Metal Magic in Raleigh: Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Christmas Spectacular at PNC Arena
If you have never seen Trans-Siberian Orchestra live, you are in for a spectacular Christmas treat! The symphonic metal group TSO brought their Winter Tour 2023 to PNC Arena on Wednesday December 13, 2023, and it was nothing short of being the best concert of 2023. With two nutcrackers standing tall, long-haired rockers, phenomenal vocals, and breathtaking lights, Raleigh North Carolina was celebrating a very metal Christmas.
The night started off with their song The Hourglass (Savatage Cover). Many digital 3D screens displayed a ship in rough seas, depicting tough times during the holiday season. The song was a touching tribute to the late Criss Olivia and Paul O’ Neil, who were long time collaborators of Trans-Siberian orchestra (TSO), and who formed the band Savatage, back in the early 80’s. As the fog filled the air, fans can be heard gasping to the sights and sounds of what was to become of this joyous, metal Christmas spectacular.
As the night went on, scenes from a Broadway type play filled the stage. The drums rose up into the air and displayed the front of a theatre. Trans-Siberian Orchestra was seen on the theatre signs. Storyteller Bryan Hicks narrated quite a few scenes during the night, one of the scenes depicting a child who had left her home for reasons that remain unknown. She wanted to come back, so she wrote her parents a letter wanting to come home. What a hair-raising experience. While battling through the goosebumps, the arena fell silent while Hicks told this heartfelt story.
The remainder of the night was filled with songs such as Good King Joy, sung by Caleb Johnson, Christmas Dreams, sung by Russell Allen, the popular Christmas Eve (Sarajevo, Savatage Cover), Promises to Keep, sung by Gabriela Gun, and much more! What a stunning light show! Lasers, fog machines, and strobes. Pyrotechnics were on point. The sound was surprisingly tolerable, not overwhelmingly loud. The crowd was responsive. The atmosphere was vibrant. By far the best show of the year. A must see for first timers! The Ghost of Christmas Eve tour wraps up in St Paul Minnesota on 12/30/23.
