When Rock Meets Orchestra

For those who celebrate, it is the time of the year to enjoy the holidays with friends and family. It is the time of the year to joyfully decorate your Christmas tree and illuminate your home with colorful, bright lights. It is the time of the year to drink the rich, creamy sweetness of egg nog and smell the sweet vanilla dough of sugar cookies. It is the time of the year to watch your loved ones open their presents as they giggle with pure delight. It is the time of the year - well, you get the picture.

Every year was usually the same thing for me around the holidays. The only activities that were exciting were doing my Christmas shopping online and opening presents together with my family at home. Year after year, it was always the same. There were no Christmas parties. There were no holiday trips. I do not recall ever attending a Holiday attraction once in my life.

But this year, I wanted to do something different. Something I had never done before. Finally, I had this desire to add an extravagant experience for the holidays. I decided to attend my first Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert.

I have been a huge fan of Trans-Siberian Orchestra since 2006. “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” was playing on the radio, and I was charmed by the blend of this symphonic metal and Christmas medley. After learning that this was performed by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I wanted to hear more of their music. Songs I enjoy listening to are “Wizards in Winter”, “Nutrocker”, “Carmina Burana”, and do not get me started on The Christmas Attic album.

For many years, I wanted so badly to attend their concert whenever they were on tour. Sadly for me, I never made that happen. Either I was not financially able to spend extra money on a concert… or I was overpowered by my depression. Those holiday blues precipitated a lack of motivation multiple times.

This year was different. I felt better about myself. In addition to wanting to do something different, I also wanted to practice self-love and self-care. I will admit that I was very hesitant to order a ticket to see this band because of how I feel about crowds and the fear that my social anxiety would go through the roof. But then again, this is Trans-Siberian Orchestra that I have been yearning to go see for a very long time. I was not sure if this would be my only chance to see them live. With that thought, I ordered my ticket and knew I had to overcome my fear. Besides, I wanted to give myself an early birthday gift.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra finally performed on the night of December 17, 2023 in Philadelphia. It was a rainy night but I did not care. I sat in the front row of section 112, and it was not a bad spot at all. I had a decent view of the stage. The band came out and performed for two and a half hours. My thoughts… IT WAS INCREDIBLE!

I can talk for hours and hours telling people how much I enjoyed the show. It was a lot better than what I expected. There were different elements of the show that I did not expect at all. The whole time, I was grinning from ear to ear like The Grinch - but a kind and joyful version of him.

I cannot get over the experience of being at this concert. It was one thing listening to their music on the radio or from a CD player. But when I attended this concert, I felt like I had entered a whole new world. The sound was more lively, and the mood was so Christmassy. The show was so vivacious, it was almost as if I could feel it. Being there and listening to it live brought me to tears. I will say that if a band or any musician does that to you in a blissful way, they are doing something right.

I gazed in awe at the stage lighting. It was spectacular that the lights would emerge at different times, and they were almost everywhere. Almost every color that I can think of was used during the show. The lights were so in sync, and it was almost as if they were dancing with the music.

Now, I want to talk about the performers. Each one who stepped foot on stage did an amazing job - the singers, the musicians, and even the storyteller. Yes, there was a storyteller, and he was utterly captivating.

The musicians were full of energy. The violinist, Roddy Chong, showed his vitality as he was jumping around all over the stage while playing. I have never seen a violinist do that before.

The guitarists Joel Hoekstra and Chris Caffery were energetic as well. As a fan of many music genres, which include hard rock and heavy metal, I thought they did a phenomenal job pumping up the audience.

As for the bassist, Tony Dickinson, calling him an excellent musician would be an understatement. It was unexpected when he came off stage and played in the audience. As a matter of fact, he was playing only a few feet away from me. That close encounter made me feel like a zealous fangirl - but only for a few minutes.

Last but not least, Georgia Napolitano, one of the singers, impressed me the most. I was completely mesmerized by her. The angelic voice of this beautiful woman soothed my heart. Those I did not mention also made it possible to play the songs.

I could tell that all of the performers worked extremely hard to put this show together for the fans. I appreciate them coming to Philadelphia to entertain us only five days before my birthday.

If you are a fan of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and you have never gone to any of their concerts, I strongly encourage you to go whenever they are on tour. They are usually on tour around the holidays every year. For more information on this amazing band, click on the link below.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra