• Plan Update from keiths

    From Plan Keeper@1:124/7013 to all on Tuesday, December 18, 2001 10:57:33
    [finger.3drealms.com]


    Account Name: keiths

    Email address: keiths@finger.3drealms.com

    ----------

    MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS EXTRAORDINAIRE



    Charlie, my wife Rose, and I went to see Mannheim Steamroller performing live on Friday night, December 14. Most of you are probably familiar with this group
    in one way or another. Their Christmas albums are all best sellers, and the band has enjoyed a successful career as one of the most popular new age music groups.



    The music at the show was very well performed. Many bands tend to go downhill outside the studio, but that certainly wasn't the case here. Even so, I felt a little let down by the show. In a nutshell, Mannheim Steamroller live had little more to offer than would, say, a slide show while playing the music from
    a CD. There were screens that showed slides, or lights, or music videos, there was a little fake snow, and there was a miniature Christmas village. They played their music, they showed their slides, and that was about it.



    Admittedly my experience with concerts is limited, but even so, I think Mannheim Steamroller could stand to learn a little from rock music shows. I mean, I realize this was Christmas music, and the audience leaned a bit towards
    the geriatric, but even so, I think there was a lot of room to inject the concert with a little energy and fun.



    At the start of the show, Chip Davis came onstage, introduced his musicians, made a lame joke, and launched into the music, which continued unabated until intermission. Compare this to the last Metallica concert I saw. James Hetfield came onstage and got the audience excited. He talked to us. He cracked jokes that weren't lame. By the time they launched into their first number, everybody
    was already charged and having a good time, even before the music started. Then, they always stopped and took a break between each number. Hetfield talked
    to the audience a bit more, he would explain a little history of the next tune,
    or say something like "This is for the REAL Metallica fans, who've been with us
    since the beginning!" and so on. Davis could've talked to us between each number, but didn't. I wanted to learn more the history of each song, or hear him discuss his reasons for doing this song in this particular fashion, but it never happened.



    My second gripe is that the music never digressed at all from what you get on the CD. The only way I could tell that they were

    actually performing the music and not just "lip synching" to a recording were the occasional mixing errors or sour notes. This, more than anything, is why people go to see a live show. They want to hear a slightly different take on their favorite

    songs. Maybe get an idea what the musicians originally intended, instead of what the editor gave us on the CD. Several of the songs were accompanied by videos on the big screen, showing the band performing that song at a previous show. The sad thing was that there was no difference between what was on the screen and the band beneath the screen, except for size of Davis' bald spot. The light shows were the same, the performers were in the same position on the stage, wearing the same clothes, and everything. It's a wonder they haven't all
    gone stir crazy after doing the exact same show every tour stop for 20 years.



    Another complaint is that there were no solos to speak of. At most rock shows, each band member gets a chance to strut their stuff. You'll get a drum solo, a guitar solo, a bass solo, maybe a vocalist solo, and so on and so forth. I thought there was

    a lot of potential for that kind of thing here. I was mainly hoping for a mournful solo from the violinist. There was also a

    pianist and a guitar player who could've stood alone in a spotlight for a few seconds. Sadly, all I got was a little bit of an extended closure from the drummer (Davis himself) at the end of "Carol of the Bells."



    Finally, a lot of the fun from live music shows is the audience participation factor. Anybody who's been to a Metallica concert has probably walked away hoarse from yelling "Seek and Destroy!" over and over at the top of their lungs. Obviously the audience isn't going to bellow themselves hoarse to the sound of "Silent Night," but I do think an audience sing along might've been in
    order at some point. These are Christmas carols, after all. Most of us know the
    words. Admittedly, we were encouraged to clap along to one of the tunes near the end of the show. It wasn't enough, though, and it happened too late in the show to make a difference.



    In closing, I'd say Mannheim Steamroller is worth seeing in concert once, if you want to go, sit, and listen to the exact same tunes you've heard from their
    CDs. After that, though, you've seen it. There's no reason to ever go see them again, since it'll be the exact same thing all over again.

    --- FMail/Win32 1.60
    * Origin: Pegasus Flight! 972-226-2783 (1:124/7013)
  • From Plan Keeper@1:124/7013 to all on Wednesday, January 02, 2002 16:32:07
    Unknown host: finger.3drealms.com


    --- FMail/Win32 1.60
    * Origin: Pegasus Flight! 972-226-2783 (1:124/7013)
  • From Plan Keeper@1:124/7013 to all on Wednesday, January 02, 2002 22:01:52
    [finger.3drealms.com]


    Account Name: keiths

    Email address: keiths@finger.3drealms.com

    ----------

    MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS EXTRAORDINAIRE



    Charlie, my wife Rose, and I went to see Mannheim Steamroller performing live on Friday night, December 14. Most of you are probably familiar with this group
    in one way or another. Their Christmas albums are all best sellers, and the band has enjoyed a successful career as one of the most popular new age music groups.



    The music at the show was very well performed. Many bands tend to go downhill outside the studio, but that certainly wasn't the case here. Even so, I felt a little let down by the show. In a nutshell, Mannheim Steamroller live had little more to offer than would, say, a slide show while playing the music from
    a CD. There were screens that showed slides, or lights, or music videos, there was a little fake snow, and there was a miniature Christmas village. They played their music, they showed their slides, and that was about it.



    Admittedly my experience with concerts is limited, but even so, I think Mannheim Steamroller could stand to learn a little from rock music shows. I mean, I realize this was Christmas music, and the audience leaned a bit towards
    the geriatric, but even so, I think there was a lot of room to inject the concert with a little energy and fun.



    At the start of the show, Chip Davis came onstage, introduced his musicians, made a lame joke, and launched into the music, which continued unabated until intermission. Compare this to the last Metallica concert I saw. James Hetfield came onstage and got the audience excited. He talked to us. He cracked jokes that weren't lame. By the time they launched into their first number, everybody
    was already charged and having a good time, even before the music started. Then, they always stopped and took a break between each number. Hetfield talked
    to the audience a bit more, he would explain a little history of the next tune,
    or say something like "This is for the REAL Metallica fans, who've been with us
    since the beginning!" and so on. Davis could've talked to us between each number, but didn't. I wanted to learn more the history of each song, or hear him discuss his reasons for doing this song in this particular fashion, but it never happened.



    My second gripe is that the music never digressed at all from what you get on the CD. The only way I could tell that they were

    actually performing the music and not just "lip synching" to a recording were the occasional mixing errors or sour notes. This, more than anything, is why people go to see a live show. They want to hear a slightly different take on their favorite

    songs. Maybe get an idea what the musicians originally intended, instead of what the editor gave us on the CD. Several of the songs were accompanied by videos on the big screen, showing the band performing that song at a previous show. The sad thing was that there was no difference between what was on the screen and the band beneath the screen, except for size of Davis' bald spot. The light shows were the same, the performers were in the same position on the stage, wearing the same clothes, and everything. It's a wonder they haven't all
    gone stir crazy after doing the exact same show every tour stop for 20 years.



    Another complaint is that there were no solos to speak of. At most rock shows, each band member gets a chance to strut their stuff. You'll get a drum solo, a guitar solo, a bass solo, maybe a vocalist solo, and so on and so forth. I thought there was

    a lot of potential for that kind of thing here. I was mainly hoping for a mournful solo from the violinist. There was also a

    pianist and a guitar player who could've stood alone in a spotlight for a few seconds. Sadly, all I got was a little bit of an extended closure from the drummer (Davis himself) at the end of "Carol of the Bells."



    Finally, a lot of the fun from live music shows is the audience participation factor. Anybody who's been to a Metallica concert has probably walked away hoarse from yelling "Seek and Destroy!" over and over at the top of their lungs. Obviously the audience isn't going to bellow themselves hoarse to the sound of "Silent Night," but I do think an audience sing along might've been in
    order at some point. These are Christmas carols, after all. Most of us know the
    words. Admittedly, we were encouraged to clap along to one of the tunes near the end of the show. It wasn't enough, though, and it happened too late in the show to make a difference.



    In closing, I'd say Mannheim Steamroller is worth seeing in concert once, if you want to go, sit, and listen to the exact same tunes you've heard from their
    CDs. After that, though, you've seen it. There's no reason to ever go see them again, since it'll be the exact same thing all over again.

    --- FMail/Win32 1.60
    * Origin: Pegasus Flight! 972-226-2783 (1:124/7013)
  • From Plan Keeper@1:124/7013 to all on Friday, January 04, 2002 10:40:15
    Unknown host: finger.3drealms.com


    --- FMail/Win32 1.60
    * Origin: Pegasus Flight! 972-226-2783 (1:124/7013)