by Alex Lloyd Gross
It’s not Holiday Time without a visit from the Trans- Siberian Orchestra. Plain and simple. If you ever saw them before, you know. This band played two shows down at the South Philadelphia sports complex. A matinee and an evening show.
This band was born from Savatage , a metal band back in the 1980’s. They morphed into TSO and put on shows that people refer to as extravaganzas. While most people know their songs like “Christmas Eve Sarajevo” or “Wizards In Winter”, their music is much deeper than that.
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo-Delaware Valley News.com Chris Caffrey and Joel Hoekstra on stage.
This tour they are doing the Lost Christmas Eve. Half the show is narrated by Bryan Hicks, who is an accomplished theater performer. His spellbinding storytelling is worth the price of admission on it’s own. When the story is over, the band then plays classics.
This tour will feature guitarists Joel Hoekstra and Chis Caffrey roaming the arena floor, posing for selfies and playing to those in the back. This was taken away during the pandemic but brought back and the crowd is over the moon when this happens.
The show features lasers, smoke and lots of pyro, not to mention levitating platforms that bring band members into the crowd. There is also a special effect towards the rear of the venue that will change from a snow globe to a flaming TSO logo, depending on the song. Lots to watch .
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo-Delaware Valley News.com Rowdy Roddy Chong during one of his calmer moments on stage.
This band has two touring units. While this group handles the east coast, another unit will take care of the west. The east unit is fortunate to have Kayla Reeves, a very talented singer who was chosen to go onto a rising platform and play. We spoke with her before the tour, which you can read here.
TSO does not record new records very often. They tour from November through December, often pulling two shows a day. It gets tiring. Some members have other projects they are involved in through the rest of the year.