TSO Blog: Iron Mike Savoia
Seattle Climate Pledge Arena 11.23.24 7:30pm
All photos: Stephanie Savoia Photography and Savoia Photography Live.
Since Trans-Siberian Orchestra's first major USA tour back in 2000, I've seen it all the past 24 years. What a transformation over the years this show has taken, it's mind boggling. From that original show at the Paramount Theater 12.13.00 to this show 11.23.24 you can see how crazy the production has gotten in these two photos below. There's TSO and Savatage bassist Johnny Lee Middleton 24 years apart!
Even though the band had a few random shows in 1998/1999 it went all out in 2000 with two separate teams of players that were either on the East or West coast team. Brilliant idea to cover all the USA and some of Canada every year within the November/December holiday months. Because this is really a Christmas themed show it can really only tour these months of the year so places outside of North America don't get the touring shows we see. The production and amount of people I'm sure makes it impossible to be profitable outside the USA.
This year for TSO marks the 20th anniversary of "The Lost Christmas Eve", the last album in their "Christmas trilogy", with Christmas Eve and Other Stories (1996) and The Christmas Attic (1998). So the TSO masterminds came up with the idea in bringing an all-new version of "The Lost Christmas Eve" album story. Without giving away too much expect a little darker version. The narration by Phillip Brandon was top notch again. You can listen to his voice all day long telling stories. One very noticeable thing this year with Phillip is he's nearly half the man he use to be. Following up on his Instagram, he's been working out and his results are amazing.
The show (which is broken into two parts - 1 the album/storyline and 2 what they call the "blow s**t up" section of setlist) opened up with the Savatage cover "Welcome", which is the opener on their 1998 "The Wake of Magellan" release. That flowed into TSO's instrumental "Moonlight and Madness" off the 2009 release "Night Castle" then the "The Lost Christmas Eve" album and narration section started. Tracks as follows "Faith Noel - The Lost Christmas Eve - Wizards in Winter - Christmas Nights in Blue - Christmas Jam / Siberian Sleigh Ride - Queen of the Winter Night - What Is Christmas? - Wish Liszt (Toy Shop Madness) - For the Sake of Our Brother - Back to a Reason, Part II - What Child Is This? - Christmas Canon Rock - Different Wings". This made up approx. 75min of the nearly 2.5hr show and remember they play 2 full shows each night in each city at 3 and 7:30pm.
In that 1st section of songs vocalists featured on this West coast team were the always amazing Jeff Scott Soto on "Christmas Nights in Blue", April Berry in snow globe singing "Queen of the Winter Night", new talent and former America's Got Talent finalist Daniel Emmet on "What Is Christmas?", "Back to a Reason, Part II" and "What Child Is This?". Chloe Lowery, April Berry and the newest singer to the West team Lorea Turner were featured on "Christmas Canon Rock" and saving the best for last Moriah Formica (singer/guitarist for the all-girl hard rock band Plush) on "Different Wings".
When the band and production went into the last half of the set that's when the crowd came alive with all the extra lasers, fire, video screen visuals, fog, fireworks etc. You haven't seen anything like this in a symphonic, hard rock, metal concert ever. It's mind-blowing to all the newbies in the crowd so that's a fun part for me personally to see at these shows.
"King Rurik / Mozart and Memories / Tracers - The Three Kings and I - First Snow - A Mad Russian's Christmas - Nutrocker - Believe (Savatage cover) (Dedicated to Paul O'Neill) - Requiem (The Fifth) - This Christmas Day - Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) (Savatage cover)".
"The Three Kings and I" featured Lorea Turner on the intro then when the song kicked into the bluesy rock the kick ass Rosa Laricchiuta (who's now the lead singer for the female rock legends Vixen) captivated the full house with her raspy powerful style.
During "First Snow" the lighting rig started snowing down onto the crowd (aka foam) which was pretty cool. The lasers on this song were insane! During "Nutrocker" former Slaughter drumming great Blas Elias was featured.
Nate Amor was featured on the Savatage acoustic cover of "Believe" with music director Al Petrelli (former Alice Cooper, Megadeth and current Savatage member) on guitar. A dedication to the main TSO mastermind Paul O'Neil who passed away in 2017. One of if not the biggest vocal performance of the show goes to Jeff Scott Soto on "This Christmas Day" - powerful and get's people out of their seats!
The night of course ended with the song everyone was waiting for "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)". A song originally on the 1995 Savatage album "Dead Winter Dead" released on TSO's "Christmas Eve and other Stories" in 1996. Which is now one of Best-selling Christmas albums of all time according to Nielsen SoundScan tracking data selling close to 4,000,000 copies just in the U.S. alone. The "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" single is the third all-time best-selling Christmas/holiday digital singles in SoundScan history too! The show this year was all new so it was interesting and refreshing.
In remembering the great Ukrainian-American keyboard wizard in TSO West since 2009 - Vitalij Kuprij (who passed away last year at a young 49 years old from cardiac arrest) replacement Mark Klett was fantastic. Not only is he a great pianist his guitar skills might be even better if ya watch his videos on YouTube! His dual solo with TSO pianist Queen Jane Mangini on "Wish Liszt" was so cool. See video from the Des Moines show this tour below.
To end my blog I'll let ya know the 20th anniversary of "The Lost Christmas Eve" release is being released on vinyl for the first time and the packaging is insane! It's sculpted embossed sparkly-foil gatefold jacket in a slipcase with 20 page book and extra insert with solar flare vinyl is a must for fans! You can order at TSO online store HERE.
Here's the remaining USA tour dates for both the East and West TSO touring bands for 2024. For all TSO visit: https://www.trans-siberian.com
Nov 27 - Ottawa, ON - Canadian Tire Centre - 7:30 PM
Nov 27 - Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center - 2:30 PM & 7:00 PM
Nov 29 - Las Vegas, NV - Orleans Arena - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Nov 29 - Manchester, NH - SNHU Arena - 2:30 PM & 7:00 PM
Nov 30 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Nov 30 - Worcester, MA - DCU Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Dec 1 - Phoenix, AZ - Footprint Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 1 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Dec 4 - Austin, TX - Moody Center - 7:00 PM
Dec 4 - Buffalo, NY - KeyBank Center - 7:00 PM
Dec 5 - Bossier City, LA - Brookshire Grocery Arena - 7:00 PM
Dec 5 - Charleston, WV - Charleston Coliseum - 7:00 PM
Dec 6 - Cincinnati, OH - Heritage Bank Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 6 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center - 7:00 PM
Dec 7 - Dayton, OH - Nutter Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 7 - Kansas City, MO - T-Mobile Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 8 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 8 - Little Rock, AR - Simmons Bank Arena - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 11 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC - 7:00 PM
Dec 11 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena - 7:00 PM
Dec 12 - Columbia, SC - Colonial Life Arena - 7:00 PM
Dec 12 - Jacksonville, FL - VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena - 7:00 PM
Dec 13 - Greenville, SC - Bon Secours Wellness Arena - 4:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Dec 13 - Sunrise, FL - Amerant Bank Arena - 7:30 PM
Dec 14 - Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 14 - Orlando, FL - Kia Center - 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 15 - Atlanta, GA - Gas South Arena - 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Dec 15 - Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena - 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 18 - Raleigh, NC - PNC Arena - 7:00 PM
Dec 18 - St Louis, MO - Enterprise Center - 7:00 PM
Dec 19 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena - 7:00 PM
Dec 19 - Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse - 7:00 PM
Dec 20 - Moline, IL - Vibrant Arena at The MARK - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 20 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 21 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena - 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 21 - St Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 22 - Milwaukee, WI - Fiserv Forum - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 22 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 23 - Chicago, IL - Allstate Arena - 2:30 PM & 8:00 PM
Dec 23 - Washington, DC - Capital One Arena - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 26 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 26 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 27 - Cleveland, OH - Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 27 - San Antonio, TX - Frost Bank Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 28 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 28 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 30 - Oklahoma City, OK - Paycom Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Dec 30 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM