Live: Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Indy
December 12, 2018
Over the last 20 years, it’s become a staple of the Christmas season for Trans-Siberian Orchestra to tour the United States, bringing their holiday-themed rock opera to sold out arenas.
This year, they brought their critically-acclaimed Ghosts of Christmas Eve tour to Indy and it was one that you have to see to truly appreciate and explain.
With no opener, the night started early but the band still played for two and a half hours and had so many special effects and so much production it breezed by and was over before fans knew it.; The show started with members of TSO descending from the rafters to take their places onstage as a choir took their rightful places and begun singing.
The night was full of pyro, fire, smoke, lasers, fireworks, and platforms on which the band members elevated themselves above the crowd and spinning around the arena, keeping fans on the edge of their seats for the duration of the show.
Vocally, this is one of the strongest lineups TSO has ever featured, including Russell Allen (Adrenaline Mob, Symphony X) and Caleb Johnson (American Idol, Meatloaf) and more, with voices that- at times- gave the crowd goosebumps.
After their Ghosts of Christmas Eve set, the band took a break to introduce the members to the crowd before playing another set of the same length that featured many TSO classics and fan favorites- a set that featured even more production effects than the first set and brought everything you’ve heard about TSO live to life and lived up to the strong reputation the band has built over the years.
In the end, this was a show that saw an interesting crowd- there were people dressed like they were going to a symphony seated right next to metalheads decked out in their finest band shirts and ripped jeans, their long hair headbanging like they were at a Metallica concert seated next to families with children of all ages.
Regardless of the group, everyone was there for the same reason, united by the power of TSO and the joy of Christmas spirit, and they all left saying the same thing- this was the best show they’ve ever seen.
-Reggie Edwards