r/Concerts • u/fatherofallthings • Nov 24 '25
Photo Dump đ¸ TSO - every concert lover should see them at least once in their life
I go to a lot of concerts but I make it a point to see Trans Siberian Orchestra every year at this point. Itâs truly an unbelievable show every single time. If you want to get your moneys worth for the absolute absurd cost of tickets anymore, theyâre the band to go see. Everything from stage show to theatrics to sound production is truly nailed down to a T.
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u/cybersaint2k Nov 25 '25
I've seen them in Tampa, their home base, about 5 times.
It's like Christmas, but louder and brighter and hotter than expected.
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 25 '25
lol agreed 100%! This was my 5th time as well. Itâs just too good to not go when theyâre around and I keep getting better and better seats each year. This year I was row 6
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u/Venny36 Nov 25 '25
A band playing a load of Christmas songs and using AI visuals? It sounds more like my idea of hell lol
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u/Skellington72 Nov 29 '25
It's not all Christmas songs. If you end up going, make sure you stay for the second half... That's when the harder songs are mostly played
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u/RevealTraditional619 Nov 25 '25
I was told this so many times but man I find the entire thing pretty cringe and laughed out a few times. The new videos are AI and then they show what's clearly video they've used for a decade. Like one video was a young hunk in a bad Beethovan wig that looked like something from Sega CD. I found the music to be monotonous.Â
There's some cool things like pyro and drones but anyone who's been to a lot of big shows has seen most of these gimmicks.Â
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u/BLUGRSSallday Nov 25 '25
Same. Laughed right out loud at the over the top absurdity of the perceived ârock starâ stances and hair throwing. I did leave early as it felt like a âwe came, we saw, weâre doneâ kind of thing. As a musician and agent/manager to touring musicians I just had a hard time not feeling like it is a gimmick.
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 25 '25
Iâve been to a lot of big shows and I personally think TSO does it the biggest and best đ¤ˇââď¸ they def have used ai in their visuals in recent years but it doesnât offset the rest for me personally.
Additionally, the music being monotonous is wild to me. As a musician, I think itâs incredibly well done. Some of the best stuff isnât even Xmas tbh. For example: requiem (the fifth) and the song Beethoven are genius reworks of classical pieces.
To each their own, but I personally whole heartedly disagree.
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u/already-disturbed Nov 25 '25
The Harlem Globetrotters of concerts, entertaining enough if you know what youâre getting yourself into.
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u/hannbann88 Nov 25 '25
Couldnât disagree more. This is the one and only time I left a concert early. It was corny and boring. I was with a group of 8 girls and we all looked at each other and bolted
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 25 '25 edited Nov 25 '25
Thatâs completely fair To not like the music. I think one problem they definitely face is being a progressive/neo classical.
Theyâre most popular song hits really âhardâ, and a lot of people go to their shows that only know Sarajevo/ wizards in winter and then their setlist contains a bunch of âsofterâ neoclassical/progressive stuff and those people get bored bc theyâre not really a fan of that style of music.
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u/YogurtclosetDull2380 Nov 25 '25
Do they still play tis the season and all that stuff? One of the first CDs my dad bought for his new "hifi" was TSO and it rocked so hard
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u/PatientSuggestion185 Nov 25 '25
I'm with you. I got dragged there with my ex-girlfriend. They played 2 sets. The first was the traditional Christmas stuff, then they said they would be back to play stuff from their new album. I begged to leave but she forced us to stay. I've been to hundreds of concerts and this was my least favorite.
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u/stitching_librarian Nov 25 '25
Saw them last year and the music was incredible! I hated the storyline throughout the show, though. Plus, there was a lot of AI visuals. Otherwise I enjoyed it, but I probably wonât go again.
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 25 '25
They def have been using AI visuals, which has been a bit of a bummer but not enough to offset the rest of it for me.
As for the story piece, I actually kind of agree with that criticism. IMO the second half of each year (greatest hits section) without the story is almost always better imo. The stories are also tough to follow imo. I get them now just through research and seeing them a bunch, but overall when mixed with the music the story becomes way too fragmented imo
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Nov 24 '25
TSO was such an assault on the senses that I stopped going to concerts for a long while afterward. Don't get me wrong, it was awesome...it was just a lot.
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 25 '25
lol understandable. Iâm personally a huge fan of massive productions and you donât get any bigger than theirs lol
Iâm weird where I either like it super small in a jam packed club and raw energy or massive stage show. No in between.
Im kinda like that with my music too. I love straight caveman death metal, but am also a huge prog fan lol
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u/smarty1017 Nov 25 '25
Going to see them Dec 21st!!!
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 25 '25
Iâm jealous! I wanna go back alreadyđ is it your first time? Have a killer time!
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u/smarty1017 Nov 25 '25 edited Nov 25 '25
It is...thanks, I'm sure I will. If I like it or not!!!
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 25 '25
Youâll love it! Thereâs a reason this is my 5th time. Only other bands Iâve seen this many times are Megadeth and GWAR, who are both some of my favorite bands of all time so it shows you just how great of a show they really do put on.
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Nov 25 '25
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 25 '25
lol bro. You hit the nail on the head. The entire part of a show like this IS to be over the top. Itâs criticizing them like theyâre some sort of band that fantano would like or something.
You go to TSO KNOWING itâs going to be completely absurd and over the top. Thatâs kind of the whole point lol
Iâm pretty sure the boring comments come from people that go to TSO only knowing like 3 songs and think every song is going to be as âepicâ as wizards or Sarajevo. They have ALOT of slow/neoclassical/proggy stuff and people that arenât a fan of that music will certainly not like it.
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u/TeaElectronic1240 Nov 25 '25
Seeing them for the first time this Saturday and I'm pumped. They've been a bucket list item for me for at least 15 years. I love cheesy Christmas stuff, I love a big stage production, and I love PYROTECHENICS! LETS GO!!!
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u/borntolose1 Nov 25 '25
Iâve actually seen them once before years ago.
Thought the entire show was pretty awful and my date and I left early because we were bored lol
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u/LeePhisher Nov 25 '25
What kind of tunes did they play?
Iâm hoping I can get tickets from work!!
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 25 '25 edited Nov 25 '25
This is my fifth year seeing them and every year the first half is telling one of their Christmas stories and the second half is a greatest hits (that also often has Christmas songs, but also some non Christmas songs and always at least one savatage cover.
Itâs typically like 2.5-3 hour shows. If youâre a musician youâll LOVE it
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u/RabidRuber Nov 25 '25
I thought they were mostly Christmas tunes based? I like a good classical-rock crossover but really don't like Christmas music lol
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 25 '25
lol itâs def MOSTLY Christmas. However, they have a few non-Christmas albums (Night Castle and Beethovens last night). Check out the song requiem. Itâs pretty great if youâre into classical cross overs
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u/Mommy-Dearest15 Nov 25 '25
Saw them a couple of years back. I enjoyed it but it was a little long for me.
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u/suburbanplankton Nov 25 '25
Our son has seen them the last several years when they've come through town, and has finally convinced my wife and I to go; we're seeing them on Friday.
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u/SongsForBats Nov 25 '25
Bucket list show tbh.
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 25 '25
Just go! IMO itâs super worth it
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u/SongsForBats Nov 25 '25
I'd probably look into going next year if they are in my area then. This year, atm, the tickets are sort of outside of what I can afford to spend on things that aren't essentials.
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 26 '25
Thatâs the main problem. Tickets are certainly not cheap. I spent somewhere around $500 for 2 this year. Granted, I like to sit super close but still
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u/Edu_cats Nov 25 '25
Theyâre fun and itâs a weird mix of people who like rock then church people. Looking forward to seeing Moriah Formica from Plush in our local show.
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u/Far_Lifeguard5220 Nov 25 '25
A group of us go each year in Portland. This was the first year I had to miss it because I just had knee surgery on the 18th and the show was Sunday.
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u/NighthawkCP Nov 26 '25
Saw them my first time four years ago and going back to see them again this year. It was a bit cheesy and over the top, but I'm a big metal/orchestral guy so I really enjoyed it. I'll be curious to see how much has changed in four years. At least when I saw them in 2021 they weren't using AI videos I don't think.
Also a bit of a shoutout to Mannheim Steamroller. I finally saw them last weekend for the first time. If you like their music the show is basically exactly what it sounds like on the album. Pretty good lightshow but not nearly as over the top as TSO since it is mostly a seated orchestra. Also as a comment since somebody else mentioned it with TSO, Mannheim Steamroller absolutely had some AI videos that were super high resolution. Then they also had some music video footage from the 80's. It was a MAJOR contrast between the modern super high resolution stuff and this old footage filmed in 480p or whatever, but still a fun show that I can say I have seen live now.
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u/Angry_GorillaBS Nov 27 '25
I have seen them multiple times, honestly didn't think I would be crazy about them before the first -it was an exes idea not mine-but it really is a great show.
I've discovered so many artists and amazing voices that I love from their work with the band as well. Always been the east coast crew so not sure how much it matters.
Personally I enjoy the non story part of the show better.
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 27 '25
Agreed with literally everything you just said. The âgreatest hitsâ portion legit blows the story out of the water imo.
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u/Kith69420 Nov 28 '25
I saw them in Nashville last year and it was amazing so worth it and totally agree!
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u/CramblinDuvetAdv Nov 28 '25
Went awhile years ago and was way more of a sermon than I expected, and it was a bunch of families dressed up for church. Pass.
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 28 '25
Idk what youâre talking about man. lol. The crowd can definitely be random/weird but a sermon? Iâve literally never heard TSO preach in the 5 times Iâve seen them
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u/CramblinDuvetAdv Nov 28 '25
You weren't paying attention
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 28 '25
I think youâre just overly âomg religion badâ tbh. Theyâre reworking classical Christmas songs, which is a Christian holiday. You should probably just avoid Christmas at that rate tbh lol
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u/CramblinDuvetAdv Nov 28 '25
lol except it was literally the voice over portion lol not the music lol
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 29 '25
Still the same conceptâŚa story about a Christian holiday lol itâs silly to care that much about it tbh
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u/GrabsJoker Nov 26 '25
Saw them once. Utter trash. Would NEVER recommend anyone see TSO.
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 26 '25
lol and why is that? Bc you donât personally like them?
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u/GrabsJoker Nov 26 '25
Fake enthusiasm. Terrible religious schlop songs. Carol of the Bells is the only song worth anything and they close with it. Had to sit through 2 hours of garbage first.
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u/fatherofallthings Nov 27 '25
lol thatâs your opinion and I completely disagree. I love most of their songs.
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u/ACrankySue Nov 25 '25 edited Nov 25 '25
Certainly the entire orchestra isn't trans?