What is TSO and Why Should New Jersey Care?

I was talking to someone about the Trans Siberian Orchestra recently, and I had a sense of Deja Vu.

My friend looked at me and asked, "Is this show any good?"

He went on to declare, "I'm not much of an orchestra guy.  I don't think it's something I want to see."

I had that same thought when I was first given tickets to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO) for the first time about 8 years ago.

No one clued me in, and I didn't even bother to check them out online.

I was determined that I was going to hate it.

That night was mind-blowing.

Of the hundreds of concerts I've seen in my lifetime, TSO ranks among the very best in terms of the total show.

Between the music, lighting, lasers, video screens, and pyro, I would rank their show right up there with Queen (back in the day), and KISS.

Yes, it is that good.

Musically, TSO is made up of members with a heavy metal background.

They are loud.

They also feature female singers who balance out the heavy sound with angelic-like voices.

Think of a TSO show as a rock opera that tells a Christmas story.

The thing is even if you're not a fan of Christmas music, you'll dig this.

The band consists of an East Coast version and a West Coast version.  They typically play two shows a day in each city.  A matinee followed by an evening show.

The East Coast band is led by Jersey native Chris Caffery and Joel Hoeskra on guitar.

Roddy Chong is an electrifying presence playing his electric violin, Jeff Plate plays mean drums and Bryan Hicks is the narrator.

That is just a partial list of the players.

The list of performers is long, and each brings outstanding quality to the show.

Another great thing about this show is there isn't a bad seat in the house.  In fact, an argument can be made that seats further from the stage offer a better view of the total show.

There are massive laser displays, the lighting is awesome, the pyro is insane, and you will even experience real snow falling on the audience.

There's even a surprise that involves a snow globe.

People often ask if the show is appropriate for children.  In my opinion, this is an excellent choice for your kid's first concert.  I suggest bringing ear protection though.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be in Philadelphia on December 22 for performances at 3:00 and 7:30.  You can still score tickets for the shows at Ticketmaster.   Tickets for TSO are very affordably priced by today's standards.

One final note, one unique aspect of TSO tours is that the band donates a percentage of every ticket sold to a charity at each stop of the tour.  The band has donated millions of dollars through the years.