...one night to the earth... *continues humming for a minute before realizing that people are trying to read*

So, last night, I went and purposely lost part of my hearing and blinded myself. It was all temporary, I promise, but very enlightening. With the restoration of my hearing came lots and lots of music playing over and over in my mind. And with the restoration of my sight, well... I'll get to that in a few minutes.

I went and saw Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) last night. And all I can say is WOW.

Ok, I lied, that's not all I can say. So I'll tell you about it. Pull up a chair and hear some of my observations....

First of all, what is it about some unshaven guys in tuxedo coats playing heavy metallized Christmas carols? Before I heard about TSO, I was getting sick of Christmas carols. Sure, I had my Russ Freeman and Chicago holiday albums with thier interpretations of certain carols, but I was settling down to have a few Christmases where I would attempt to avoid Christmas music (except for my kids' Christmas programs at school).

Then I heard TSO's "A Mad Russian's Christmas", which is based on themes from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. And shortly after that I heard something called "Sarajevo" which had been used in the Olympics a couple of years earlier. Which I recognized.

And then I was hooked. Permanently. And then I traced back some of these guys - Megadeath and Savatage were on thier resumes. Metal rockers from the 80s that I listened to as a kid. Sheesh... It was destined that I be hooked on these guys.

So last night, when Al Pitrelli took the stage, I fell into my own slice of heaven.

My priorities must be screwed though. And this is where my vision comes into it. It's kind of sad when you watch a concert and get ideas for cross stitch designs from the laser lights they use in the show. But then, inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes... and this one came in a big loud package. So when I close my eyes, I still see those lasers, but I also see a multitude of stitches in various bright and muted colors....

For those that are familiar with TSO... I could listen to "A Mad Russian's Christmas" for hours on end... and hearing it live with such power and vibrancy just resonated with me. And "Sarajevo" as well, although last night's version of it was filled with desperation, and urgency. There was something about it that called to the depths of my soul last night and had me perched on the edge of my seat, tense and waiting for something to happen. The only thing that happened was the end of the song and thunderous applause, but still... there was something there...

Anyway, back to these unshaven guys. It's totally bizarre, but for some reason makes absolute sense, to be watching a full laser lit, feel the bass in the pit of your stomach and the seat of your chair, hard rock show being performed by a bunch of guys in tuxedo coats. No tie, but still.

And when they speak to the audience, they're as pumped up as any heavy rock band would be if they were playing to the masses in a huge concert arena, instead of a smaller hall on a college campus. And they played with the energy and the loudness of a heavy rock band too. Which makes them even more cool in my mind.

And then, when you're just entranced with the music, they stop and tell you, by the way, they want to show you the concept for the next show that they want to bring around in the spring for "Beethoven's Last Night". And it's filled with flames and pyrotechnic rain.... WHOA! Now *that* is something to see. And remember. Vividly.

And while I'm getting older, I still have that teen in me that just wants to rock out. And I did last night. But I'm paying for it this morning, because I didn't fall asleep until midnight last night, and I was up at 5 this morning to head for work. I need a nap. But I'm going to workout after work (Curves, here I come), and then I'll be up until 11 watching ER (because I'm addicted to the show, and I get prime stitching time as a result)

...But still, despite the need for sleep, here I sit in my office today, enjoying the sounds of the Mp3s of 'Christmas Eve and Other Stories" (I own the CD, I just ripped these for enjoyment in my office), reliving last night in my mind...

*wanders off humming something about an Old City Bar....*