A Mad Rushin' Thanksgiving! TSO Bring The Yuletide Spirit Early To The Canadian Tire Centre November 27th

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Hans Gruber falling from the Nagasaki building!
Dwight Schrute armed with a boom box casually hijacking the annual Dundler-Mifflin staff party by playing <"Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24" at full blast!
Online memes referencing both of these yuletide pop culture moments all over social media!

And, this concert by an iconic band once previously described by The Washington Post as "an arena rock juggernaut" and "PINK FLOYD meets YES and THE WHO at Radio City Music Hall" officially declaring the holiday season upon us are the only true signs that Christmas is indeed upon us in a way that other holiday musical hits just can't quite move us as they once did.

The iconic band in question would be TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, who as the initial musical conception of acclaimed producer Paul O'Neill, who, along with esteemed SAVATAGE axemen Christopher Caffery and Al Pitrelli, have enthralled audiences worldwide with their spectacular combination of heavy metal, classical music and theater - and charitable goodness - for close to three decades. Their current tour billed as The Lost Christmas Eve (based on their 2003 album of the same name) featuring their first show back in Ottawa in over a decade was a well-timed comeback for the enigmatic band in a series of events that have marked the band since their last visit: Losing both Paul O'Neill and longtime bassist David Z months apart in 2017 and longtime keyboardist Vitalij Kuprij this past February. Yet, also on this particular tour, TSO otherwise gained some new and returning members to grace the CTC stage for the first time: Esteemed axeman Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE, NIGHT RANGER, CHER) and accomplished electric violinist Roddy Chong. The band also acquired some neat visual displays and lighting designs - all part of what Chris Caffery had promised to be part of "a special gift" for the loyal Ottawa fans that night.

For those new to the live TSO experience, the concert would begin in a surprisingly modest fashion, with Chris emceeing the show and making a generous donation of $9000 from a dollar from every ticket sold to the Ottawa Food Bank, encouraging the audience to also do the same in their own way during the holiday season. And from the shared joyous connection with the audience from every community they play in, TSO kick off their 2-hour performance with their literally brief KNAC.COM connection in the form of the opening SAVATAGE opus "Welcome" (that would be the minute and a half-long track which AJ Motts used to open his show with) before the band give their brand new visual and light display a fine workout in the form of 2009's "Moonlight And Madness".

As the elaborate castle-themed stage came into full view, longtime narrator Bryan Hicks, decked out in his finest tuxedo, came forward and opened his novel to recount the story of The Lost Christmas Eve-a story about a man who'd abandoned his newborn son at a state-run institution 40 years earlier following his son's near-premature birth which had resulted in the death of his wife. The tale's journey of the main character was replicated on the stage in the form of a rundown hotel, an old toy store, a blues bar, a gothic cathedral and their respective inhabitants while still utilizing the main castle backdrop. There were several individual vocalists who'd conducted their own personalized and unique take on many TSO classics through their own vocal soundscapes that it was honestly tough to choose just one standout performance. John Brink definitely put in his heart and soul during his anguished performance of "What Is Christmas?" but otherwise, Kelsie Watts' heartfelt rendition of "O Come All Ye Faithful" during the "Christmas Jam" segment was the top competition otherwise throughout this impressive performance, while Natalya Rose Piette serenaded the crowd in a glittery evening outfit from inside a giant snow globe elevating from the front of house with her performance of "Queen Of The Winter Night".

As stellar as the first half of the performance was and looking difficult to top, the second half of the show literally rose to that challenge - specifically with dueling solos courtesy of Caffery and Hoekstra while playing on a pair of giant cranes while a series of pyrotechnics were firing off all around them during "A Mad Russian's Christmas" and "Nutrocker" and particularly on their rendition of SAVATAGE's "When The Crowds Are Gone" with McKayla Reese on vocals in honor of late TSO founder Paul O'Neill. And closing out their performance that evening would be the fiery bombast of SAVATAGE's "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" - a poignant number about hope amongst the chaos of humanity which still rings true today as it did three decades ago and the perfect song to close out the concert in a flurry of fire, flashing lights and pyro.

With the holiday season in full effect and the barrage of Christmas anthems from company boardrooms to shopping malls across the planet since the month before enough for the average metal fan to toss out the radio after that millionth playing of "Santa Baby", TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA otherwise provide that heavy-sounding yet melodic and nostalgic feel to one's yuletide cheer in ways that Sabrina Carpenter's Netflix special just can't reach. Catch this band live on either side of the continent for a guaranteed festive ringing in your ears.

....and, obviously, I don't mean on the phone either.

Setlist:

• "Welcome" (SAVATAGE cover)
• "Moonlight And Madness"