Trans Siberian Orchestra Concert Review and Photo Gallery

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, or TSO, was founded in New York City, in 1996 by composers Paul O’Neill, Robert Kinkel, and Jon Oliva. They became famous after such songs as Christmas Cannon (from their Christmas Attic album in 1998), Carol of the Bells and other hits. Their music is themed around Christmas .

It is made of guitarists, bass players, keyboard players, electronic violinists, drummers, vocalists and narrators.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert is like nothing you have ever seen before. It is combination of all of the following:

• Classical music
• Rock and guitar music
• Light and laser show
• Broadway show
• Narrative story
• Ballad songs
• Solo rock songs

On the night of December 23, 2014, I attended my second Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert. Once again, it was an incredible experience. To see them live is unforgettable. It’s exciting, exhilarating and overall, a fantastic experience!

If you considering buying tickets and attending one of TSO’s live concerts, here is some review information and suggestions to make your experience the best yet:

Sit close to the stage for optimal experience! Last year, we had the best seats ever, in the very front, in row 8. It was the best live show I have ever seen. This year, I wasn’t able to get tickets in time during the pre-sale; although I still sat in the floor seating, it was towards the back, so it wasn’t the same as sitting up close. However, this year, our seats were right next to the platforms that rise which they run back and perform on, so it was exciting to be right next to that.

How to Get The Best Seats – register at http://www.trans-siberian.com and then look for emails for the pre-sale date. If you can buy tickets during the pre-sale, your chances of sitting closer to the front are pretty good.

Get There Early – Although I am just about 1 hour away from the theater where the concert was held, I left at 6pm for an 8pm show, and there was still barely any time to spare. Due to holiday traffic and detours, arrival time for us was 7:50pm in the parking lot and just a few minutes before showtime for arrival at our seats. Many people were still pouring in. Luckily the show didn’t start until approximately 8:15pm.

Don’t Take Infants or Very Young Children – Due to the very loud music, laser and light show, and special effects, this show wouldn’t appeal to very small child and it may scare them, so it’s better to get a babysitter if you have little ones. I was say the appropriate age is around 18-20 or even a little older. It all depends on a young person’s musical interests.

Audience – The audience was a mix of young adult to mid-aged. This music seems to appeal to a wide range of ages, due to its Christmas theme.

Length of Show – The non-stop concert was approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours, so keep this in mind for whoever attends. The first half to ¾ of the show includes some slow periods were a narrator tells a story based on the theme of the concert that year. There also some solo songs, including ballads and some faster songs. The last segment of the show is the most exciting. They always say the best for last!

If you go to see TSO more than once, you may recognize some of the same awesome musicians year after year.

Some of my favorites are:

Joel Hoekstra, master guitarist who is exciting to watch; he has been with TSO since 2010.

Roddy Chong, the most intense and beautiful electronic violinist I have ever seen; he has been with TSO since 2008.

David Z, bassist, and back vocals; he was with TSO from 2000-2006, and since 2010.

Chris Cafferty, guitarist who has been with TSO since 1999.

Whether or not you have heard any of the songs by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the videos below are classics which you will enjoy over and over. Enjoy!

This is Hub #20 of my 30 Hubs in 30 Days Challenge.