\u201d which first made an appearance on Savatage\u2019s\u00a0Dead Winter Dead,<\/em>\u00a0highlights\u00a0O\u2019Neill\u2019s writing ability to craft an original from a medley of standards \u201cGod Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen\u201d and \u201cShchedryk.\u201d\u00a0Part of TSO\u2019s 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\u2019s palette is a spectrum of colors, balancing head banging with piano power ballads like \u201cAn Angel Came Down\u201d and gospel inspired \u201cThe Prince of Peace.\u201d Sprinkle in songs worthy of a Broadway show that can also stand alone as singles like \u201cOrnament\u201d and \u201cOld City Bar,\u201d with Christmas iconography\u2014and a hit album is born, certified 3x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America\u2014that\u2019s three million copies sold. Two other installments in the Christmas trilogy followed\u00a0(1998\u2019s The\u00a0Christmas Attic<\/em> and 2004\u2019s\u00a0The Lost Christmas Eve<\/em>)\u2014both\u00a0of which went on to achieve double platinum status.<\/p>\n

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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<\/p><\/div>\n

TSO usually makes its live presence known from November to the end of December, with a relentless work ethic\u00a0which sometimes includes multiple shows on the same day.\u00a0The band\u2019s annual touring schedule began in 1999 but was interrupted in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0Triumphantly, the mighty Trans-Siberian Orchestra returned to the road with 2021\u2019s Christmas Eve and Other Stories <\/em>tour,\u00a0<\/em>bringing music\u00a0of the debut release on its 25th<\/sup> anniversary to multiple cities across North America.<\/p>\n

Part of Trans-Siberian Orchestra\u2019s 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.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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\u2019s 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\u2019s return and are willing to endure the elements, traffic and any other obstacle standing in their way\u2014just to see their winter warriors live and in the flesh.<\/p>\n

My relationship with Trans-Siberian Orchestra is non-linear at best. I was just starting school, when an uncle introduced me to Savatage\u2019s \u201cHall of the Mountain King\u201d music\u00a0<\/em>video on\u00a0VH1 Classic. Soaking up the imagery flickering on the television\u00a0screen\u00a0both captivated and scared me.\u00a0A few years later my parents took me to see my first TSO concert when the band\u2019s\u00a0annual tour visited my hometown. Memories retained from that\u00a0experience were of loud music and pyro\u2014lots of pyro and things that go boom!<\/p>\n

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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<\/p><\/div>\n

Fast forward to 2021,\u00a0and I\u2019m writing a piece about the band as their\u00a0Christmas Eve and\u00a0Other Stories\u00a0<\/em>winter tour winds down. Going in this time, I am a little bit older and possess the proper\u00a0context to appreciate what TSO is about and what the band\u2019s live performance offers diehards and the casual fans.<\/p>\n

Once inside the arena, I survey the audience.\u00a0Fans outfitted\u00a0in 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\u2019s appeal and TSO checks the boxes for many, if not all, demographics.<\/p>\n

What\u00a0Trans-Siberian Orchestra captured in the studio is so bombastic and larger than life that you can\u2019t help but wonder how it can be recreated for a live performance. Such pondering quickly evaporates with a\u00a0feast 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,\u00a0the only reminder this experience is in fact real.\u00a0TSO\u2019s live performance suspends, if only temporarily, the outside world. Time and space are bent just enough to grant\u00a0admission to a special place.\u00a0There is an aura of magic and collective good will\u2014and everyone in the arena is fully invested in the euphoria that comes with it.<\/p>\n

\"TSO-make-their-presence-known-at-the-PPL-Center-in-Allentown-PA-during-the-bands-2021-Christmas-Eve-and-Other-Stories-Tour-Photo-credit-Rodeo-Marie-Hanson.jpg\"<\/a>

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<\/p><\/div>\n

Yes,\u00a0a spectacular light show, plumes of smoke, explosions, pyrotechnics, video screens and a phenomenal sound system well-endowed with many amplifiers are part of a\u00a0Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert\u2014but it is the music that ultimately defines why people have purchased tickets tonight.\u00a0Christmas Eve and Other Stories\u00a0<\/em>was released\u00a0<\/em>in an era\u00a0removed from the events of September 11th<\/sup>\u00a0and\u00a0COVID-19, proving good songs truly can stand the test of time and will not wither.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0players with individual personalities.\u00a0Guitarist Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake) plays the role of a golden guitar god\u2014shredding his axe as his long blonde locks flow effortlessly around him.\u00a0Hoekstra looks to the heavens, a soul possessed. Violinist Roddy Chong reinvents what the instrument can do\u2014it\u2019s not just for playing classical music anymore. Strings can rock and\u00a0Chong 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\u00a0as a kind of master of ceremonies. Bassist Tony Dickinson has the responsibility of driving this behemoth. He doesn\u2019t waver and is rock steady. Vocal acrobatics courtesy of\u00a0American Idol\u00a0<\/em>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.<\/p>\n

\"Fans-at-PPL-Center-in-Allentown-PA-awestruck-during-TSOs-2021-Christmas-Eve-and-Other-Stories-Tour-Photo-credit-Rodeo-Marie-Hanson.jpg\"<\/a>

Fans at PPL Center in Allentown, PA awestruck during TSO’s 2021 Christmas Eve and Other Stories Tour – Photo credit Rodeo Marie Hanson<\/p><\/div>\n

All of the songs from Christmas Eve and Other Stories\u00a0<\/em>are performed faithfully to the studio versions. There are a few surprises tonight, including material not\u00a0often\u00a0<\/em>done on tour\u2014with a\u00a0selection from 2009\u2019s\u00a0Night Castle,<\/em>\u00a02000\u2019s\u00a0Beethoven\u2019s Last Night\u00a0<\/em>and snow\u00a0falling from the rafters above. Audience members shout out Savatage in between songs, a tip of the hat to TSO\u2019s musical pedigree. Reminiscing about the first tour in 1999 and shows in the Philly area, the band acknowledges the efforts of Paul\u00a0O\u2019Neill, who passed on in 2017, as\u00a0Trans-Siberian Orchestra\u2019s \u201cAngel in Heaven.\u201d These words reverberate louder than all the drums and guitars combined. Reverence seizes the moment and emotion swells up inside me.\u00a0From 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\u2019s fan base. Well done, Mr.\u00a0Paul O\u2019Neill\u2014you exceeded the boundaries of your dreams which now stretch like glorious wings unchained.<\/p>\n

www.Trans-Siberian.com<\/a>
\nwww.Instagram.com\/transsiberianorchestra<\/a>
\nwww.Twitter.com\/trans_siberian<\/a>
\nwww.Facebook.com\/TSO<\/a>
\nwww.YouTube.com\/Trans-SiberianOrchestra<\/a><\/p>\n

\"TSO-06-spectacular-light-show-at-PPL-Center-in-Allentown-PA-during-the-groups-2021-Christmas-Eve-and-Other-Stories-Tour-Photo-credit-Rodeo-Marie-Hanson.jpg\"<\/a>

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<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u2019Neill had a dream […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":20394,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9,1058],"tags":[13284,13275,13277,13276,13278,13279,13280,13281,13283,13282,5097,13285,13286,1354,13287,13288,837,24,13289,13290,13291,13292,13293,13294,13295,13296,2183,13297,8518,13298,13299,3728,4073,13300,13301,13302,13303,7566,823,3010,7978,1870,13304,13305,13306,1185,13307,13308,13309,13310,9654,13311,13312,13313,13243,13244,13242,13314,7892,13315,13316,620,3818,13317,13318,13319,13320,4767,13321,13322,13323,13324,13325,13326,13327,13328,13329,13330,13331],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20390"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20390"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20398,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20390\/revisions\/20398"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}