TSO In Sunrise Florida 1st Time Atendee

[No Username]

History:
Been to last 6 PP shows, catch every show I can in South Florida or Orlando for both Prog and Power, but never really got into TSO.

Went to the show last night and. How do I say this. There was a lot of pretty lights, and lazers, and fire...but the show was not all that impressive.

I was not really close to the stage, but I was irritated that I could not see anything due to the lack of lighting on the performers. There were 4 female singers but the only way I knew one of them was really hot was because she sang at the back riser they set up.

I swear that the guy doing the narration for the xmas half of the show was lip syncing, and his impression of Eddie Murphy's impression of Ray Charles during the songs was pretty sad to watch.

The band played during the xmas half like it was out of sync by maybe a hundredth of a second. It was noticeable and highly annoying.

The second half of the show was a bit better--everyone seemed in sync and acted like they were having a lot of fun. But the performance, when put up against ProgPower standards, was way below par.

The two bright spots were Jon Oliva being at the show (he was in the mix pit) and the female violinist.

She rocked. I kinda thought that was what everyone was supposed to do but...

The above the stage lighting setup was impressive--very Close Encounters of the Third Kind motif.

I guess you could call the show "Prog/Rock Meets Aliens"
Too bad the Aliens won the match.

 

[edgeofthorns]

Was it TSO West or East that you saw? You have to understand that TSO plays and caters to all age groups. If Jon Oliva came out there busting out some Warriors, you'd probably enjoy it, but everyone else would've been like WTH!

~Brian~

 

[Diamond45]

I was also a first time TSO attendee this year in Richmond, VA seeing TSO east (Chris Caffery's group). I was highly impressed with the performance as well as the music.

I've joked that TSO is "where Heavy Metal meets Christmas". It isn't meant to be designed to be a prog metal show (espeically the first half) but I liked the performances very well. If you went to the show expecting it to be a just prog metal concert, then you might be dissapointed.

I'm surprised how many people who attend the show don't know what TSO is about and dress up in dress shirts and ties (men) or dress slacks or skirts (women). Just because there is the word "orchestra" in the name does NOT mean this is anything traditional!

For many who attended the TSO show, it could almost considered their first heavy metal concert , espeically the second half when they start playing non-Christmas songs, including a couple of old Savatage songs. (How many people there had even HEARD of Savatage before attending? My guess next to none!). I think TSO is a way to help mainstream prog metal to the masses through the mostly universal concept of Christmas

I attended with my PP USA IX t-shirt and was throwing horns. I bet many people around me said WTF, but oh well, I got what TSO was about before attending, so I was prepared. I did see someone with a Dream Theater t-shirt, so they also got it as well. But the rest of the audience was probably in shock and horror!

I had a wonderful time and hope to see them on next year's tour!

 

[SavaVIDude]

Sounds like the east group, since the violin player, Anna Phoebe, was there. This is her first year in the east group, and to me, she was the highlight (along with Al Pitrelli) of the west group.

Was Johnny Lee Middleton the bass player? I heard he was moving to the east also.

Chris

 

[No Username]

Was it TSO West or East that you saw? You have to understand that TSO plays and caters to all age groups. If Jon Oliva came out there busting out some Warriors, you'd probably enjoy it, but everyone else would've been like WTH!

~Brian~

I would have enjoyed the show more if the performers had done a better job...that is where it falls flat for me. I have seen all kinds of live music, and the variations of talent are wide.

I had no problem at all with the material--the first half, especially, was everything the audience expected to see. But if they had been to a few ProgPower shows, or had seen bands who play this type of music very well, they would know where the performance fell flat.

 

[edgeofthorns]

I attended with my PP USA IX t-shirt and was throwing horns. I bet many people around me said WTF, but oh well, I got what TSO was about before attending, so I was prepared. I did see someone with a Dream Theater t-shirt, so they also got it as well. But the rest of the audience was probably in shock and horror!

I'm planning on wearing my Savatage shirts to both shows that I attend. Hopefully, someone will ask about them, so that I can give them my Savatage spill.

~Brian~

 

[Rycher]

I would have enjoyed the show more if the performers had done a better job...that is where it falls flat for me. I have seen all kinds of live music, and the variations of talent are wide.

I had no problem at all with the material--the first half, especially, was everything the audience expected to see. But if they had been to a few ProgPower shows, or had seen bands who play this type of music very well, they would know where the performance fell flat.

I think that is actually your issue, and not the general public's. They're not going to the show because they expect it to be a high-caliber, progressive metal show. They're going because they see it as something equivalent to seeing a performance of the Nutcracker around Christmas-time each year.

It's one thing to not be satisfied by a show. It's another to say that 15,000 other people shouldn't have been satisfied as well - that's ridiculous.

 

[rdyfrde]

Too bad you didn't see the West coast version. They were absolutely awesome in Seattle last weekend. In fact, it was the best show out of the 6 times that I've seen them live

 

[No Username]

I think that is actually your issue, and not the general public's. They're not going to the show because they expect it to be a high-caliber, progressive metal show. They're going because they see it as something equivalent to seeing a performance of the Nutcracker around Christmas-time each year.

It's one thing to not be satisfied by a show. It's another to say that 15,000 other people shouldn't have been satisfied as well - that's ridiculous.

I am not saying they would have been satisfied--I am saying they would have seen where it fell flat.

There were barely 6100 people in the Bank Atlantic theater...and I am sure most of them were happy with the performance.

Guess I have been spoiled by all the high caliber acts that play PP and local small venues over the years.

I keep wondering what it would be like to see Nightwish, or Evergrey, or SymphX or hell even DT with this kind of backing.

There were six(!!!) semis out back for all of the stage accoutrement.

 

[Diamond45]

I'm planning on wearing my Savatage shirts to both shows that I attend. Hopefully, someone will ask about them, so that I can give them my Savatage spill.

During the show, they mentioned Savatage (including Criss Oliva) just before they played Prelude to Madness and I Believe. So TSO at least tries to educate the audience in the history behind the band.

 

[Pellaz]

Cool that they mentioned Savatage during the show. In recent years (TSO-West), they haven't been mentioned much.

I'd heard that performance-wise, TSO-E was a bit behind TSO-W. Guess we'll find out tomorrow.

 

[edgeofthorns]

During the show, they mentioned Savatage (including Criss Oliva) just before they played Prelude to Madness and I Believe. So TSO at least tries to educate the audience in the history behind the band.

Cool, I'll throw up the horns then!

~Brian~

 

[edgeofthorns]

Does anyone know what happened to Jennifer Cella from the tour? I noticed she wasn't listed on the band section of the TSO site.

~Brian~

 

[Pellaz]

She isn't listed in the TSO-E program either.

It was a very good show, substantially different from last year's (even aside from the two Savatage songs).
Most of the vocal parts approached TSO-West in quality with the notable exception of the narrator, who was no Tony Gaynor. (He wasn't awful, but he was wayy different from Tony's narration.)
Musically they seemed fine from our vantage. (I wish we could have been a bit closer, but by the time I got tickets, the only top-price tickets left were pretty far back on the floor, so I opted for Price Level 2 and we were just behind it.)

Good to see several PPUSA people there!

It was Derek/Ruthven's first time seeing TSO, and he's planning on making it an annual event.

 

[VenomGA]

Musician wise, I think TSO-E is better! Damn they were awesome last night in the ATL. Look at is like this you basically have Savatage on stage with Chris Caffrey & Alex Scholnick on Guitar, Johnny Lee Middleton on Bass and Jeff Plate on drums. BUT, TSO-W has better singers. The light show was substantially different this year. The highlight to me was the awesome rendition of Prelude To Madness that Chris Caffrey and the Band did complete with the fire in the background. Simply fantastic. I gave them a standing ovation for it. Believe was good but would have been better with a singer who sang the song correctly. His voice did not suit the song. Jon's voice was not gravely when he sang Believe originally and the vocalist completely took away from the song singing this way.

 

[metalmusic]

Does anyone know what happened to Jennifer Cella from the tour? I noticed she wasn't listed on the band section of the TSO site.

~Brian~

Jennifer took this year off, rumor was due to pregnancy. She didn't say whether she plans to return in the future.

I too think the guy who is singing Believe has too gritty a voice to do the song justice. But I am just happy with the Savatage nod.

Bet he was nervous singing it in front of Oliva at the Florida shows!

 

[thedelicateflower]

...i remember a few years ago when they mentioned savatage (and i am pretty sure they have been mentioned every time i have seen them)...about 8 or so people (us 3 included) screamed out and applauded........pretty much every one else had no clue as to who/what savatage is...and most of the peeps on chris' board only know of him because he is in tso......
and i have also noticed that a lot of peeps do dress up.........

 

[Pellaz]

I too think the guy who is singing Believe has too gritty a voice to do the song justice. But I am just happy with the Savatage nod.

It was the first time Savatage has been mentioned onstage at a TSO show here in a year or two. I liked both of the Sava songs they did, and got a little teary-eyed during "Believe."

Bet he was nervous singing it in front of Oliva at the Florida shows!

Jon was at the Atlanta show, and the singer (Tim, I think) didn't seem nervous at all.

When Chris C. announced Jon, we gave him a hefty cheer, as well as for Criss when he was mentioned. We weren't completely alone, whew!

 

[dtmetalfan69]

I saw them last year for the first time as a Christmas gift and I was so overwhelmed by their performance that I am giving the same gift to someone else in my family. I also wore a concert shirt when I saw them and there were many others there wearing metal shirts that were holding up the fists. The funny part was, we were around a whole bunch of older adults that were just sitting and enjoying the show while we were headbanging for some of it. Quite a sight.

saMetal

 

[No Username]

It was the first time Savatage has been mentioned onstage at a TSO show here in a year or two. I liked both of the Sava songs they did, and got a little teary-eyed during "Believe."



Jon was at the Atlanta show, and the singer (Tim, I think) didn't seem nervous at all.

When Chris C. announced Jon, we gave him a hefty cheer, as well as for Criss when he was mentioned. We weren't completely alone, whew!

When they announced Jon, I stood up, yelled and threw horns--and turned around to see a bunch of people looking at me like I was insane. Oh well.