TSO Concert
Dec. 27th, 2009 08:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nightshade1972Long show. First half mediocre, second half appreciably better, although still not up to the standard of previous shows.
I think part of it is that they're all getting older (who isn't). But the other part, which saddens me, is that they've decided to go long on lasers and pyrotechnics, and short on personnel. They used to have a much larger choral/violin section.
The sound engineer did a rather crappy job as well. During most of the show I had a tough time hearing the singers enunciate the lyrics. It was also difficult, during some of the more elaborate pyrotechnic displays, to hear the musicians. We were only a couple (and I mean that literally, two or three) rows up from floor level, so it's not like we were sitting in nosebleed territory and that's why I couldn't hear them. At one point they had a guitarist and a singer elevate off the ground on a stage platform, with jets of liquid nitrogen shooting off underneath the four corners of the platform. We were sitting close enough to the display that the hissing of the jets actually drowned out the singer (who was also playing violin) and the guitarist.
At this point I'm having serious doubts whether or not I'd want to pay again to see TSO. This is the first time I've actually done so; Dad's paid for previous shows. But today was my folx' 40th anniversary (will wonders never cease), so I wanted to try to do something nice for Dad (the Maternal Unit doesn't like TSO). I think if we went next year, I'd ask Dad to do it again. He was at least kind enough to give me $50. I tried to give it back and he refused.
I think part of it is that they're all getting older (who isn't). But the other part, which saddens me, is that they've decided to go long on lasers and pyrotechnics, and short on personnel. They used to have a much larger choral/violin section.
The sound engineer did a rather crappy job as well. During most of the show I had a tough time hearing the singers enunciate the lyrics. It was also difficult, during some of the more elaborate pyrotechnic displays, to hear the musicians. We were only a couple (and I mean that literally, two or three) rows up from floor level, so it's not like we were sitting in nosebleed territory and that's why I couldn't hear them. At one point they had a guitarist and a singer elevate off the ground on a stage platform, with jets of liquid nitrogen shooting off underneath the four corners of the platform. We were sitting close enough to the display that the hissing of the jets actually drowned out the singer (who was also playing violin) and the guitarist.
At this point I'm having serious doubts whether or not I'd want to pay again to see TSO. This is the first time I've actually done so; Dad's paid for previous shows. But today was my folx' 40th anniversary (will wonders never cease), so I wanted to try to do something nice for Dad (the Maternal Unit doesn't like TSO). I think if we went next year, I'd ask Dad to do it again. He was at least kind enough to give me $50. I tried to give it back and he refused.
