The lights were low and anticipation lingered in the air as fog began to slowly seep from the ceiling. Music began to build and the members of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) burst through the black stage and pierced the air with their dramatic opening song. They are touring across the nation and performed in downtown Tampa last Fri., December 10.
TSO is on their 13th year of touring and their two and a half hour performance is phenomenal with their incorporation of classical, orchestral, symphonic rock and metal. Their contemporary spin on the holiday music is refreshing and exhilarating.
Their performance is divided into two acts. The first act is a narrated performance of most songs from there album Christmas Eve and Other Stories. In the second act, the band performs a mix of songs from their other albums.
The first half does go by slow with the narration by Bryan Hicks, although his performance deserves applause, in between songs that transitions the half into a complete story that becomes a bore from the length of time it takes up.
In the second half, the concert picks up as flames lick the air behind the stage. A Y-shaped catwalk lowers from above and the band members fly across and play their instruments on each end that extends out to the middle of the arena. If they hadn’t added this part into the show the audience in the back would never have been able to see the members because their was no JumboTron.
Electric violinist Roddy Chong was one of the highlights of the show. His famous stance, of bow raised above his head, added to his rock star intensity.
Compared to the tour last year most of the concert went unchanged. Adding variety to their performance would have boosted the x factor that is associated with TSO’s show.
There was, however, an added delight with the piano battle between keyboardists Luci Butler and Robert Kinkel. The two individually have their time in the light that changes between the two. Butler’s keyboard faces the crowd and the keys are illuminated underneath so the audience can see the movement of each key as her fingers fly across the keyboard.
Each of the vocalists had solos in which one occupied centerstage, while the others contributed backing vocals from the wings. The band definitely knows how to sensationalize their concert with creative audience interaction.
Even after my second time, I thoroughly enjoyed the concert. Their laser beam and light show that coordinates with the music enhances the concert. The firecracker finale ended the show with a bang, but I’ll be expecting more out of TSO next time around. 8/10
Erica Everett / Centerspread Editor
