It’s Halloween and with this post I am giving you a treat that will not promote tooth decay nor lead you to issues with your waistline. In the spirit of my inquiries that featured “Music Resolutions”; I’ve polled a number of Metal and Rock musicians in my world and asked them “What is your favorite Horror movie and why”. So get some popcorn, dim the lights and sit under a cozy blanket as we learn of some awesome talents favorite creepy film. It’s a lengthy list but splitting this one into parts didn’t make sense. Let’s go.
Chris Caffery (Savatage/Trans-Siberian Orchestra): “Halloween”. Because it was the only movie that not only scared me in the theaters it scared me afterwards in real life. In my opinion it’s the best horror film ever made. In the sense of true horror. A real killer. There was no superhuman bs in the first one. Just pure evil.
Gogo Melone (Aeonian Sorrow): From old films was “Dracula”… I really like the atmosphere and as a kid I was a big fan of vampires. The movie that scared my ass off the most and had nightmares for days with, were “The Ring” and “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”…I don’t think I’ll ever see them twice again ??
Jimmy Kunes (Cactus): God there’s so many. “Fearless Vampire Killers”, I know it’s a spoof. But what a film!!!
Elise Ryd (Amaranthe): “The Shining”. Those two kids are the most scary thing I’ve seen. And I don’t like that dude Johnny towards the end. “Here’s Johnny” ? And this is true.. Every time I’m in a hotel with long corridors I expect those kids to show up in the end of the hallway. Haha, that image is haunting me, STILL! It’s Enshrined in my memory.
Given the state of the world in which we live in and its constant barrage of words and actions that make the sanest among us shake their respective heads; I was so looking forward to a little light and this came care of the powers that be behind the mighty Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Read the brief press statement below the exciting video about their “2017 Winter Tour” – Needless to say there are a lot of dates to choose from (more than “100” in total between the East and West Coast companies) so you have quite a choice. Especially if you are a fan that attends more than one city like the folks I have met over the years.
The Press Announcement:
“Dear TSO Fans, We are especially grateful to announce that we will hit the road again this winter to perform ‘The Ghosts of Christmas Eve’ the best of TSO and more!! We appreciate the loyalty our fans have shown us throughout the years and we want to make sure you know how dedicated we are to you and the traditions we have created together. If you are taking part in this year’s Fan Club Presale, we have a new process where Ticketmaster #VerifiedFan registration is now required so visit our website for instructions and important information! We are looking forward to seeing everyone this touring season! Sincerely,
All of us from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra”
The Tour Dates:
Nov 16: 7:30 PM – Council Bluffs, IA @ Mid-America Center
Nov 16: 4:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Erie, PA @ Erie Insurance Arena
Nov 17: 8:00 PM – Baltimore, MD @ Royal Farms Arena
Nov 18: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Allentown, PA @ PPL Center
Nov 18: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
Nov 19: 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM – Colorado Springs, CO @ World Arena
Nov 19: 2:30 PM & 7:00 PM – Wilkes Barre, PA @ Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
Nov 21: 4:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
Nov 22: 7:30 PM – Rochester, NY @ Blue Cross Arena
Nov 24: 7:30 PM – Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena
Nov 24: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Worcester, MA @ DCU Center
Nov 25: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Manchester, NH @ SNHU Arena
Nov 25: 3:30 PM & 8:00 PM – Seattle, WA @ KeyArena
Nov 26: 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM – Eugene, OR @ Matthew Knight Arena
Nov 26: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Nov 29: 7:30 PM – Fort Wayne, IN @ Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Nov 29: 7:30 PM – Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center
Nov 30: 7:30 PM – Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena
Nov 30: 7:30 PM – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
Dec 01: 3:30 PM & 8:00 PM – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
Dec 01: 3:30 PM & 8:00 PM – Toledo, OH @ Huntington Center
Dec 02: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Dayton, OH @ Nutter Center
Dec 02: 3:30 PM & 7:30 PM – Ontario, CA @ Citizens Business Bank Arena
Dec 03: 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
Dec 03: 3:30 PM & 8:00 PM – Phoenix, AZ @ Gila River Arena
Dec 06: 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM – El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center
Dec 06: 7:30 PM – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum
Dec 07: 7:30 PM – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
Dec 07: 7:00 PM – Lubbock, TX @ United Supermarkets Arena
Dec 08: 4:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Dec 08: 8:00 PM – Wichita, KS @ INTRUST Bank Arena
Dec 09: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Duluth, GA @ Infinite Energy Arena
Dec 09: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
Dec 10: 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
Dec 10: 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM – Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena
Dec 13: 7:30 PM – Birmingham, AL @ BJCC Arena
Dec 13: 7:30 PM – Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
Dec 14: 7:30 PM – Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
Dec 14: 7:30 PM – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
Dec 15: 3:30 PM & 8:00 PM – Hershey, PA @ Giant Center
Dec 15: 8:00 PM – Sunrise, FL @ BB&T Center
Dec 16: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
Dec 16: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
Dec 17: 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Dec 17: 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
Dec 20: 7:30 PM – Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Dec 20: 7:30 PM – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
Dec 21: 4:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Cincinnati, OH @ US Bank Arena
Dec 21: 3:30 PM & 8:00 PM – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Dec 22: 3:30 PM & 8:00 PM – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Dec 22: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
Dec 23: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
Dec 23: 3:30 PM & 8:00 PM – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
Dec 26: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
Dec 26: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – St Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
Dec 27: 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM – Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
Dec 28: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
Dec 29: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
Dec 29: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Harris Bradley Center
Dec 30: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
Dec 30: 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM – St Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center Continue reading The Trans-Siberian Orchestra Unveils Their “2017 Winter Tour” Dates!→
I can hardly believe that I am writing this but I am got for today marks the 20th Anniversary of the release of “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was the group’s first album and it blew me away from the very first listen and I can proudly say that I have been listening to this recording since it was released. My introduction to them is on the amusing side because I had been a longtime fan of the band Savatage and was keeping up with their releases as they appeared at the record shop and found the sounds on the album “Dead Winter Dead” to be something very, very different. In my mind the band always pushed the creative envelope and were more than a typical Heavy Metal band but with this body of work there was a grandiose nature to it and even a sense of cinematic or Broadway drama. This was of course due to the creative genius of Paul O’Neill and Jon Oliva who wrote and composed this one from beginning to end. When that album reached the track of “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)” I was floored. Yeah I had listened to Heavy Metal Christmas tracks when I heard them but they were few and far between at the time. Stryper had a good one but most of the rest were just Rock artists. This was new and quite different to my aural senses. Continue reading Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Debut “Christmas Eve & Other Stories”; A Modern Classic At 20 Years→
You might recall that Staples commercial that usually starts to run around this time of the year with the popular holiday classic “Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” playing in the background. It’s the one with the father rejoicing about his children returning to classes in the coming weeks. I’ve always enjoyed that one but for me the most wonderful time of the touring announcements comes around the time as well and the joyous celebration is based on it being the news about the sensory overload that is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The group has just released the full Winter itinerary and it will be presenting “The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve” along with some selected hits and hit over sixty cities and with a dual company being active that is more than 100 concerts. The lengthy press release and tour dates are below the poster so grab a fresh cup of iced coffee and indulge. I’ll return at the close with some additional thoughts.
National Press Release:
“The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” Tour Launches November 17; Fan Club Pre-Sale Begins September 7; Public Tickets Available Beginning September 16
Paul O’Neill launched a project in 1996 that over the past 20 years has become a critically-acclaimed, multi-platinum, musical powerhouse: Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The progressive rock group’s record-setting “rock theater” tours sell out venues year after year and have cemented TSO’s status as a must-attend, multi-generational, holiday tradition. Now, TSO’s creator/lyricist/composer O’Neill is proud to announce that in its Platinum anniversary year, the group is bringing back its treasured tale, “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve,” to 61 cities across North America beginning on November 17th and concluding, after 105 shows, with special New Year’s Eve performances in Seattle and Cleveland (see below for a full itinerary). TSO’s Winter Tour 2016 is presented nationally by the Hallmark Channel.
The tour pre-sale opens to fan club members on September 7 through September 9, with the general public on sale set to begin on September 16 (see www.trans-siberian.com for details). TSO is pleased to announce that each concert ticket purchased online will include a digital audio copy of The Ghosts of Christmas Eve. This is the first time these songs have been released in an audio package, and the album features a bonus track titled “Music Box Blues (Daryl Pediford Tribute New York 2004).” Continue reading “Deck The Halls” With The Trans-Siberian Orchestra Winter Tour 2016 Announcement→
The Details: There are few bands that deliver the classic sound quite like Metal Church and it’s great to find them still bringing their brand of preaching to the masses at show after show. Though more of a fan from the sidelines over the years I have always enjoyed their material and live presentations and am very excited about their upcoming album “XI” which will come care of Rat Pak Records. Joining into the lineup for the tour will be guitarist Chris Caffery (Savatage/Trans-Siberian Orchestra) joining in with the great Kurt Vanderhoof and his TSO colleague Jeff Plate. Opening up on the shows is those upstarts of modern Thrash in Hatchet. All of this makes me happy to announce that the band will once again be returning to the stage of the B.B. King Blues Club and thanks to venue some of the PiercingMetal readers are going to get to enjoy the show for free. Cool right? Read more below on how this works.
