It’s just not Christmas without Trans-Siberian Orchestra. TSO is coming to Tulsa once again, playing at The Bok Center on December 3rd, 2025. In fact, you can enter to win front row seats to the show here.
I recently caught up with my old friend Al Pitrelli, the musical director and guitarist for TSO. We actually spoke in September, but it seemed too early to talk Christmas. That was certainly part of our conversation.
The band will play 106 shows, in sixty-four cities over 48 days. That is certainly a hectic schedule to say the least. Part of it has a lot to do with the fact that there are two versions of the band that tours each year, the East Coast version, and the West Coast version. That of course brought out the discussion of the early days.
Al refers to their fans that come out each year as “Repeat Offenders.” Another friend of mine, Joel Hoekstra is also a guitarist for TSO, but Al is in the West Coast band and Joel the East Coast. Joel had told me this year that he thinks of the band as the “Grateful Dead of Christmas.” When I shared that with Al it did inspire some laughter.
For the first time since COVID, the signing line is back at the shows. This is a chance for the fans and the band to get some face-to-face time that has been missing.
We delved into all the pieces that it takes to put on a production like a Trans-Siberian Orchestra show. The story, the music, the lights, and the pyrotechnics.
The band has sold millions of albums and millions of tickets. The ticket aspect is hugely important. $1 from every TSO show goes to a local charity in each market where they play. That was by design of Paul O’Neill who created Trans-Siberian Orchestra. We even discussed getting Paul inducted into a hall of fame based where he was born and raised in New York on Long Island.
Tickets are available now at Trans-Siberian.com We also spoke about guitars for a short time. But then I picked Al’s brain about what it’s like to be the band’s musical director. Al showed classical music that he goes overlooking for what will be next for the band. Part of their thought process is how do they make the show special for people who see the show every year. That’s where they start.
At the heart of TSO, is family. The band is family, the crew is family as are the fans.
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