TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA Performs SAVATAGE Classic "If I Go Away" In Memory Of PAUL O'NEILL And CRISS OLIVA (Video)
December 4, 2022, 2 years ago
On November 30th, the East Coast company of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra brought The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve 2022 Tour to the SNHU Arena in Manchester, NH. During their set, they performed the Savatage classic "If I Go Away", taken from the Streets album, dedicating it to the memory of TSO co-founder Paul O'Neill and Savatage guitarist Criss Oliva.
Line-up:
Guitars - Chris Caffery & Joel Hoekstra
Drums- Jeff Plate
Bass - Tony Dickinson
Violin - Roddy Chong
Keyboards - Derek Wieland & Mee Eun Kim
Narrator - Bryan Hicks
Vocals - Natalya Rose, Georgia Napolitano, Erika Jerry, Gabbie Rae, Kayla Reeves, Zak Stevens, John Brink, Robin Borneman, Caleb Johnson, Russell Allen
After its first year off the road in more than two decades, TSO made a triumphant return to touring in 2021 with a 25th anniversary celebration of Christmas Eve and Other Stories. For 2022, TSO brings a completely updated presentation of the unforgettable, multi-generational holiday tradition, “The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve,” to 60 cities across the nation. This year’s tour kicked off on Wednesday, November 16 with performances in Green Bay and Council Bluffs, and will conclude after 101 shows on Friday, December 30 (see full itinerary below).
Keeping with the O'Neill's vision (Paul O’Neill, and his wife Desi), TSO remains one of rock’s most charitable bands. Once again, thankfully, TSO will give at least $1 from every ticket sold to charity. To date, approximately $18 million has been donated by the group. Desi O’Neill said, “we want to thank the fans so much for the kindness they showed in coming out last year. It meant the world to our family. Moreover, the credit for any charitable donation is due to you not us. The only way we are able to help all is because of you.”
A product of the imagination of TSO’s late founder Paul O’Neill and his wife Desi, and based on TSO’s multi-platinum CD and TV special, “The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve,” the rock opera features such enduring fan-favorites as "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," "O’ Come All Ye Faithful," "Good King Joy," "Christmas Canon," "Music Box Blues," "Promises To Keep," and "This Christmas Day." 2022’s tour will also boast a rousing second set containing more of TSO’s greatest hits and fan-pleasers including “Wizards In Winter,” “A Mad Russian’s Christmas,” and many more.
“It was so special to be back playing live last year. When you love something as much as we do and it's taken away, it made us super thankful to be back. I look forward to seeing all our ‘repeat offenders’ and all our new friends when we hit the road,” said TSO’s music director and lead guitarist Al Pitrelli. “I love all of Paul’s stories, but ‘The Ghosts of Christmas Eve’ is one of my favorites and can’t wait to unveil this incredibly amazing new show for everyone. We know some people may be having tough times, so we worked hard with the local promoters and arenas to have a low priced $29 ticket to do our part in helping out. God Bless all of you and see you in November and December when we celebrate in-person once again.”
For more details on tour dates and ticket sales, visit trans-siberian.com.
Remaining tour dates:
December
4 - Phoenix, AZ - Footprint Center (Matinee & Evening)
4 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena (Matinee & Evening)
7 - Austin, TX - Moody Center (Evening)
7 - Lexington, KY - Rupp Arena (Evening)
8 - Oklahoma City, OK - Paycom Center (Evening)
8 - Knoxville, TN - Thompson-Boling Arena (Evening)
9 - Little Rock, AR - Simmons Bank Arena (Evening)
9 - Greenville, SC - Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Matinee & Evening)
10 - St Louis, MO - Enterprise Center (Matinee & Evening)
10 - Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center (Matinee & Evening)
11 - Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Matinee & Evening)
11 - Atlanta, GA - Gas South Arena (Matinee & Evening)
14 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena (Evening)
14 - Raleigh, NC - PNC Arena (Evening)
15 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC (Evening)
15 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena (Evening)
16 - Jacksonville, FL - VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena (Evening)
16 - Allentown, PA - PPL Center (Matinee & Evening)
17 - Orlando, FL - Amway Center (Matinee & Evening)
17 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena (Matinee & Evening)
18 - Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena (Matinee & Evening)
18 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center (Matinee & Evening)
21 - Chicago, IL - Allstate Arena (Matinee & Evening)
21 - Hershey, PA - Giant Center (Matinee & Evening)
22 - Milwaukee, WI - Fiserv Forum (Matinee & Evening)
22 - Buffalo, NY - KeyBank Center (Matinee & Evening)
23 - St Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center (Matinee & Evening)
23 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide (Matinee & Evening)
26 - Kansas City, MO - T-Mobile Center (Matinee & Evening)
26 - Washington, D.C. - Capital One Arena (Matinee & Evening)
27 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center (Matinee & Evening)
28 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center (Matinee & Evening)
29 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center (Matinee & Evening)
29 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena (Matinee & Evening)
30 - Cleveland, OH - Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (Matinee & Evening)
30 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center (Matinee & Evening)
Since its touring debut, TSO has played more than 2,000 Winter Tour shows to approximately 18 million fans, with tour grosses of more than $725 million, and has sold more than 12 million albums and DVDs. Year-after-year TSO hits the upper reaches of the domestic and worldwide tour charts. Recently, Pollstar published its compiled touring charts for the past 40 years. TSO ranked #11 in Tickets Sold and #21 in Top Box Office Grosses. In June, Billboard placed TSO at #9 on its Mid-Year Boxscore Report, based on concerts from November 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022. Previously, TSO placed #31 on Billboard’s “Top Touring Artists of the Decade (2010s).” Additionally, at the close of the aughts, the group was ranked at #20 on Pollstar’s “Top Tour(s) of the Decade” and #25 on Billboard’s “Top Touring Artists of the Decade.”