We saw the latest edition of the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas concert in Billings, MT last weekend. It was our third time seeing the show over the past 10 years...we've seen it with different friends each time.
Things were a little different this time around compared to the last time -- they've done away with the cute little Christmas village with the train around it, for one thing. Not exactly part of the concert, but it was a nice little touch that I missed. Maybe they're still using it in other places and just didn't do it here due to space?
The concert itself was great, outside of the fact that they tend to offer nearly-exact reproductions of the records. This tends to make things a little sterile. Combined with the fact that the band members aren't exactly dynamic onstage performers, and there are elaborate video displays and other effects (fog, snow, occasional lasers along with the usual vari-lights) attached to each song, it makes for a great listening experience but you feel like you're looking at a live-action Christmas card rather than a music concert. I always enjoy between-song comments at concerts, but in Steamroller shows, there is none of that, outside of some introductory remarks. But all that aside, as I said, the music was fantastic -- if you are into the Mannheim Steamroller style of Christmas music, that is. And the sound is impeccable. One of the best sounding concerts I've ever heard.
They hit various parts of their catalog, leaning quite a bit (as usual) on their first Christmas album from 1984. The only song they played that I really don't like is "Carol of the Bells." They completely missed the mark on that song -- I've always felt that way. First, with its keyboards and electronic drums, it sounds like a relic of the synth-heavy '80s, even though it originally came out in 2001. Second, the visuals make it look more like a Rocky Horror Picture Show reject than a Christmas song. All red-and-black with dancers and such on the video screens. It's amazing that Chip Davis misinterpreted this song so horribly -- at least to my ears and eyes, anyway. Thankfully, the low points of Mannheim Christmas are few; all the rest of the songs were terrific.
Speaking of Chip Davis, the composer, arranger, creator and etc. behind Steamroller doesn't really tour anymore, but we did get to see Ron Cooley (guitarist) who is one of the original band members. Everybody else on the stage was new to me. There was an 8-piece string section, and eight or nine band members onstage. Everybody was excellent, as always. There were some bits of music (choirs and such) that obviously were pre-recorded; since the arrangements are performed exactly as on record, it's pretty much impossible sometimes to tell where the recordings end and the live musicians begin.
The only other "beef" I have is that this particular Christmas concert gives no acknowledgement at all to the "reason for the season." If there is a spiritual song, such as "O Holy Night," they'll show images of candles and such. But no Nativity scene or anything like that. For Mannheim Steamroller, Christmas is all about the candy, eggnog, toys, joy, and warm fuzzy feelings, as opposed to the "birth of our Savior" story. I don't know if this is a marketing thing or if Chip Davis is not a spiritual person. But, it's not a deal breaker; I still enjoy the music even if it sticks more to the Santa Claus side of Christmas.
Bottom line, if you like Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music, you can't go wrong with their concert. It gives a new dimension (visually) to their albums and will definitely put you in a festive mood.
Things were a little different this time around compared to the last time -- they've done away with the cute little Christmas village with the train around it, for one thing. Not exactly part of the concert, but it was a nice little touch that I missed. Maybe they're still using it in other places and just didn't do it here due to space?
The concert itself was great, outside of the fact that they tend to offer nearly-exact reproductions of the records. This tends to make things a little sterile. Combined with the fact that the band members aren't exactly dynamic onstage performers, and there are elaborate video displays and other effects (fog, snow, occasional lasers along with the usual vari-lights) attached to each song, it makes for a great listening experience but you feel like you're looking at a live-action Christmas card rather than a music concert. I always enjoy between-song comments at concerts, but in Steamroller shows, there is none of that, outside of some introductory remarks. But all that aside, as I said, the music was fantastic -- if you are into the Mannheim Steamroller style of Christmas music, that is. And the sound is impeccable. One of the best sounding concerts I've ever heard.
They hit various parts of their catalog, leaning quite a bit (as usual) on their first Christmas album from 1984. The only song they played that I really don't like is "Carol of the Bells." They completely missed the mark on that song -- I've always felt that way. First, with its keyboards and electronic drums, it sounds like a relic of the synth-heavy '80s, even though it originally came out in 2001. Second, the visuals make it look more like a Rocky Horror Picture Show reject than a Christmas song. All red-and-black with dancers and such on the video screens. It's amazing that Chip Davis misinterpreted this song so horribly -- at least to my ears and eyes, anyway. Thankfully, the low points of Mannheim Christmas are few; all the rest of the songs were terrific.
Speaking of Chip Davis, the composer, arranger, creator and etc. behind Steamroller doesn't really tour anymore, but we did get to see Ron Cooley (guitarist) who is one of the original band members. Everybody else on the stage was new to me. There was an 8-piece string section, and eight or nine band members onstage. Everybody was excellent, as always. There were some bits of music (choirs and such) that obviously were pre-recorded; since the arrangements are performed exactly as on record, it's pretty much impossible sometimes to tell where the recordings end and the live musicians begin.
The only other "beef" I have is that this particular Christmas concert gives no acknowledgement at all to the "reason for the season." If there is a spiritual song, such as "O Holy Night," they'll show images of candles and such. But no Nativity scene or anything like that. For Mannheim Steamroller, Christmas is all about the candy, eggnog, toys, joy, and warm fuzzy feelings, as opposed to the "birth of our Savior" story. I don't know if this is a marketing thing or if Chip Davis is not a spiritual person. But, it's not a deal breaker; I still enjoy the music even if it sticks more to the Santa Claus side of Christmas.
Bottom line, if you like Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music, you can't go wrong with their concert. It gives a new dimension (visually) to their albums and will definitely put you in a festive mood.
