|
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7236
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | If you haven't, you MUST go.
This is from the show the other night. It looks like it was filmed near where we were sitting.
This is NOT the finale... this is them doing a couple of instrumentals "getting warmed up" about 1/3 the way through...
I'll type a better review later, but I thought I would share this.
Trust me. If they come to your town. GO.. You won't be sorry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZrZLCHui30
I hope someone upload some of the Acoustic stuff cause it was the best sounding acoustic material I have ever heard bar none.
More on that later... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | When we went last year, we sat in the last row of the upper tier catty-corner to the stage. They weren't bad seats albeit a little distant.
That being said, there was a keyboard player sitting right in front of the pipes where the flame erupts. I don't know how he survived incineration, because my eyebrows got singed all the way back where we were sitting! I mean, those flames were HOT!!!
TSO is loud. VERY loud. I must admit that after hearing their recordings, they weren't what I expected when I saw them live. The first part of the show - the acoustic part - was exquisite.
The second half was pretty much wall-to-wall heavy metal thunder.
Based on their records, I was expecting them to be a little more, well, orchestral. Not so. On "Carol of the Bells," the signature descending bass line of the recording was replaced by teeth-rattling power chords. Instead of "Bum-bum-bum-bum," you got "BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM." Don't get me wrong; they are all EXCELLENT musicians - and I like to listen to good shredding, too - under the right circumstances.
These weren't the circumstances.
I was expecting very pleasant, listenable Christmas music, based on what I'd heard on the radio and their CDs. Instead, my ears rang for three days (I'd have brought my "Hear-oes" if I'd known).
That being said - everyone should see them at least once - for the acoustic stuff, if nothing else. Whether you back to see them again is up to you - and how much your ears can take... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | +1 Miles...great stuff: both music and show...I was very impressed... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2010
Posts: 823
Location: sitting at my computer | Holy Light Show Batman! I'm still seein' spots! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7236
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Well it seems the only thing that gets posted to YouTube is the really cool lights and pyro stuff. I think that is missing the point.
I'm not going to review the show, as I just don't have the time or the writing talent.. so here are some thoughts, or just has has been said... go.
If you are going to look for the inner meaning and subtle inferences of politics and religion in their concert... don't go. As example the show opens with a montage of clips of great quotes from great people and at first I thought "what is this politics crap" until I realized that it was ME projecting and in reality they were all from speakers who had spoke of "dreams" and they weren't all friendly people either. I'll just leave it at that. The theme was "dreams and hopes" and that's really the ONLY theme. Not what to dream or what to hope, just have them. I thought that was pretty cool after I got it.... and now the show starts.
And really, the whole scheme of realization, and then "oh, now the show starts" was the way the whole night went.
I recall after the 4th tune realizing this is the stuff other bands do for a finale... Seriously.. If you've seen Kiss, you'd think Kiss bought their "fireworks" at K-Mart.
But then... a single Acoustic guitar just plays. Finger picking... If I didn't see the headstock I'd swear it was a 2080 using a combination of mic and line into the mix. But it was a Guild. And my thought is that someone dropped an Ovation pre-amp into it. Cause this was THE best Acoustic guitar sound I have heard live bar none. Period, no buts. No "wood-muck" mids, no grit your teeth squeaky highs, just amazing, smooth, clean, big, tone from the lowest low to the highest high. No buzzes, no smacks, not even a string squeak. No matter if he was tickling the strings or strumming. It was perfect sound.
The show is narrated. A large man with a voice that sounds like a cross between Geoffrey Holder (the Un-Cola guy) and James Earl Jones. The story is nothing spectacular, but it's a way for the stage and musicians to re-arrange in silence and give those if us who were sitting with our mouths open not breathing... a time to breath.
I do lists, so here's a rundown of everything you'll see at the show. I'm probably missing something, but here goes..
[list]
[*]Amazing Musicians
[*]Beautiful Long Haired Women in short black dresses
[*]Amazing voices
[*]More Pyro than a Kiss Concert
[*]More Lasers and Lights than any show I have ever seen.
[*]Heavy Metal Music
[*]Classical Music
[*]A Dragon
[*]Rock'n Roll
[*]Orchestra Music
[*]Majestic Acoustic Music
[*]A bit of comedy
[*]A bit of tragedy
[*]Solo's from Acoustic Guitar, Piano's and Fiddle
[*]And did I mention beautiful Long Haired Women in short black dresses
[/list]
I'm sure I missed something, but I saved the best for me, for last. The electric guitar sound was also as amazing as the Acoustic. I want these guys sound. It sounded like all the good aspects of what can be done with Rockman gear, without any of the limitations of said gear. Frankly it sounded like all of the individual aspects of all the guitarists that that I admire, rolled into one sound.
Even I have slanted this towards the rock side of the show I guess, but really, there is so much to the show that writing about it, would go for the length of a normal show. Oh, yeah, did I mention it's actually TWO shows !!! The first part, which is as long as a normal concert is the story telling and beautiful music from ever genre with lights and pyro. The second half which is like a whole 'nother concert is more rock oriented without the narration, but with more lights and pyro and it's where we meet some of the musicians and see what they can really do.
Yep.. I think that covers it. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | There's actually at least two complete troupes. One's touring the east coast at the same time. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | Miles - I get the sense that this is the first time you've seen them. My wife and I recently saw the east coast version. It was everything you described. This probably the 7th or 8th time that we've seen them, going all the way back to around 2001. It was a great show but compared to past years, not as good. The guitarist they had the last couple of times we saw them (Alex Skolnik) was by far the best of the bunch. The effects this year were the best ever. I definitely love those little black dresses! Every year, they seem to do a little bit less of the traditional Christmas portion of the show and more of their other stuff. I'm ok with that - it keeps it fresh. If you want to see them at the beginning, check out the 'Christmas Eve and Other Stories' DVD. It's kind of hokie but you can see how far they've come. You should also check out the Savatage album 'Dead Winter Dead. It contains a couple of the songs that appeared on TSO albums before they were TSO.
I wanted to see the Beethoven show this year but missed it. I hope it'll come around again. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2007
Posts: 1486
Location: Cincinnati | Definitely worth the price of admission. Everyone should see them at least once. Even if it's just for the short black dresses. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | We'll be attending our first TSO show tonight. I'll have to remember to bring the earplugs, but hope I can do without them. Supposedly this is the last tour for the third episode of the Christmas Trilogy. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 815
Location: Colorado | mlobosco - 2011-11-30 10:17 PM Miles - I get the sense that this is the first time you've seen them. My wife and I recently saw the east coast version. It was everything you described. This probably the 7th or 8th time that we've seen them, going all the way back to around 2001. It was a great show but compared to past years, not as good. The guitarist they had the last couple of times we saw them (Alex Skolnik) was by far the best of the bunch. The effects this year were the best ever. I definitely love those little black dresses! Every year, they seem to do a little bit less of the traditional Christmas portion of the show and more of their other stuff. I'm ok with that - it keeps it fresh. If you want to see them at the beginning, check out the 'Christmas Eve and Other Stories' DVD. It's kind of hokie but you can see how far they've come. You should also check out the Savatage album 'Dead Winter Dead. It contains a couple of the songs that appeared on TSO albums before they were TSO. I wanted to see the Beethoven show this year but missed it. I hope it'll come around again. Yes--Alex Skolnick!! Never have seen TSO. It won't be this year either, but hope to the next time they come to Denver.
Edited by Todd G. 2013-11-21 7:04 PM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | The show last night was fantastic. I'm not a big fan of lights and "stuff that goes boom", to quote from the show, but this was pretty impressive. Even for an old guy, the volume wasn't bad, although my ears seem to bother me a little this morning. The show was supposedly the last tour of the Lost Christmas Eve, the third of the trilogy. Since it came out in 2004, it's been about a 10 year run.
The added some other songs at the end. One of them was obviously from the Beethovan show and another was "Someday", from a recent 5 song album. I love that song. I didn't get a program, so I can't identify the performers. My wife told me they were selling them with a CD before the show. I was busy trying to straighten out a problem with our seats (ours were in an empty space for wheelchairs). I just bought the Lost Christmas Eve CD on the way home from work before the concert. Anyway, all of the voices were exceptional, and I'm pretty picky. The guitarists and pianists were also.
They said they'd be back in 362 days, so we'll see what they are going to do next year. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7236
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I'm going to miss it this year, but sounds like they may have something new on tap for next year. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I forgot to mention that there weren't any short black dresses this year, but now that you're not going anyway, that should make you feel better. I didn't see them when they last came through here in 2011, but I suspect the show last night was the same basic Lost Christmas Eve show they did then, with a few variations like the addition of "Someday". I don't think they released that until 2012. They didn't give any hint of what will come next year, except for the "see you in 362 days" comment at the end. The website and local ads said that it was the last Lost Christmas Eve tour.
Incidentally, my wife couldn't believe they were going to set up the same production in Spokane tonight and in Seattle the next night. They have to have the hardest working stage hands in the business and there wasn't a glitch that I could see. |
|
| |
Trans Siberian Orchestra
