TSO concert

So I went to a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert tonight. I know what you're wondering: why is a Jewish atheist going to see Christmas music? The answer is that I got an offer to go, and since I don't go to nearly enough concerts, accepted. I've played most of the music they did (I've played the original, acoustic versions however) so the religious nature of it can't really bother me too much. And I don't have anything against Christian rock inherently, just that it almost never works out right, in fact this does mostly because it has very few vocals, and uses a lot of pre-existing music.

So how was it, you ask. It was quite good, there were things I really liked (like carmina burana, what a good song), but a few things I did not. There were two parts to the show: a narrated story part for the first half and a more freeform show for the second. I much preferred the second. Although I'm a sucker for the idea of playing classical music with rock instrumentation there were a few recommendations I would make to the band:

1. You have many people in your band, try to make it sound like more than a power foursome (you know, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard) with many vocalists


2. Keep up the pace: you have a bunch of songs, none of them (not even flight of the bumblebee) is particularly fast. I like fast.


3. Cut the silly narrator: It's a fine idea for an album, but it doesn't really work at a live show

So I enjoyed it overall, but it could have been better (well... Better for me, lots of people probably like it more how it is now than how I would like it).

Oh, and I'm going to be in Maryland for a week so I may or may not be posting anything here next week...