Joel Hoekstra Details Secret to Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Longevity

For over 20 years, Trans-Siberian Orchestra has been packing arenas in North America and abroad with two shows a day!

Somehow the orchestral heavy rock collective never fails to capture the hearts and imaginations of its fans. 

Guitarist Joel Hoekstra tells Q104.3 New York's Jim Kerr and Shelli Sonstein that the incredible success is no accident. He says the whole production is the realization of TSO founder Paul O'Neill's vision — even now in the second iteration of the show since O'Neill's passing in the spring of 2017.

Hoekstra points out that with TSO, O'Neill created a live music spectacle with broad-ranging appeal that always tells a story.

"TSO, if you haven't seen it, is pretty hard to describe," Hoeskra explains. "Obviously, [there are] the hard rocking elements but mash that it with classical and the theatricality of Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Pink Floyd laser light show and the moving parts of the stage and the pyro [is] almost like a KISS concert."

It sounds like a show that doesn't know what it wants to be, but the reality is quite the opposite.

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"So you've got a lot of things that are hard to describe — a hybrid. But in the end, there's something there for all ages. It's a crazy formula that Paul [O'Neill] came up with, that on paper, you'd say, 'Really? Is that going to work?' But here we are, packing arenas two shows a day. I couldn't be more proud to be a part of it." 

And on top of all that, the show is remade every year! This season's show is the Ghost of Christmas Eve, one of O'Neill's rock operas from 1999.

Get all the TSO tour dates below! Go here for tickets and more information.


Trans-Siberian Orchestra Winter 2018 Tour

DEC 5 - Indianapolis IN - Bankers Life Fieldhouse - 7:30 PM

DEC 5 - Oklahoma City OK - Chesapeake Energy Arena - 7:30 PM

DEC 6 - Lexington KY - Rupp Arena - 7:30 PM

DEC 6 - St Louis MO - Enterprise Center - 7:30 PM

DEC 7 - Greenville SC - Bon Secours Wellness Arena - 4:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 7 - Knoxville TN - Thompson-Boling Arena - 8:00 PM

DEC 8 - Charlotte NC - Spectrum Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM

DEC 8 - Duluth GA - Infinite Energy Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 9 - Greensboro NC - Greensboro Coliseum - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM

DEC 9 - Birmingham AL - Legacy Arena at The BJCC - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM

DEC 12 - Raleigh NC - PNC Arena - 7:30 PM

DEC 12 - Columbia SC - Colonial Life Arena - 7:30 PM

DEC 13 - Charleston WV - Charleston Civic Center - 7:30 PM

DEC 13 - Jacksonville FL - Veterans Memorial Arena - 7:30 PM

DEC 14 - Cincinnati OH - US Bank Arena - 4:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 14 - Sunrise FL - BB&T Center - 8:00 PM

DEC 15 - Buffalo NY - KeyBank Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM

DEC 15 - Orlando FL - Amway Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 16 - Hershey PA - Giant Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM

DEC 16 - Tampa FL - Amalie Arena - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM

DEC 19 - Richmond VA - Richmond Coliseum - 7:30 PM

DEC 19 - New Orleans LA - Smoothie King Center - 7:30 PM

DEC 20 - Uniondale NY - NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - 7:30 PM

DEC 20 - Austin TX - Frank Erwin Center - 8:00 PM

DEC 21 - Philadelphia PA - Wells Fargo Center - 3:30 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 21 - Houston TX - Toyota Center - 3:30 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 22 - Newark NJ - Prudential Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 22 - Dallas TX - American Airlines Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 23 - Washington DC - Capital One Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 23 - San Antonio TX - AT&T Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 26 - Columbus OH - Nationwide Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 26 - Kansas City MO - Sprint Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 28 - Pittsburgh PA - PPG Paints Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 28 - Chicago IL - Allstate Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 29 - Detroit MI - Little Caesars Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 29 - St Paul MN - Xcel Energy Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 30 - Cleveland OH - Quicken Loans Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM

DEC 30 - Milwaukee WI - Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM


Photo: Getty Images


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