Raiyven
12-14-2005, 08:22 AM
So, last night, my fiancee and I went to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra perform here in Toronto...
(I posted a video of someone making a TSO light show out of their house (http://www.mypartypost.com/watchvideo/1033/Best_Christmas_Lights_Display_Ever)
...I have to say, it is by -far- the best live show I've ever seen. I haven't seen many, I'll admit, but TSO knows how to put on an incredible show. If any of you are familiar with them, they primarily do combined orchestral/metal versions of popular Christmas songs, and their latest album is the same cover of some of Beethoven's more recognized pieces as well. I've heard them many times before, but to see these people perform is something else altogether.
Atmosphere. The first half of the show was, essentially, a story being told in music. Their lead announcer, with a voice which reminded me of both James Earl Jones and maybe Duke Ellington, told a Christmas story of how he sat in a bar, on Christmas Eve, and listened to a man tell a story about how an angel went around the world listening to music and prayers.
I don't want to give you all the impression that this was a heavily religiously-focused performance, but it -is- a Christmas show. Anywho...
...each part of his story was punctuated by a different piece of music, telling each small corpus of the collection of little tales from around the world. The dominant message wasn't to push Christianity itself... but rather, and more powerfully than the light show could reflect, the message of peace. Peace and love for humanity... as the song goes, 'every man is your brother, and every child is ours'. The show was about togetherness, and peace. And metal.
This show reminded me more of a KISS concert. In full accompaniment to the music was an AMAZING light show. We were in the ACC (Air Canada Centre, for you non-ontario people ;D ) which is an arena venue with two tiers. We were sitting up in the nosebleeds, but still had a great view, and looking down on the light show was a little bit of a downer, but no less impressive. Then there were the pyrotechnics. At a christmas concert ;)
After the intermission, their lead guitar came out and talked at us a bit (in a Leafs jersey, no less. Got to appease the crowd), and then launched into some metal jazz and some classic 70's metal (can i remember what they played? hell no.), topped off by a preview from their forthcoming album, a thrash version of Carl Orff's 'O Fortuna'. -that- was awesome. Oh, and their version of 'Flight of the Bumblebee', done to a strobe light arrangement that should have caused no fewer than a thousand seizures, and more lasers than a Battlestar Galactica convention.
It's something that I think almost anyone would enjoy... show was about two hours, and y'know what else, these people can -play-.
The three-minute drum solo, which was for no reason but just because, was farkin insane.
They have a wider US concert circulation than they do here, so if you can see them, DO SO, seriously, or... else :)
(I posted a video of someone making a TSO light show out of their house (http://www.mypartypost.com/watchvideo/1033/Best_Christmas_Lights_Display_Ever)
...I have to say, it is by -far- the best live show I've ever seen. I haven't seen many, I'll admit, but TSO knows how to put on an incredible show. If any of you are familiar with them, they primarily do combined orchestral/metal versions of popular Christmas songs, and their latest album is the same cover of some of Beethoven's more recognized pieces as well. I've heard them many times before, but to see these people perform is something else altogether.
Atmosphere. The first half of the show was, essentially, a story being told in music. Their lead announcer, with a voice which reminded me of both James Earl Jones and maybe Duke Ellington, told a Christmas story of how he sat in a bar, on Christmas Eve, and listened to a man tell a story about how an angel went around the world listening to music and prayers.
I don't want to give you all the impression that this was a heavily religiously-focused performance, but it -is- a Christmas show. Anywho...
...each part of his story was punctuated by a different piece of music, telling each small corpus of the collection of little tales from around the world. The dominant message wasn't to push Christianity itself... but rather, and more powerfully than the light show could reflect, the message of peace. Peace and love for humanity... as the song goes, 'every man is your brother, and every child is ours'. The show was about togetherness, and peace. And metal.
This show reminded me more of a KISS concert. In full accompaniment to the music was an AMAZING light show. We were in the ACC (Air Canada Centre, for you non-ontario people ;D ) which is an arena venue with two tiers. We were sitting up in the nosebleeds, but still had a great view, and looking down on the light show was a little bit of a downer, but no less impressive. Then there were the pyrotechnics. At a christmas concert ;)
After the intermission, their lead guitar came out and talked at us a bit (in a Leafs jersey, no less. Got to appease the crowd), and then launched into some metal jazz and some classic 70's metal (can i remember what they played? hell no.), topped off by a preview from their forthcoming album, a thrash version of Carl Orff's 'O Fortuna'. -that- was awesome. Oh, and their version of 'Flight of the Bumblebee', done to a strobe light arrangement that should have caused no fewer than a thousand seizures, and more lasers than a Battlestar Galactica convention.
It's something that I think almost anyone would enjoy... show was about two hours, and y'know what else, these people can -play-.
The three-minute drum solo, which was for no reason but just because, was farkin insane.
They have a wider US concert circulation than they do here, so if you can see them, DO SO, seriously, or... else :)