Arena rock spectacles are far less common now than when I was but a wee metal lad, but I think that makes them all the more special when one comes pulling into town. When you think of such shows, certain bands immediately come to mind. KISS, right? Motley Crue? Sure, they deserve a mention in that category, but I’m telling you what, Trans Siberian Orchestra puts on a show like no other. On Wednesday, Dec. 30, they brought their 2015 Winter Tour to Cleveland. A sold out crowd was treated to some holiday music performed in the signature TSO way to bring those tunes to life.
An enthralling mix of the classical and metal genres, their music is powerful and inspiring and just a lot of damn fun to watch happen. Spectacle seems like a bit of a cumbersome word to describe the event, but it is truly the only one that does the show justice. While the music is certainly the centerpiece of what makes TSO tick, the stage show is a breathtaking mix of lights and fog, flames and explosions that lend even more power to the music erupting from the stage.
A seasoned team of incredibly talented musicians weaved the audience through what was a two-act presentation of fire breathing holiday music. The first hour was a presentation of the band’s classic, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, which told the tale of a runaway who happened upon an abandoned theater and there found salvation and a ticket home through the music of TSO. It’s the PBS special we’ve all been watching for years brought to life. The entire presentation was narrated live from the stage, and it featured perfect renditions of all the songs from the album, but the clear stand out is undoubtedly, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo” – arguably the bands most notable track – and a real crowd pleaser. When that story was told, and the segment ended, we transitioned into a greatest hits presentation of music from the band’s seventeen-year journey.
Their new album, Letters from the Labyrinth, which is the first release from them in seven years, was well represented in this segment. This also gave the band reason to bring a special, and highly anticipated, guest to the stage. Lizzy Hale from Halestorm lends her voice to one of the tracks on the album – a great number titled “Forget About The Blame”, and she nailed it! Her powerful, raspy voice bounced off the walls of Quicken Loans Arena and transfixed everyone listening. This was truly a powerful performance and one of my favorite moments from the show.
The whole time this thundering music was assaulting our ears, our eyes were being entertained with a mix of lasers, lighting, pyro, fireworks, and fog that in and of itself was almost too much to comprehend. It was an incredible, perfectly choreographed dance of light and music that had everyone I looked at grinning from ear to ear. When you ad in the stage presence of the band, it is a perfect recipe for rock and roll heaven.
As if all that wasn’t enough, the band encored with the Cleveland rock anthem – “Cleveland Rocks” – and the stage literally exploded, literally. Indoor fireworks, colored flames –lit up the arena; it was complete insanity and completely awesome. There is not any other way to put it, and for a few hours I was completely transfixed, and once again was 16 years old watching my metal heroes own the stage. This show was too much fun to actually put into words, but I can tell you this, you need to make a pact with yourself right here, right now, go see Trans Siberian Orchestra at least once. You deserve it. Check out the photo album for just a small taste of what a TSO experience is all about.
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Review by Dave Dreher, RockRevolt Contributor
Photos by Dave Dreher and John Thornbrough
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