After 27 years, Trans-Siberian Orchestra fans know what to expect from the troupe each winter — one of its holiday rock operas, a sampling of the classically-inspired hard rock from its other endeavors and especially more per-capita special effects and pyrotechnics than any of its touring colleagues.
But this year, TSO wanted to bring some of the unexpected, too.
“We talked about the group of people who come to see us year after year after year — and affectionately refer to as the repeat offenders — and we said, ‘Let’s do something to put them back on their heels from the jump,’” says guitarist and musical director Al Pitrelli, who tours with the TSO West company. “I thought it was really important for the repeat offenders to go, ‘Wow, they really went out of their way to do something that hasn’t been done before, in several regards.
“And the first-timers, they don’t know what to expect, anyway. I just like watching their jaws drop.”
This year’s TSO tour features “Ghosts of Christmas Eve,” a TV film from 1999, but surrounds it with surprises, including some repositioning of the stage set, song rarities such as “Night Enchanted” and “Winter Palace,” and a second-half segment celebrating the 25th anniversary of “Beethoven’s Last Night,” TSO’s first non-Christmas rock opera.
“The challenge when we go into these tours, always, is to change it up,” says TSO East drummer Jeff Plate, who, like Pitrelli, was part of the band Savatage, which morphed into TSO during the mid-1990s with the hit “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24.” (Savatage regrouped to tour in Europe and South America earlier this year and will be out in 2026, as well). “We want to give the show a different look. Although we’ve had a similar look over the years, it’s never the same. There’s always some new effects, something new visually on stage.
“And we have a lot of music to choose from, so we’re able to really kind of juggle things and make that different, as well.”
The musicians, as well as fans, are excited about having “Beethoven’s Last Night” celebrated this year. TSO toured the album just once, in 2012, including a stop at Detroit’s Music Hall Center. While some of its songs have been included in the winter tours, this marks the most concentrated presentation of the album, which blends elements of Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin compositions with the late Paul O’Neill’s original compositions.
“I remember recording some of those pieces, going: ‘This ain’t easy. We’re gonna have to get the chops going on this one.’ It’s pretty intricate,” Pitrelli says. “I learned very early on that when Paul O’Neill would say something, I just went, ‘OK,’ ’cause we’d been beating the odds for a bunch of years already, and every idea he came up with, as left-turn as it could possibly be, worked.
“I’m very proud of that album ’cause I thought Paul’s usage and arrangements of the great composers’ material was pretty spot-on in the context of that story and what Trans-Siberian Orchestra was. And a lot of people haven’t heard some of these, so I’m excited because I really love a lot of those songs.”
Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27 at Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.
Other music events of note this weekend (all subject to change) include …
FRIDAY, DEC. 26
• Michigan’s Mustard Plug is atop a five-band Home For the Skalidays bill at the Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Doors at 5 p.m. 313-833-9700 or themajesticdetroit.com.
• 800cc headlines a six-act Santifa Fest at the Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-820-5596 or thelovingtouchferndale.com.
• Guitarist Ron English leads an ensemble through Saturday, Dec. 27 at the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, 97 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe. 313-882-5399 or dirtydogjazz.com.
• Freebass, Dabbles Bleach My Brain and others will keep the dance floor full in the Vernors Room at the Crofoot Complex, 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac. Doors at 8 p.m. 248-858-9333 or thecrofoot.com.
• The holiday revelry continues with a Dueling Pianos night at 8 p.m. at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com.
• Cliff Bell’s hosts In the Tradition’s Kwanzaa: Umoja (Unity) concert at 7:30 p.m. 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.
• Five acts, led by dane dopeRock, play at the Sad Holiday Soiree at 7:30 p.m. at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.
• The Token Lounge is tribute-heavy this weekend, with Urgent (Foreigner) and Detroit Speed Wagon (REO Speedwagon) at 8 p.m. and, on Saturday, Dec. 27, Ten Years Gone (Led Zeppelin), also at 8 p.m. 28949 Joy Road, Westland. 734-513-5030 or tokenlounge.com.
• The Dawn Giblin Quintet plays a Swing Happy Hour at 5 p.m., followed by drummer Sean Dobbins’ Soulful Holiday show at 7 p.m., at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.
• Virtual: The Telluride Bluegrass Festival streams performances from Michigan’s Greensky Bluegrass, the Dan Tyminski Band, I’m With Her, Punch Brothers and more through Sunday, Dec. 28, via nugs.net.
• Virtual: David Grisman streams his March 25 concert from Seattle at 8 p.m., via nugs.net.
SATURDAY, DEC. 27
• Will Downing, Lela James and Avery Sunshine present A Night of Holiday Soul at 8 p.m. at the Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.
• Morris Day & the Time give some “Jungle Love” at 8 p.m. at Sound Board in the MotorCity Casino Hotel, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit. 800-745-3000 or soundboarddetroit.com.
• Arcs mans the decks for a Customer Appreciation Night at the Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Doors at 9 p.m. 313-833-9700 or themajesticdetroit.com.
• Belgian DJ Eptic headlines a two-stage EDM show at Russell Industrial Center, 1600 Clay St., Detroit. Doors at 8 p.m. 248-434-7699 or russellindustrialcenter.com and thecrofoot.com.
• Detroit music legend Jim McCarty and his band Mystery Train rock at 8:30 p.m. at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.
• Pianist Roger Jones and Higher Calling are on the bandstand for 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. shows at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.
• Imposters In Effect pay tribute to the Beastie Boys for a Fake A$$ NYE Party at the Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-544-1991 or themagicbag.com.
• Local Celtic musicians gather for the Ark’s annual Crossroads Ceili at 8 p.m. 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1800 or theark.org.
• The Ralphe Armstrong Trio gets to the bottom of things at 6:30 p.m., followed by a late-night set from Bunkerman at 10:15 p.m. at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.
• The Disco Biscuits stream live at 9 p.m. from New Haven, Connecticut, and again at 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28 from Norwalk, Connecticut, via nugs.net.
SUNDAY, DEC. 28
• Saxophonist Kasan Belgrave closes the weekend with 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. shows at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.
• Real Love: A Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton Christmas Tribute delivers the hits at 7 p.m. at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com.
• Bassist Brandon Rose and Soul Therapy get to the bottom of things at 6 p.m. at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.thenewsherald.com ’
