Trans-Siberian Orchestra at T-Mobile Center, Kansas City MO (2025-12-06 matinee show)

There are many ways to celebrate Christmas and the holiday season–

Some prefer quiet nights with family, maybe caroling or taking in a holiday classic on TV over a cup of hot cider… and some prefer a laser and pyro-filled high-volume extravaganza, with flying-V guitars and an epic tale, set to a powerful symphonic rock soundtrack.

We prefer the latter, and that’s exactly what was delivered when the Trans-Siberian Orchestra returned to the area for a pair of shows in downtown Kansas City, at the T-Mobile Center and we were fortunate enough to catch the matinee performance on the day.

The multi-platinum group is on their annual Winter Tour, with this year featuring the return of their legendary holiday show, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO & More. It’s a welcome return to TSO’s roots with an updated narrative centered around their classic tale, and embellished by clips of the familiar accompanying video special starring the late legendary actor Ossie Davis.

The second set included a 25th-anniversary salute to their Beethoven’s Last Night album as well as other hits and fan favorites, The tour kicked off November 13 and covers 64 cities with 106 performances before concluding on December 30, between the East Coast and West Coast versions of the band (KC gets the West Coast version, presumably being West of the Mississippi River).

“The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” follows the journey of a runaway child who breaks into an abandoned vaudeville theater on December 24^th and the adventures that ensue, a vision from the mind of late producer and TSO creator, Paul O’Neill.

The group has also sold more than 20 million concert tickets and in tandem, donated over $20 million to charity since their inception and continues the practice on this tour, with $1 from every ticket sold, going to a local charity.. A brief pre-show presentation awarded the show’s donation to Variety KC, which provides children with developmental disabilities, the adaptive equipment, and opportunities needed for activity and inclusion.

The over two-hour show wasted no time in immersing the audience its virtual journey with AI- assisted graphics (the beginning images looked sort of like the snow owl from the Rush album, Fly By Night, soared towards Hogwarts) and the company of band members and background singers revealed, complete with pyro and effects.

Their versions of traditional holiday favorites mixes with TSO originals kept the audience enthralled, as a Christmas narrator (a younger version of Davis’ character) came out every few songs to provide some verse as tot the girl in the story’s saga, and was a bridge between songs and the varying vocalists.

The band’s biggest hit, “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)” originally from the 1995 Savatage album, Dead Winter Dead, was played early-on, to the surprise of many, but would of course, reprise at the concert’s end as well.

A strong “This Christmas Day” would end the first set, along with the introduction of the talented vocalists that included Andrew Ross , April Berry, Caleb Johnson, and Jeff Scott Soto. (who’s sung with Journey and Yngwie Malmsteen). The band was led by longtime member and guitarist Al Petrelli (who’s played in Savatage, Asia, Megadeth and Alice Cooper) and featured bass from longtime Savatage/TSO member Johnny Lee Middleton and drums by Slaughter’s Blas Elias.

Guitarists Petrelli and Clark walked into the crowd while playing, and they and later some vocalists, made their way to a b-stage near the back of the arena to ensure everyone in the building got a closer view.

One of the second set highlights was a medley of “Sleep” and Ozzy Osbourne’s “Changes”, dedicated to the band’s founding father, O’Neill, with Elias managing a short drum solo (from about 40 feet in the air) just prior.

Following the Beethoven highlights, the songs returned to the rocking symphonic versions of holiday classical favorites (the local KC are string section was split on both sides of the drummer Eilias and in between keyboardists Mark Klett and Jane Mangini.

Take note that even though the show takes place indoors, you still might get a little ‘snow’ on you and the last few songs brought out all the stops in a visual barrage- bright animated graphics, vertical fire and smoke plumes, lasers, and raised and lowering platforms for each of the principal members.

A final group bow to a standing ovation and the players were done, but only for the moment – there was a signing line to meet the fans, and another show in less than ninety minutes- part of a run of “seven shows in five days” as Petrelli explained.

But their hard-working efforts obviously brought joy to the attendees of all ages, whether it was the first; or fifty-first time to see the group (one audience member was recognized to have seen the show just under 800 times), clearly making Trans-Siberian Orchestra a worthy addition to include as part pf an annual holiday tradition.

NATIONAL TOUR PHOTOS BELOW BY BOB CAREY