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Live Review: Trans-Siberian Orchestra in East Rutherford, NJ
If Trans-Siberian Orchestra has been waiting for a sign that the time is right to expand its annual touring extravaganza beyond the Christmas season, that sign appeared at the New Jersey Meadowlands Thursday night (12/21).
Trans-Siberian Orchestra's holiday production has become as much a part of yuletide tradition as "A Christmas Carol" and Rudolph's shining red nose, and yet, while this year's 8th annual live translation of the band's Christmas trilogy of albums proved every bit as heartwarming and fulfilling as fans have come to expect, the sold-out Continental Airlines Arena performance was highlighted by a jolly ol' guest that didn't enter the venue through a chimney.
There was no "Ho! Ho! Ho!" needed to bring the 15,000 strong to their feet, only the line, "Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends ..." With that, the seven-piece T.S.O. band, accompanied by Emerson, Lake & Palmer frontman Greg Lake at center stage, tore through "Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Pt. 2" with all the bombast of a progressively-fueled hard-rock supergroup that had been confined to their tuxedo jackets for far too long.
Christmas 'tis the reason for the season, and T.S.O. made that spectacularly clear with their 80-minute opening tale of an angel sent to Earth by God to find that which best exemplifies the spirit of the day. Presented by the band, a seven-piece local string section led by violinist Mark Wood, and five different vocalists, the 13-track tale charted the angel's voyage around the world, touching down for the heavy-metal thunder of the song that spawned Trans-Siberian Orchestra, "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)," and long enough elsewhere to allow the vocalists to splash their color throughout.
Peter Shaw delivered "An Angel Came Down" with a commanding elegance that set the tone for the proceedings, opening the door for the more soulful, R&B and gospel-flavored tones of Jay Pierce on "The Prince of Peace" and "Good King Joy," Steve Lewis' blues-hued rock stylings on "Ornament" and "This Christmas Day," and Jennifer Cella's heartwarming and memorable "Promises to Keep."
Paced by instrumentals, the show offered a similar marquee for the band, which transformed its hard-rock and heavy-metal roots into a genre-twisting blend of holiday standards, classical arrangements, and a propulsive delivery so absorbing, it was easy to forget that guitarists Chris Caffery and Alex Skolnick and drummer Jeff Plate are alumni of the prog-metal band Savatage (who originally recorded "Christmas Eve" on their "Dead Winter Dead" album in 1995). Skolnick may not have demonstrated the metal that he exhibited as lead guitarist of the bruising band Testament 15 years ago, but he lit up the crowd with his searing leads on "O Holy Night" and his acoustic accompaniment to vocalist Steve Broderick on "Old City Bar."
The second half of the two-and-a-half hour performance was split between material from the outfit's first non-Christmas release, "Beethoven's Last Night," and holiday selections that were independent of the opening story. Lewis opened the second half with the rousing rocker "Christmas Nights in Blue," Cella and Danielle Landherr delivered "An Angel's Share" from a stage at the rear of the venue, and Tany Ling send shivers through spines with the operatic exercises that dominated "Queen of the Winter Night."
Snow fell on the arena floor throughout "First Snow," and a brilliant array of blinding lights, moving trusses, roving lasers, flaming pyres and sparking fireworks offered high-tech exclamation points throughout the night's arena-rock spectacle. But the biggest exclamation point came from Lake, whose "Karn Evil" proved nothing short of spectacular, his vocals crisp, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra--led by Bob Kinkel on keyboards--offering more than he could have hoped for in a backing band.
The night may have begun with the New Jersey "Metal Lands" (as they were dubbed onstage by T.S.O. mastermind Paul O'Neill) filled with fans who came to celebrate Christmas, but it ended with an exodus of enthusiasts who knew they'd just witnessed something historic.
Expect a lot more history in Trans-Siberian Orchestra's future.
Setlist:
"March of the Kings"
"An Angel Came Down"
"O Come All Ye' Faithful/ O Holy Night"
"The Prince of Peace/ Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
"First Snow"
"A Mad Russian's Christmas"
"Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)"
"Good King Joy"
"Ornament"
"Old City Bar"
"Promises to Keep"
"This Christmas Day"
"An Angel Returned"
Band Introductions
"Christmas Nights in Blue"
"Layla"
Jam
"A Last Illusion"
"An Angel's Share"
Drum Solo
"Mozart/ Figaro"
"Wizards of Winter"
"Christmas Canon"
"Queen of the Winter Night"
"Carmina Burana"
"Beethoven"
"Requim (The Filth)"
Encore
"Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Pt. 2" (with Greg Lake)
"Christmas Eve reprise" (with Greg Lake)
