Trans-Siberian Orchestra

I'm home from work today (Veterans Day holiday), and though I had intentions of going to the mall and working on a little Christmas shopping, it was much easier to just stay home with Ari and lounge around the house. And you'll be happy to know I'm doing a very good job at being lazy.

Saturday morning I joined my mom for a ladies' seminar at her church. It included both a continental breakfast and lunch, which were delicious. I had a good time hanging out with my mom, and getting to see some people I rarely see anymore. It's the church I grew up in, so even though many people have come and gone over the years, there are still several that I have known since childhood.

Saturday afternoon, Tony and Wayne headed to New York City for a semi-impromptu trip to see a Christian concert. We were at a concert a week or so ago with a group from our church, and naturally, they were heavily promoting the next concert on their schedule. Wayne mentioned that he'd love to go, and Tony chimed in with, "Hey, I'll go with you!" So they were off. Of course they got home really late, but Tony said they had a great time.

Sunday was church as always, and then we rushed out right after church for yet another concert--this time, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Brandon and Kerry went last year, and loved it, so this year, they got a little group together--it was them, us, and Pastor and Dawn that all went together. The concert was held in the arena of a casino that was nearly an hour away, which is why we had to bolt right after church to make it to the 2:30 show on time. We were cutting it a little close, but fortunately, the show started a little late, and when we got to our seats, we actually had a couple minutes to spare before the show started.

Let me just say--the show was incredible. Everything, from the special effects (lights, lasers, and even some pyrotechnics) to the energy of all the musicians to the music itself was just stunning. I've only ever heard a couple of their songs, but now I definitely want to get a CD or 2 of theirs.

If you're familiar at all with the TSO, it's probably because of this video. I saw it last year when it was circulating the Internet, and I think it was even featured in a TV commercial...



There was also another song that was a medley of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "The Carol of the Bells" that was familiar to me (I think its actual title is "Christmas Eve in Sarajevo"). They did a version of Pachelbel's Canon in D that was fantastic too--I've always loved that song (even used it in my wedding). The entire concert was nearly 3 hours long, with no intermission. There was one part where they introduced all the band members, so I guess maybe that counted as a type of intermission (I saw a lot of people leaving), but I didn't want to leave and miss any of the show. The show was 90% Christmas music, but during the last part, they did their own version of some familiar tunes, so it was fun to hear some music that I knew. All in all, it was a fabulous show--I highly recommend it.

I'll end with a couple Ari videos--nothing too spectacular. I've been trying to get more little clips of her lately--for my own sake, more than anything. Anyway, in this first one, Tony was making her laugh. Ignore my horrible voice in the beginning--this was when I had that horrendous cold.



And in this one, I got her to do "So big!"



I have more videos to upload, so I'll save them for another day.