Take the biggest, brightest, boldest rock concert you can imagine, add millions of dollars in lights and special effects, a holiday story, plus ensure each audience member has a great seat.
The Trans Siberian Orchestra rock opera offers all of that and more when 16 semis and 12 buses rumble into town hauling more gear, equipment and people than is usually used by 10 rock bands. Add to that the 60 musicians and singers that are the heart of this techno-heavy show and you’ve got the making for an amazing holiday kickoff.
“We’re doing it twice as big this year,” said TSO founder and President Paul O’Neill. “We have totally maxed out the stages, we have lasers … pyro. But that’s allowed us to get closer to more people.”
There’s a lot that makes TSO different from other bands. The organizers fully maximize the stage — actually two stages in each arena. O’Neill has the “nose bleed” and other non-prime seats blocked from sale. That way, no one has a bad seat in the house. Plus TSO purposely keeps ticket prices low (about half the price of most standard rock shows) so that families can afford to attend.
That’s a formula to which O’Neill, who formed TSO in 1996 with partners Robert Kinkel and Jon Oliva, is committed as the giant show that blends classical, rock, Broadway R&B and other genres moves across the country.
There’s little doubt O’Neill, who has managed a host of top-flight bands including Aerosmith and AC/DC, knows his business. Only Bon Jovi outsells TSO, which tours two months a year, annually. So the smart money says if you go to TSO, give yourself plenty of time.
In fact, some municipalities have planned extra security and alternative routes for TSO concertgoers to avoid traffic jams.
“Traffic into the Alerus parking lot before the 2007 TSO concert was so backed up that some cars were at a standstill on Interstate 29 as they waited to take the off-ramps to get to the Alerus,” reported the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota. “Some said it took them more than an hour to drive the last mile to the concert.”
Those kind of reports are magic to O’Neill who takes delight in giving back to audiences.
“We always want to take it to answer level,” he said. “We always want to give more, make the cuts deeper.”
IF YOU GO
Trans Siberian Orchestra
Venue: 1st Mariner Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Tickets: $25-57
Info.: 410-547-SEAT; www.ticketmaster.com
