Tradition!

There are a lot of Christmas traditions I enjoy—trees, cookies, church services—but one of my favorites is seeing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This year was my 9th annual trek to the Richmond Coliseum to see this concert. I can’t think of a better way to kick off the season. It is satisfying on every level and gets me primed to celebrate the season with gusto.

I never get tired of this show and look forward to it every year. It is a singularly unique combination of my favorite Christmas music, but coupled with stellar special effects that really satisfy the techy geek in me.

I’m known in the office as the guy who can fix anything. My office mates call me to fix all kinds of computer problems. I build shelving that I design, to solve storage problems. I maintain our server, which is no small feat. I’m able to talk to the maintenance guys—in their own language—and I manage phone problems, heat problems, lighting problems, and even plumbing problems. You name it, I’ve fixed it. 

So I can just imagine what went into staging the Trans-Siberian Orchestra show and could probably estimate how many hours it took to get it on the proverbial road. But I didn’t have to do anything but sit back and enjoy it! There cannot be a more appreciative audience member than me.

Every year it is bigger and better, and this year was no exception. I particularly appreciate the snow lasers and synthesizers. This year had even more lights and pyrotechnics, something I wouldn’t have believed possible to do. The stage was constructed so that band members could walk out over top of the audience. Very cool. And there were new band members too, which kept the concert very fresh.