2. Listening to Mannheim Steamroller Mannheim Steamroller did the Christmas prog thing first, and therefore is the closest comparison to Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Both can be viewed as questionable, but Mannheim's take on the Yuletide catalog is more legitimate. Mannheim makes guitarless new-age Christmas music using sounds you'd usually skip over when trying out a Yamaha keyboard. Nobody had done that before because nobody thought to do it. The reason TSO was the first group to perform rock versions of Christmas carols that they call metal but sound more like tinsel? Because it was easy, and everybody who had the talent to shred through The Nutcracker Suite had better things to do.
1. Saving money It's a bad idea to make sweeping generalizations. With that said, it's exactly what I'm about to do. Most Trans-Siberian Orchestra fans are Christian, and likely to be the same folks who refer to themselves as "financially conservative". Nosebleed seats for TSO's show at Scottrade Center (1401 Clark Avenue, 314-241-1888) cost $41 after Ticketmaster fees* $82 if you bring a friend and you'd still need binoculars to see the drummer unnecessarily twirling his sticks through the fog machine. Frustrating that a majority of people dropping this kind of dough are the same who complain about wasteful spending. You know, like education programs or assistance for underprivileged kids. Spend your disposable income how you please, this is America. We're all entitled to life, liberty, and Marshall stacks blaring out "Joy To The World". I'll take 82 extra dollars in my bank account, even if it means a lump of coal in my stocking.
*Ed. Note: Fees only apply to online purchases -- the same tickets cost $29 if you buy at the Box Office, though the dollar amount is hardly the point here.
