Picture by: Mitch Lafon

As previously reported, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA guitarist Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE) is keeping a tour diary for the duration of the east coast company's North American tour. He has issued the following update:

"OK...

The trip to Toronto was pretty calm. We were all looking forward to our days off. We checked into the Cambridge Suites. A very nice hotel right in the heart of the shopping district downtown. I think I got in my suite at about 6AM. I put up some Christmas lights and went back to sleep. This was about 8AM. I did not even wake up 'til 3! I took a walk to the mall to pick up some things I needed and a few Christmas gifts and then headed back to the hotel. I then went to the 22nd floor hot tub that overlooks the city and soaked my knee. It is feeling much better! After that I returned to my room to watch Monday night football and then went to sleep. Even if the Giants won Sunday I would have lost the pool because I only had 40 points for the game.

Tuesday was pretty much the same. I woke up and stayed in my room trying to catch up on business. The My Space thing is out of control! I was the #65 Top Experimental artist page in the world yesterday. That is amongst about 500,000 bands!

I headed out once again to shop at about 5. I was going to go to the Tower here but it was so foggy that you could not even see it from less than a half a mile away! So, I went to dinner and needed to be back at the hotel at 6:30. We had tickets to the Maple Leafs game. The game was at the Air Canada Center. This is where we were playing the next night. The game was packed! The Leafs lost. Way out shot the Bruins but had no fire in the shooting! We had to get up at 5:30AM for a TV show so I headed back to my room as soon as the game was over. Of course I slept terribly. I never can sleep when I know I have to wake up so it was not a very sound 5 hours of sleep at all. Actually I think I fell asleep at 1...then kept waking up. My wake-up call was at 5:40. I woke up at 5:38 on my own!

Shower, got in my tux and grabbed a pillow. Then headed for the van to get our ride to the studio. It was about a 45 minute drive. We have done Canada AM 2 or 3 times before. They are always so nice there. We played 2 songs. "Wizards" was live and Christmas Eve was taped to play on Christmas.

I think we got back to the hotel at about 11AM. Our checkout from the hotel was at 3:45PM. I tried to sleep...no dice! So...I walked up Queen Street to do more shopping. I tried some famous Toronto Street Fries! Yum! Cheese and gravy...health food! I got a few gifts and headed back to get one more shot in the hot tub. Then I had to dismantle my Christmas lights!

Soundcheck ran late, 'til 6:15. the local catering was very good as usual. Amazing corn chowder! A good friend of mine who is a photographer came to take a few pictures of us before the show and we were back at it at 7:30. I felt less rested than a busy weekend because I was up so early!

The crowd was the largest yet. Over 11,000. Toronto has really grown for us! The show was a really smooth and fun one. There was a little kid in the front row with a really funny elf hat. After the show he was in the signing line and offered to give me the hat. It was so adorable. His Mom said he bought it for me with his own money. I thought that was the cutest, nicest thing that just about anyone has ever done for me. Especially a total stranger. I am hoping they e-mail me so I can send him something. That makes me realize just how much the kids miss me wearing the Santa hats. I can understand the reasons why it was something that was decided to be left out of the show. But I also can understand just how much the kids, old and young...miss it. Not to mention the ones who never got to see them.

The line was short for the amount of people. Weekday, traffic, public transportation and not wanting to ride too late. I suppose all of this had something to do with it. We hit the bus, had some Thai food. I headed to the back lounge to hide and do some work. the others sat up front listening to music and having some drinks. I am not drinking on this tour. I don't miss the alcohol, but it is hard to sit and relate to people who are drinking sometimes. No matter how well you know them.

I was frickin' fried and crashed pretty much immediately. I am writing from Rochester as the bus is leaving the hotel for the venue...

Tomorrow is Cleveland. Weather is going to be crappy. Please drive safely!"

Peace!

C

To view all TSO 2006 tour dates - east and west coast touring companies - go to this location. Links for ticket purchases can be found at the same location.