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Trans-Siberian Orchestra Tour

Buffalo, New York, United States

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Performing

Trans-Siberian Orchestra performing - notice the movable silver apparatus above the stage

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Performing

Trans-Siberian Orchestra with Laser Light Displays

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra stopped in Buffalo at the HSBC Arena during their Christmas 2007 tour. We had a great time! The music was fantastic, the story was fantastic, and it was just a great way to bring in the Christmas season.

We had two minor complaints about the show - the music was too loud (our ears were ringing mildly afterwards), and the light show was overdone at times. As a member of the audience, I had to shut my eyes because too many of the bright lights were flashing on me. There was also a heavy use of strobe lights at times, which may be uncomfortable for some people.

Now that the complaining is out of the way, I can continue talking about what an excellent experience this show was. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra combines traditional Christmas songs played by an orchestra with their own unique music. The orchestra is accompanied by electric guitars, drums, and keyboards, creating an upbeat and lively combination. Their Christmas songs have quickly become some of my favorite seasonal music.

One of the keyboard players, the co-founder of the Trans-Siberian orchestra, and a composer, was born in Buffalo, so it's possible that they gave a longer performance and played more songs than usual. The show was supposed to start at 3:00p, but didn't actually start until about 3:20. They played straight through until around 6:00p (there was no intermission, although since it was an arena, people were free to come and go as they pleased). There was another show starting at 7:00p, so they couldn't continue playing, even if they had wanted to.

The first half of the show consisted of the traditional "story". There was a narrator who spoke between songs and told the story introduced in the song "An Angel Came Down" (from the "Christmas Eve And Other Stories (1996)" Album).

After the main show, there was a brief interlude while the musicians were each introduced, and then the performance continued. The group played some of their more popular songs, including "Wizards in Winter", and some songs from their upcoming CD "Night Castle".

The show visuals were quite neat - there were indoor fireworks, large colored flames, laser displays, lots of lights, and moving stage light fixtures. As I mentioned, the displays were at times overwhelming, but were mostly fun to watch and entertaining.

Cost

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Performing

Snow (small pieces of paper) falls onto the crowd below

Tickets varied in price depending on seating, but were approximately $50 each.