If this doesn’t get you pumped up for the holiday season, then I honestly don’t know what will. The rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra has became synonymous with holiday music as their songs such as “Carol of the Bells” and “Sarajevo” has wowed audiences worldwide and been featured in numerous commercials and those viral videos where the Christmas lights are synced up with the music of this legendary band. Trans- Siberian Orchestra recently performed their holiday show on December 22nd at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey in front of a packed arena.
The first show that day began at 3:15pm. There was another show planned for the evening if people couldn’t make it to the first one. The show started with a short video clip on a large screen, once the video ended the music began. After the 2nd song, the first hour was told by a Narrator, Brian Hicks, that shares the story about the “Ghost of Christmas Eve.” While the narrator is telling the story about a runaway child, there are different scenes such as an abandoned theatre and Toy Store that are displayed on the stage. Throughout the performance, I was amazed at all the special effects such as lights, fog machines and lasers. Their music has a “Pink-Floyd” sound which is really progressive and resonates with the fans. The musicians are not only performing on the main stage, there were two guitarists that were suspended from a small platform above the audience.
Throughout the show, they played popular Christmas songs such as “Joy to the World” and What Child is This.” One of the band members paused and introduced the female and male vocalists that participated in this breathtaking performance. The woman wore black dresses with boots and the men had black pants with white shirts and a black suit/vest. “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” was a fantastic performance by one of the female vocalists. The band played a variety of old songs from previous tours and new stuff that they added to their set list. There was an announcement that this was the 20th year on the road while thanking everyone in the audience for their support.
The finale was phenomenal with high pitch guitar sounds, heavy drums and a keyboardist. The audience was cheering as the lights changed colors and flickered on stage. Everyone stood up and watched for the last song. One of the guitar players ran through the crowd while everyone was trying to capture the moment on their cell phones. It was definitely a moment that you didn’t want to miss! The finishing touch was amazing when sparklers and fireworks were shooting up from the stage.
As people were leaving the venue, I heard many fans saying how pleased they were to see all the special effects throughout the show. It was a very kid friendly event, there were families present at the show including folks of all ages. If you did not get a chance to see this show, I would recommend seeing it next year when they go on tour again. This is definitely a show that will keep you on the edge of your seats!
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Kimberly Ann of Garden State Band Connection
