Low Expectations Bring Pleasant Surprises.

When I was presented with free tickets to the O.A.R concert, I immediately snatched them up, I'm not exactly one to turn down a free show. But needless to say I was not expecting anything spectacular from the show, I didn't really know much about the bands. I knew "love and memories" by O.A.R and the song isn't awful, but it's nothing to pay 30 bucks for.

So I was incredibly surprised when I found myself impressed with all of the acts.

First on was Steven Kellogg and the Sixers. Unfortunately I arrived to the show a little late so I only caught the tail end of his set. But from what I saw, there's some talent there. With Steve on vocals and guitar, he somehow manages to weave his quirky personality into his music. If he can keep up what he is doing now, as well as expand the variety of songs he plays, he just might be someone worth buying.

Next on was Augustana, who played the worst set of the three bands. They played your typical "scene" set, with an acoustic power-punk sound driving their performance. They were very cliche and boring. Except for one song, which entailed the use of a mandolin and an organ, that was without a doubt thier best song played. It's what made me even give this band a chance. The song streched beyond the band's power-punk, cliche boundries. However, I was very impressed with with keyboardist, John Vincent. He is to Augustana as John Fruisante is to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He is the man in the shadows of the lead singer, with more talent, great harmonizing vocals and is a master of his craft. So if this band wants to get serious and make some great music all they have to do is ditch the lead singer, and experiment with some new instruments to alter thier sound.

Lastly, O.A.R closed out the show. I was not expecting much from them but I was sure I would enjoy a live version of "Love and Memories." It turns out that was the worst song on thier set. The music itself was great, but every song sounded like it could have been thier closing song. All of the songs creshendoed, increased in tempo and the light show glared, creating that grande finale effcet. At first it was great, it made me think much more of this band. But then it got old after a while. It was like if they didn't play those types of songs, they turned into just another mediocre rock band. Mainly because all of the talent of this band lies with Jerry DePizzo, the saxaphone player. He is incredibly talented and at one point of the show he was making love to his saxaphone so well that it was creating notes that either sounded like a 12 year old girls scream, but good, or it was a note I was pretty sure only dogs could hear. It was absolutely incredible. It's unfortunate that he is the only thing drving this band. If they could write better songs with lyrics that weren't so cliche, and add different types of insruments to thier ensemble, they could easily make it up the charts, at least in my book.

Overall I give this show a B-.

WEQX Fest!!!

WEQX Fest is going to be at Spac on July 30th! I have already purchased my ticket, they were on sale for $10.27 on June 9th and 10th, but now lawn seats are only 20$. TV on the Radio is playing! I am so excited, they are on my list of shows I must see before I graduate college. So one down, nine to go! They are also playing with Shiny Toy Guns, Matisyahu, 311, and a few others. Buy your tickets, it going to be a kickass show!

Totally Sick.

This video is so cool! It is a drum solo to the Super Marios Brothers theme song. I wish I could play the drums like this guy!

PB&J

...and I don't mean a child's lunch.

Peter Bjorn and John are sweeping the nation ever since their song "Young Folks" appeared on Grey' Anatomy. Their recently released album Writers Block has become one of my new favorites. Not only is "Young Folks" a terrific song, the rest of the album is fantastic too. Their music is pretty chill, its a mix of alternative and folk, two of my favorite things. "Young Folks" features Vanessa Burgsman a talented young singer sure to be top the charts in due time. Some of my other favorites off of the album are "Object of my Affection," "Paris 2004," and "Amsterdam." This CD has been in my car for about a week now, it is great for driving. The songs on this album are also incredibly catchy and unique. I suggest this album to anyone. Pick it up and check it out!

10 Bands I need to See Perform

Although there are many shows I plan on attending before I graduate from college, this is a list of 10 artists I hope to see live before I do.

10. The Sugi Tap- just because I was never able to see Eve6 when they were together

9. Muse- even if it is just for "Knights of Cydonia" that song would be incredible live

8. The Killers- I'm sure they would put on a pretty good show

7. The Shins- I'm curious as to what they would do live, they are pretty weird

6. Damien Rice- his voice is so powerful and pure, I'd kill to see him live

5. The Flaming Lips- they are even weirder then The Shins, I'd love to hear all of their weird synthesizer effects live

4. TV on the Radio- their energy is astounding through the CD, I can't even fathom how intense a show would be

3. Beck- again, Beck is a strange character himself, he performed with puppets on David Letterman, I'd be curious to see what he does live

2. The Decemberists- one of my all time favorite indie folk bands, some of their songs are very theatrical, would make a good show

1. SUFJAN STEVENS!!!- this is a show I MUST see before I die, I've heard that he puts on fantastic shows, and I could only imagine, considering he is the God of music himself.

Zappa is a Genius

Here is a video of Frank Zappa covering Led Zeppelins"Stairway to Heaven" at Music Hall in Cleveland. Its long video, but at least wait for it all to load and then fast forward to 5:40. It's probably one of the most insane things I have ever seen or heard as far as music goes. Frank Zappa transcribed the entire guitar solo into a horn ensemble unison. It's incredible.

10 Songs You Need to Download NOW! Part Duex

Here's the list, you know what to do with it.

1. "Someone Great" by LCD Soundsystem- this song is outrageously original. With its electronica keyboard mixed with the counter melody played on the bells and a great voice that's a little-on-the-flat-side-but-that's-what-makes-it-so-kickass, this song is sure to get your head boppin'.

2. "Level" by The Raconteurs- it's an incredibly catchy tune with a repeat chant chorus you hate yourself for loving. You think to yourself, "okay, enough already." But then you realize you love it. A lot.

3. "Modern Girl" by Sleater-Kinney- This ones for the ladies. It's kind of a corny song but I promise you it WILL get stuck in your head for days upon days. It's an instant mood lifter too.

4. "Adlai Stevenson" by Sufjan Stevens- again with the catchy songs. This one is off of The Avalanche, another brilliant masterpiece by the god of music himself and it really makes you wish you in a band, and I don't mean a rock band, I mean a full fledged flute filled, trumpet tooting, banjo strumming, oboe honking ensemble.

5. "Lua" by Bright Eyes- to be honest, I'm not even a big fan of Bright Eyes. I think most of the lyrics are incredibly well-written, but I think that Conor Oberst is a tad on the whiny side. However, this is one song in particular where I think he can get away with his whiny voice. It works.

6. "Ask Me Anything" by The Strokes- I think this song was on a car commercial, but regardless this song is traditional Strokes. Its got a really cool electronica keyboard part, but it's a bit darker and deeper.

7. "And She Was" by The Talking Heads- This song is so infectious it's astounding. It's such a fun, upbeat song it's next to impossible not to dance along to it, which makes it a great party song.

8. "Lie Still Little Bottle" by They Might Be Giants- This is one of my favorite TMBG songs mainly because it very different from all of their other songs. It's groovy, slow and jazzy with most of the instrumental done by finger snaps, a piano and drums, with random sax interludes here and there.

9. "Waiting For My Real Life to Begin" by Colin Hay- Although I completely disagree with the whole concept of "waiting for my real life to begin," this song is beautiful. The lyrics, his voice, the soft picking of the acoustic guitar, it all blends and makes a brilliant song that's relaxing and pleasing to the ears.

10. "Let Me Kiss You" by Morrissey- I love this song, it highlights the soft side of Morrissey. The lyrics are kind of self degrading on Morrissey's part, but I guess you'll just have to take that with a grain of salt. However, along with that, this song shows the vulnerability of men, not something you hear about often.

So download these bad-boys on you iTunes, trust me you won't be disappointed.

The Epitome of Indie

Recently, I have completely obsessed with O by Damien Rice and Wincing the Night Away by The Shins. These albums both have a soft, acoustic tone that breeds a lot of creativity. The Shins, who are renown for their quirky lyrics and odd-ball sense of style, deliver a more serious, deep message on Wincing the Night Away. Whereas Damien Rice writes passionately about love and heartbreak on O.

"Never judge a book by it's cover" certainly applies to CD art as well. Words that come to mind when looking at this cover? Plain. Boring. Genius. Heard in Starbucks' throughout the nation Damien Rice has been pleasing our ears since 2003, when he first released O. On this album Damien Rice uses his delicate yet powerful voice to convey tales of sorrow, love, heartbreak, frustration and faith. Many of the tracks on O, such as "Eskimo" and "Volcano," have brilliant orchestral backgrounds that complements Damien's voice. His lyrics are absolutely beautiful throughout the entire CD, he uses a lot of poetry mixed with random phrases to make a story out of each song. What really gets me about Damien's music is that it's rather simple. No wailing guitars, no crazy energetic drum solos, and no synthesized anything; just an acoustic guitar and Damien's astounding voice. Completely genius. Some of my favorites off of O are "Amie," "I Remember" and "Cannonball." All of which have the common theme of love. But these are not your typical love songs. No "I miss you baby-s" here. This entire album is incredible, especially for rainy days. It's amazing how Damien Rice has managed to fly under the radar for so long.

As Spring comes into full swing, more warm sunny days will be heading our way. And with warm and sunny days come happy, upbeat, feel-good music. And there you have The Shins' Wincing the Night Away. Wincing the Night Away is The Shins' third album, released January of this year. This album is a bit of a melting pot for The Shins. Their previous albums have been your standard indie rock albums, acoustic, quirky lyrics, its what makes The Shins, The Shins. And don't get me wrong, both of their prior albums are fantastic as well. But on Wincing the Night Away, you can hear some different roots in certain songs. In "Turn On Me" (one of my favorites) you can definitely hear some Beatles influence in the song. And on "Sea Legs" there's a bit of Depeche Mode, a bit of that 80's euro-pop in there, most likely not intentional, but surprisingly magnificent. Other favorites off of this album include "Red Rabbits," "A Comet Appears" and "Girl Sailor." This album still upholds The Shins' reputation as being, well, weird, and having some really odd lyrics with even more odd song titles, but also shows a bit more creativity on their part, as well as being a bit more serious.

Both of these Cd's can give you a peek into the whole indie scene. Although there are many more sub-genres to indie music, both of these albums should hook you regardless. So check them out.

Feeding the Frenzy

I think it's clear that we as a society are drowning in a sea of new technology. Cell phones, mp3 players, computers, game boys etc.. its a never ending cycle of new gadgets to amuse ourselves with. Don't get me wrong I love my iPod as much as the next person, maybe even more. What makes me wonder is how businesses are being affected by these new, easier ways yo get media. Instead of buying Cd's at the local music stores, many now just purchase mp3's offline not only because it is much more easily accessed, but because its much cheaper to purchase offline for your mp3 player, then drive to the store and purchase the actual CD, much more time efficient too.

Granted, you would think those music stores would suffer, lose business. But FYE, the local entertainment store, has recently decided to hand out flyer's, encouraging that the customers use their Used Product Program. The flyer's passed out by FYE say on them "Buy it, Rip it, Trade it." FYE has recognized the fact that many people are using programs such as iTunes to get their music and have now pushed this policy to redirect some of its business. What FYE wants you to do is to buy their Cd's, burn them on to your mp3 player and then return the CD for store credit or cash, not full price though. This way, sure they will take a small financial hit, but its better than not getting the business at all.

This isn't a bad thing, I'm 100% guilty of buying music off of iTunes and not in the store. It's just interesting so see this massive transformation. It just makes me wonder, whats next? In the future, will music stores be obsolete?

The Sugi Tap...EP

Remember EVE6?

They were my favorite band since I was eight years old, and needless to say I was heartbroken when they broke up. John, the guitarist left and created another band, whereas Max (vox) and Tony (drums) stuck together and created The Sugi Tap. Don't ask about the name, I have no idea what it means, but apparently its pronounced SUE-GEE (as in geese) Tap. Their EP was just released through SNOCAP music, an online music store. I bought it as soon as it was released.

The Sugi Tap EP has six songs on it
Little Tiny Everything
BOLD
Pick Up the Pieces
Red & Black
Mr. Bones
Good Associate

Little Tiny Everything is definitely my favorite track its incredibly catchy and even though parts of the lyrics are a little corny, Max is an amazing writer. In Pick Up the Pieces, Max's poetic ability shines through.

"Blessed by your genetics.
You possess a certain aesthetic charm.
But somethings disconnected.
And you're quite capable of causing harm.
Your malice is volcanic.
Your insecurity...titanic.
Your mood is always manic, and I do suppose.
When you hear this song you'll have a tantrum."

His ability to intertwine pretty poetic words into an angst-y song blows my mind. Max has always been quite the wordsmith.

I'm so glad that Max and Tony will continue to make music, I grew up to their music and not once was able to see them live, even when I won free tickets off of the radio (I was too young, they were playing at a club) so now that they are back in action, I'm hoping to catch them live.

Overall I highly recommend this EP to anyone who liked EVE6 or just likes alternative acoustic rock. It's cheap, only 5 bucks and can be purchased directly thorough their myspace or at SNOCAP.com.


Check them out at myspace.com/thesugitap

10 songs you need to download...now.

I have comprised a list of 10 songs I cannot stop listening to.

1. Naomi- off of On Avery Island by Neutral Milk Hotel, this song has absolutely great harmonies, Jeff Magnum is a genius.

2. Sister Jack Piano Demo- off of Gimme Fiction (Bonus Disc) by Spoon. This song has a great chant-line chorus you can't help but hum along to.

3. A Comet Appears- off of Wincing the Night Away, the new Shins' album. This song is beautiful, depressing and uplifting at the same time.

4. Fax Machine Anthem (Dizzee Rascal Remix) - off of Guero (Deluxe) by Beck. This song is really eccentric using machine-like sounds to convey a techno-ish beat.

5. Legionaries' Lament- off of Of Castaways and Cutouts by The Decemberists. This is one of The Decemberists harder songs, but still manages to keep that folky sound we all love.

6. Man It's So Loud in Here- off of Mink Car by They Might Be Giants. This song is an incredibly upbeat techno song that really gets your body moving.

7. Stereo- off of Brighten the Corners by Pavement. This is one of those edgy-rock songs where bad signing is good signing.

8. Mary Jane- off of Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette. This song is my favorite to sing, its a ballad about a girl whose life isn't going so great. The vocal performance Alanis delivers on this one is absolutely breath-taking.

9. Half a World Away- off of Out of Time by R.E.M. This song instantaneously makes you close your eyes and drift away.

10. Shady Lane/Jus- off of Brighten the Corners by Pavement. It's an oddball song with a nice blend of Eve6 bass line with The Strokes' raw energy.


So here's my list, put your iTunes to use.

Andy Mckee

Due to the fact that I have downloaded 23 new albums on my iPod within the past week and a half I'm finding it very difficult to find a weekly obsession, but they shall return, I promise. In the meantime here's a YouTube video of Andy McKee, whom I know nothing about, but from the sights of this video and others posted on YouTube, he is a music god. It boggles my mind why he has not been signed yet, and why he's only featured on YouTube. It makes me question the authenticity of this video, but from the looks of it, it does look valid. But even if it's not, it's still pretty freakin' cool anyways.

The Late Night Show

The Late Night Show, a band comprised of 9 teenage boys, rocked the Van Dyck on January 26th, 2007. As a first time viewer, I was blown away at the talent and professionalism possessed by these young men. Not sure what to expect from this band upon arrival, I entered the Van Dyck with the preconceived notion that they were just going to be another one of those high-school, punk scenester bands. Despite the fact that the crowd for The Late Night Show was a great deal of scenesters, the sound of The Late Night Show is quite the contrary. This ska-funk-reggae-soul band sounds like Streetlight Manifesto and Sublime extraordinarily mixed in a blender called genius. They also have a lot of Reel Big Fish roots. And they're fantastic.

Being a first time viewer of LNS, I didn't quite know any of the songs, or their titles, but they way the group blended so well made the materialistic things obsolete. When you hear the not-so-overpowering lead guitar meld with the brilliantly composed horn section, and kick ass percussion, your mind slips into a euphoric trance.

Overall I absolutely enjoyed The Late Night Show 100% and recommend seeing them to anyone and everyone. These guys have some major talent and are definitely going somewhere.

To hear some sample music and learn more about the The Late Night Show check out their MySpace....http://www.myspace.com/thelatenightshow

Mink Cars on Avery Island?

Ask me what type of music I like, and I will say "anything with energy." Well, Mink Car by They Might Be Giants, and On Avery Island by Neutral Milk Hotel contain an unexplainable element of raw energy. Much like The Strokes, both of these bands exemplify the meaning of raw energy. What is "raw energy" you ask? In my opinion it is passion you can feel bleed out of your very own pores when listening to the songs, it is creative, different and doesn't sound like the lead vox spent a good chunk of his teenage years in vocal lessons. It's naked, powerful and pure.

They Might Be Giants is a saxophone clad, witty and eccentric band with killer lyrics and kick ass harmonics. They are the melting pot of sound; or noise, but that's dependent upon interpretation. Think 80's euro pop mixed with The Strokes, a dash of Elvis Costello and Streetlight Manifesto, plus one really cool synthesizer sound effects machine. All of these qualities effectively shine through on Mink Car, released in 2001. The sounds that range on this album are completely scattered. It's incredibly difficult to compare TMBG to other artists because each song has a different sound with different influences. For example, the song "Hopeless Bleak Despair" has a lot of The Strokes roots. But "Yeh Yeh" has Streetlight Manifesto influences and "Hovering Sombrero" has an Elvis Costello-y sound. And even "Mr. Excitement" and "Wicked Little Critta" have some old-school kind of rap sounds. Next to The Talking Heads, TMBG may just be one of the most versatile bands ever. This album in particular is one of my favorites to throw on and dance around to. The beats and sounds offer a lot of body movement that many other songs cannot.

On Avery Island by Neutral Milk Hotel is much like The Aeroplane Over the Sea, minus the whole song story influenced by The Diary of Anne Frank. The fuzz bass, and folk-y rawness is all over this album. Jeff Mangum's wailing, crooning voice shines through on this album, especially in my favorite part of "Someone is Waiting" when he breaks into a mind melting harmony. It's harsh, loud and completely brilliant. There is also more "noise" on this album, as opposed to The Aeroplane Over the Sea. In "Marching Theme," a three minute instrumental, mainly featuring the fuzz bass and a flute (I think it's synthesized), Jeff demonstrates his outre talent to produce music through "noise." However, Neutral Milk Hotel wouldn't be Neutral Milk Hotel without the wailing voice and "noise." It's what makes them unique, it gives them an edge over other indie rock bands. There are some odd songs on this album, such as "Naomi" and "Song Against Sex." These songs are so well written, that there are a variety of interpretations that can be drawn from the verses; and you know its good writing if it keeps you guessing.

Both of these albums are full of that raw energy I love, even if it is noise, it is always passion. Some artists today may have the voice, may have the talent but lack the passion. The raw energy and phenomenal passion that is flowing through the vains of these musicians is what sets them apart and makes them memorable.

Decemberists and Sufjan...Part Duex

This past week I've done some serious downloading of music on to my iPod. Two of my newest additions including Picaresque by The Decemberists and Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens. Both of these albums are older than the albums I reviewed in my first blog. However, they are new to me. I was pretty shocked how much these albums differed from the ones I previously mentioned. Both of these albums caused both Sufjan and The Decemberists to creep up my list of favorite albums of senior year 06-07; with The Decemberists and Sufjan ranking in my top 5.

Picaresque by the Decemberists was released in 2005, one year before The Crane Wife. However, after listening to both albums extensively, I have come to conclusion that it is absolutely impossible to pick one album over the other. The Crane Wife is creative and well done, but has a soft, crooning tone to it. Picaresque is just as creative and well done, but is much, much more theatrical. To compare these two albums is to compare Steel Magnolias to Chicago, the musical. Picaresque is a bit more sad, sallow and downright depressing, but the theatrical folk that backs these oh-so-sad lyrics takes away the sting at heart. The song that stood out most to me the first time I gave this CD a run-thru was "Mariners Revenge." This song begins with a polka-sounding accordion and tells the tale of two mariners trapped in a whale. Each time I listen to this song I can't help but dance and sing along to it. It is so creative and unique, even though it can be compared to some of Tom Waits songs. I also really like "We Both Go Down Together," and "The Bagman's Gambit." As far as unique songs go, this album is chock-full of them.

Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens (say that five times fast!) is also much different than Illinoise. Seven Swans, though not as creative as Illinoise, shows a more mature and serious side to Sufjan. It is full of metaphors, not ones quite as lighthearted as those of Illinoise, that relate to love, life and religion. His deep lyrics on life and love, mostly heartbreak, shine through on tracks like "We Won't Need Legs to Stand," and "Size Too Small." Besides "Size Too Small," some of my favorites off this album include "Sister," an uplifting instrumental and "The Dress Looks Nice on You," a nice, sweet song in lyrics, but has some really cool, almost eerie and haunting sound effects. It took me a little while to get into this album, mainly because it is so much different than Illinoise. I find that this CD has an overall depressing and sad tone, that can't help but make you smile. Again, it is impossible to choose a favorite of the two albums due to their difference in content. Sufjan does reveal his playful side with his infamous banjo interludes in "All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands" but that's about it. So if you're looking for that lighthearted folk, you're not going to find much of it here. However, this is an incredible album for sad, mellow songs, great for relaxation. (And bubble baths!)

Both Picaresque and Seven Swans bring more insight into these artists. The difference between these albums and the ones blogged about earlier is shocking and amazing. So check them out, variety is the spice of life after all...

Polar Opposites

Okay, so over vacation I spent a nice chunk of my Christmas money on buying new music. So it's back to weekly obsession! Although I have known both of these artists for quite sometime, and I have also actually had one of these albums for a while, I have just recently discovered their true power. Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis and The Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel have absolutely nothing in common, and are complete musical opposites, but both are amazing.

Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis is jazz as smooth as butt-ah. It has come to my attention that jazz may very well be the universal language. At a recent get together with a few of my friends, all of which who have musical tastes that could fill the entire spectrum, I put on Kind Of Blue, and every single person in the room seemed to enjoy it, and a few people were actually familiar with the tunes. It became very clear that one does not have to be a jazz nut to appreciate the incredible talent Miles Davis has. In case you didn't know, there are no vocals in his songs, they are all instramental. According to jazzitude.com, the album is good for relaxing, drinking, meditating, making love, and just plain listening. And I not only agree to that, but also add that it can very well be considered the universal language. With the colaboration of exquisit talent Kind of Blue brought together seven now-legendary musicians in the prime of their careers: tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, alto saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, pianists Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, drummer Jimmy Cobb and of course, trumpeter Miles Davis. These power houses bring down the house with thier oh-so smooth jazz that can make the coldest soul feel all warm and fuzzy inside. My favorite songs off of this album are deffinetly "Freddie Freeloader" and "All Blues." I personally love taking bubble baths and reading Cosmo to these songs especially but also this enitre album, talk about a stress reliever!



And now for a complete 180. The Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel was my biggest surprise album. I purchased this album on a whim, after testing it out a little bit at FYE. I find this album incredibly addicting. It's so different, many of the songs on the album use "fuzz bass" which is an eccentric distortion technique that sounds like well, distortion. Which can be considered "noise" (sorry Des!) but I think you may actually like it. It's a unique effect really, it would sound horrible if it was all Neutral had, it would sound like you blew your speakers and continued to play your music way too loud. However, the band also applies theatrical folk behind this fuzz bass, which makes for another completely unique sound. The entire album tells a story, so for you people who like to listen to everything on random (much like myself) at least give this album one run-thru in order. Once you get the concept of the album listening to it on random is okay, you will still be able to piece together the story as well as enjoy the songs. Some fo my favorites include "Two Headed Boy," "Holland 1945," and "Oh Comely." These are the best songs off of the album to sing along to. It's really hard to describe, this album is just THAT awesome. When listening to Neutral Milk Hotel, you can hear where The Decemberists got some of thier influence, which just makes me even more happy!

Again, I recomend both of these albums to anyone and everyone. Despite thier complete oppositions, I think that anyone with any type of musical taste can appreciate and fall in love with both of these disc's!

New and Different?

It is a tradition of my family to attend the Trans-Siberian Orchestra every year. We have gone to every show for the past six years. Five out of six of these shows have been at the Pepsi Arena, much like the one this year. The show was on December 22nd, this year which is around the typical date the Trans-Siberian Orchestra usually comes around, mainly because their music is Christmas based. However, the main show that TSO puts on is a story, about a young runaway girl who tries returning home on Christmas day. They also do a lot of classical songs, like any of the songs off of the album Beethoven's Last Night. Their musical style can be described as hard-rock, classical, orchestral, and Christmas music, all blended together. No Jingle Bells, or Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer here, just classical, orchestral oblivion.

Every year, TSO does the same first set, which is the story of the young girl, but then the entire second half is filled with the classical stuff, and any other songs they decide to perform. Also each year, TSO interrupts one of their Christmas songs with a classic rock song, for example this year in the middle of one of their songs, the band just broke out into "Layla" by Eric Clapton and last year, the band broke out into "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin. In accompany to the music, TSO is notorious for their pyrotechnics and lighting show. They have incorporated different lighting schemes into their music, as well as laser beams that bounce around to their music. each additional year, TSO promises that they will add something new to the show, mostly dealing with the lighting and pyrotechnics. They have added effects in past years such as snow, stars, the lasers, a lifting rocket platform, different colored fire, and different lighting effects. However, I couldn't help but notice that TSO had fallen short of their promise this year. As far as pyrotechnics go, it was all the same, nothing new. In fact, it was even less than last year. Last year they had fireworks that went all the way up some of the aisles on the side where no one could sit, but the fireworks were not there this year. Also, Jeff Plate, the drummer does a solo every year, and its absolutely amazing, except this year the solo only lasted 2 minutes as opposed to the 5-7 minute solos he usually performs. This really disappointed me because he is an amazing drummer and I didn't feel like his solo showed off his true talent. On the other hand, this year TSO did add a few new features to the show, musically. They had "keyboard wars" where the two keyboardists faced off, and they also remixed one of their Christmas songs into a more jazz-ier piece. Both of these features were really cool, and added a little something extra to the show.

Overall TSO is an amazing group, full of talent and if you ever decide to see one of their shows, you wont be disappointed. The light shows themselves are completely worth the ticket, even if you don't like the music, which is hard not to, its unlike anything you've ever heard of before.