Trans Siberian Orchestra 11/13/09 W.C.E.
The old geezer
FANTASTIC Experience she was told. I had heard of them but none of
their music. I just figured they would be like a combination of ELO,
Genesis & Tangerine Dream doing rock versions of Xmas & classical
music. Not my idea of a fun evening but how bad could it be? Spoke
to some people where I work who'd seen them & they all said they were
great! So I bought a pair of tickets thru Ticketmaster totaling over
$100.00 (which I could ill afford) after all the "fees" (they even
charge $2.50 for the "priviledge" of printing the ticket out on my own
printer) & surcharges.
Went to the Rochester War Memorial for the first time for a concert
since seeing the GD there for two back to back shows back in November
1985 & was amazed by the diversity of the crowd there. Sophistcates
wearing sweaters tied around their necks to rednecks wearing NASCAR
jackets....Young...OLD..& I mean REAL OLD!! Wow, I said to myself as
I purchased a warm beer for $6.50, this is gonna be something!
Well, the next 2 1/2 hours were the most excrutiatingly painful/boring/
exasperating time I've spent on this planet in a long time!
Talk about over the top, overblown, pretensious BAD 1980's style Hair
Band Hard "Rock"......it was Gawd awful!!! The Xmas music was of
their own composition & completely tuneless. There was an African
American "narrator" trying (in his best James Earl Jones voice, but
not coming close) to narrate some tale of an angel 's journey around
Earth on Xmas Eve which made no sense 'cuz I couldn't understand what
he was saying except for a few times when he rhymed "throat" &
"coat" (must have attended the Mark Farner School of Songwriting).
The "lead" vocalists did their best impressions of Joe Cocker/Dennis
Wilson sound alikes while singing the tuneless songs that seemed to go
on ad nauseum. Real bad!!!
There was some chick in a black dress going ape with this violin/
fiddle on stage, all thru the show but I never heard a note she played
'cuz she was drowned out by the LOUD, Seemingly Programmed, SOULESS
guitars.
The laser light show & pyrotecnics were cool for awhile but even that
got boring. I always believed if a band was GOOD they didn't need all
that distractions. (ie. GD).
Then, after what seemed like an eternity, the music stopped. One of
the lead members came out & thanked everyone for attending & then said
that they'd be performing selections from their new cd for the *second
half* of the concert!!! My spouse & I both groaned! "We can leave
now if you want" she said but NO!...I was gonna get my $100 worth if
it killed me. And it almost did!
The second half was even worse! TOO LOUD, bad rip off souless
renditions of (as I stated before) 80's style Hair metal bands. Each
song would start off at a crescendo, stay there, then end! Tuneless.
Tuneless. And the crowd was going wild! I just did not get it!
The one ....& I mean one....highlight...if you could call it even
that...was a note for note remake of a 1962 Dave "Baby Cortez
instrumental that I recognized called "Bumble Boogie" or something
like that...I know that ain't right but my memory fails me at the
moment.
We couldn't get out of there fast enough after the show was over.
Thank gawd there was no encore.
And to think I passed up a Flo & Eddie/ Peter Noone concert a few
weeks back 'cuz the tickets were $50.00 for two!!!
Picture a Hard Rock Male "Celtic Woman " concert. Ugh! The
performers were smiling all the time! Programmed androids playing
computer coporate music.
Worst. Concert. Ever.
The old geezer
NP: Don't Let Go - JGB
ND: Old Thumper Extra Special Ale
AFFZSUX
.
>
> ... I passed up a Flo & Eddie/ Peter Noone concert a few
> weeks back
Was there an opening group?
Mike Espinoza
I can't really speak to your wife's taste in music, but it is obvious
to me that whoever recommended this concert didn't know your's at all.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra was started by members of the band Savatage,
a progressive hair metal band from the late 80s and early 90s. Their
first song (and biggest hit) is "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24", a
metallized medley of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" and "Carol Of The
Bells". I'm sure you heard it during your ordeal. This band
basically mixes traditional Christmas music with 80s-style metal.
That's their schtick.
Let me say as someone who actually likes 80s metal and owns TSO's
Christmas Trilogy box (3CDs/1DVD), Trans-Siberian Orchestra IS
overblown. I only really like about a third of their stuff and that's
just the Christmas music. The Beethoven album is absolutely wreched
and I don't have a good feeling about their new one either.
"combination of ELO, Genesis & Tangerine Dream"? Ha! More like a
combination of Dream Theater, Meat Loaf, and Michael Bolton.
And it could have been worse. The last time they were in these parts,
the tickets were $100 EACH! I rejected that on principle.
I like mocking your rants, geez, but this time I can't. I'm really
sorry that you and your wife went through this. In the future, you
might want to consider listening to some samples online before
committing to seeing a show just on a recommendation, particularly if
your going to lay out that kind of scratch for it.
In the meantime, I would suggest listening to the Beach Boys'
Christmas Album on repeat until the sense memory of that show has left
you.
Be well, my friend.
--
Mike E.
The old geezer
. �Their
> first song (and biggest hit) is "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24", a
> metallized medley of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" and "Carol Of The
> Bells". �I'm sure you heard it during your ordeal.
We did. That was one of the few 'highlights"
> "combination of ELO, Genesis & Tangerine Dream"? �Ha! �More like a
> combination of Dream Theater, Meat Loaf, and Michael Bolton.
>
Figured they'd be kinda like a harder version of Mannheim
Steamroller.....Wuz I wrong!
> I like mocking your rants, geez, but this time I can't. �I'm really
> sorry that you and your wife went through this. �In the future, you
> might want to consider listening to some samples online before
> committing to seeing a show just on a recommendation, particularly if
> your going to lay out that kind of scratch for it.
When mein frau sets her mind to something there is no changing
it.......
TOG
eelco janzen
> On Nov 15, 1:25?am, dloka...@yah-who.calm (Mike Espinoza) wrote:
> . ?Their
>> first song (and biggest hit) is "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24", a
>> metallized medley of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" and "Carol Of The
>
> We did. That was one of the few 'highlights"
>
>> combination of Dream Theater, Meat Loaf, and Michael Bolton.
>>
> Figured they'd be kinda like a harder version of Mannheim
> Steamroller.....Wuz I wrong!
>
>> sorry that you and your wife went through this. ?In the future, you
>> might want to consider listening to some samples online before
>> committing to seeing a show just on a recommendation, particularly if
>> your going to lay out that kind of scratch for it.
>
> When mein frau sets her mind to something there is no changing
> it.......
>
> TOG
That was a very funny concert report. Almost makes me curious ...
And that "mein frau"... she has German ancestors ?
VVV
eelco
The old geezer
No, she is Scottish/Anglo/Seneca Indian. I'm Irish/The Master Race.
The old man used to use that expression all the time & I've kept it
alive since he's been gone.
TOG
Yesterdays Wafflez
Isn't it the worst sitting through a crappy show even thinking, "Oh the
good stuff is coming".
Too bad!
Thanz,
Fell The Love, (remember that)?
Y.W.
Les Cargill
> I'm not sure where to start.
>
> "combination of ELO, Genesis & Tangerine Dream"? Ha! More like a
> combination of Dream Theater, Meat Loaf, and Michael Bolton.
>
+1
<snip>
--
Les Cargill