The Trans Siberian Orchestra

As our Christmas present to ourselves this year, we went to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra last Friday (the 15^th) at the Richmond Coliseum. Stefan had seen a commercial for them on television and thought that their mix of orchestra and progressive rock would be something I’d really enjoy, seeing as to how I’m an orchestra and progressive rock junkie.

He was right.

We splurged on second row seat tickets, and the show was worth every penny! From the very beginning to the very end, the show was a gourmet meal for the senses. The band was made up of quite a few members, all who were dressed to the nines. The men sported long hair and wore tuexdos with tails, while the women wore identical black evening gowns with fishnet stockings. It was apparent that this band truly cared about their audience. They didn’t allow the complex light and fireball displays to carry the performance, but rather every band member pushed out their passion and delight in performing onto the sold-out show. Throughout the 3-hour long performance, every member was allowed to showcase their skills.

Initially, I was concerned that we would blow out our eardrums being so close to the front, but once the band began to play, my fears were allayed. I had forgotten that TSO has a huge budget; much larger than the local bands I had seen as a teenager, and therefore, they had a super serious surround sound that local bands cannot afford. My other concern about the acoustics not being that great in the Richmond Coliseum also evaporated. The sound was mixed very well, and I could hear every instrument and voice clearly. There was no muddy or thin, reedy sound to be heard. I did notice that the entire concrete floor had been covered with plywood, and I wonder if that helped the acoustics. But whatever the case, the sound engineers of TSO definitely knew what they were doing.

The first half of the show consisted of a narrator telling the tale of the Lost Christmas Eve, and his magnificent voice told a story so beautiful that many in the audience were moved to tears. A backdrop of thousands of twinkling stars mesmerized the audience, as well as the snow that fell from above the massive lighting rig. The snow was very clever: it was made up of tiny soap bubble clusters, that when they fell, they formed various sizes of “flakes” and melted instantly on contact. Likewise, the lightness of the bubbles allowed the “snow” to fall in that same weightless gravity way that actual snow falls.

The show could have easily closed after the first half. It marked an excellent closing point, but then we were (or I was) pleasantly surprised when the director announced that they were halfway through the show. Stefan didn’t really enjoy the second half, as he does not enjoy progressive rock the way I do. I thought the first half of the show was absolutely fabulous, but then the second half started, and I felt they outdid themselves once again.

The second half of the show consisted of remakes of old familiar rock songs, with their own added twist to each song (imagine classic rock played with a progressive twist). The two guitarists took turns playing solos, and they even came down to mingle with the first row of the audience. The lead violinist came out at one point with a neon-wrapped bow, and the outline of his clear electric violin glowed beneath the black lights. As a former musician, I was mesmerized by my first “real” rock show, and Stefan grew concerned that I might lose my shirt. Apparently I got lost in the moment as the guitarists took turns rocking out just above our heads and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The one guitarist favored his Gibson Les Paul, while the other one had a penchant for Jackson Flying V’s. I lost track of how many Flying V’s he had after he emerged with his fourth one. At one point, one of the guitarists even played a double-neck. At first I thought it was just for show, but he did eventually utilize both necks, and that pleased me. The two keyboardists, who played Korg Tritons, performed a dual. I felt the dual was weak, and they could have really wowed the audience with their skills, but they chose to hold back. I felt the same way about the drum solo. But then again, I grew up listening to Neil Peart, the drummer of Rush, so I might be holding TSO to an impossible standard.

If you have never seen the Trans Siberian Orchestra, I highly recommend that you do so. It is a great family show, as well. Put it on your list of things to do before you die. And start planning now so you can get front row seats. I’m sure that the show is fantastic from any seat, but it is something really special and spectacular up close. You will not be disappointed. They get a huge thumbs up from me, and I can’t wait to see them again next year!