By WAYNE BLEDSOE
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
In 1996, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra created the closest thing to a Christmas music phenomenon that the post-baby-boomer generation has ever seen.
"Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," a nearly bombastic reworking of "Carol of the Bells" with symphony, synthesizer and heavy-metal guitar, became a hit and has since become a perennial favorite.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Al Pitrelli says that one question is common about the group:
"What's with this Russian rock band with the opera?"
Pitrelli laughs.
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra sprang from a collaboration between rock producer Paul O'Neill and the heavy-metal rock band Savatage in 1995.
While Savatage had won fame with several albums and was featured on MTV's "Headbanger's Ball," it was the track "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" on the group's album "Dead Winter Dead" that gave the group a new career. Pitrelli, a veteran of Megadeth and Alice Cooper's band, had been asked to join the group by O'Neill.
"This was during the Nirvana era," says Pitrelli. "Hair metal was dead and buried."
However, that was only in the United States.
"In November we went to Europe," says Pitrelli. "When we came back (to the U.S., the track), was the No. 1-requested number in the nation _ in nearly all formats."
The president of Atlantic Records suggested that an entire album be built around the single.
"We all got together and just put all the ideas on the table," says Pitrelli.
While he loved what resulted, Pitrelli admits he was skeptical that any one would buy the resulting album, which became the first release under the name Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
"But we wrote a record that the American public immediately got," says Pitrelli."
The band released a follow-up, "The Christmas Attic," in 1998, and a year later the group decided to take the show on the road during the Christmas season.
Pitrelli says the group wasn't prepared for what it saw in the crowd the first night that the curtain opened.
"There were kids with Megadeth T-shirts on beside Grandma with knitted Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer sweaters," says Pitrelli. "All ages. Everybody got it."
The show has since developed into one of the most elaborate and successful music presentations on the road.
There are two different companies (one led by Pitrelli and the other led by keyboardist Bob Kinkel), and each of the concerts includes 24 musicians, pyrotechnics and what Pitrelli calls "the biggest light show on the planet."
With two more successful albums under the group's belt ("Beethoven's Last Night" and "The Lost Christmas Eve") and crowds that seem to nearly double each season, Pitrelli sees the Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour becoming a Christmas tradition.
"The only challenge is to not pay attention to the geometric growth of the shows," he says. "I just keep telling everybody, 'This is just a rock show.'"
UPCOMING TOUR SCHEDULE FOR THE TWO COMPANIES (dates subject to change):
Nov. 11 _ Lexington, Ky., Rupp Arena
Nov. 11 _ Memphis, Tenn., Mid-South Coliseum
Nov. 12 _ Dayton, Ohio, Nutter Center
Nov. 12 _ Jackson, Miss., Mississippi Coliseum
Nov. 13 _ Bossier City, La., CenturyTel Center
Nov. 14 _ Charlotte, N.C., Cricket Arena
Nov. 15 _ Cape Girardeau, Mo., Show Me Center
Nov. 15 _ Greensboro, N.C., Greensboro Coliseum
Nov. 16 _ Hampton, Va., Hampton College
Nov. 17 _ Peoria, Ill., Peoria Civic Center
Nov. 17-18 _ Wilkes Barre, Pa., Wachovia Arena
Nov. 18 _ Green Bay, Wis., Resch Center
Nov. 19 _ Hershey, Pa., Giant Center
Nov. 19 _ Madison, Wis., Alliant Energy Center
Nov. 20 _ Des Moines, Iowa, Wells Fargo Arena
Nov. 21 _ Omaha, Neb., Qwest Center
Nov. 21 _ Syracuse, N.Y., Oncenter
Nov. 22 _ Portland, Maine, Cumberland Country Civic Center
Nov. 24 _ Lubbock, Texas, United Spirit Arena
Nov. 24 _ Manchester, N.H., Verizon Wireless Arena
Nov. 25 _ El Paso, Texas, El Paso County Coliseum
Nov. 26 _ Montreal, Canada, Bell Centre
Nov. 26 _ Phoenix, Glendale Arena
Nov. 28 _ San Diego, Cox Arena
Nov. 29 _ Los Angeles, Calif. Great Western Forum
Nov. 29 _ Toronto, Canada, Air Canada Centre
Nov. 30 _ Fresno, Calif., Save Mart Center
Nov. 30 _ Rochester, N.Y., Blue Cross Arena
Dec. 1-2 _ Cleveland, Quicken Loans Arena
Dec. 1 _ Reno, Nev., Reno Events Center
Dec. 2 _ Sacramento, Calif., Arco Arena
Dec. 3 _ Oakland, Calif., Oakland Arena
Dec. 3 _ Pittsburgh, Mellon Arena
Dec. 6 _ Columbus, Ohio, Nationwide Arena
Dec. 6 _ Seattle, Key Arena
Dec. 7 _ Cincinnati, US Bank Arena
Dec. 7 _ Portland, Ore, Rose Garden
Dec. 8 _ Boise, Idaho, Idaho Center
Dec. 8 _ Detroit, Palace of Auburn Hills
Dec. 9 _ Chicago, Allstate Arena
Dec. 9 _ Salt Lake City, E Center
Dec. 10 _ Grand Rapids, Mich., Van Andel Arena
Dec. 10 _ Las Vegas, Orleans Arena
Dec. 12 _ Denver, Pepsi Arena
Dec. 13 _ Colorado Springs, Colo., World Arena
Dec. 13 _ Columbia, S.C., Colonial Center
Dec. 14 _ Albuquerque, N.M., Tingley Coliseum
Dec. 14 _ Raleigh, N.C., RBC Center
Dec. 15 _ Oklahoma City, Ford Center
Dec. 15 _ Richmond, Va., Richmond Coliseum
Dec. 16 _ Dallas, American Airlines Center
Dec. 16 _ Philadelphia, Wachovia Center
Dec. 17 _ Houston, Toyota Center
Dec. 17 _ Providence, R.I., Dunkin Donuts Center
Dec. 20 _ Birmingham, Ala., BJCC
Dec. 20 _ Uniondale, N.Y., Nassau Coliseum
Dec. 21 _ East Rutherford, N.J., Continental Airlines Arena
Dec. 21 _ Little Rock, Ark., Alltel Arena
Dec. 22 _ Albany, N.Y., Pepsi Arena
Dec. 22 _ Austin, Texas, Frank Erwin Center
Dec. 23 _ Buffalo, N.Y., HSBC Arena
Dec. 23 _ San Antonio, AT&T Center
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