TSO West in Dallas

[Andy Laudano]

I just got back from seeing TSO West in Dallas! What a fantastic show! I've seen every show they've done in Dallas, it's my yearly Christmas present to myself! I cannot reccommed going to this show strongly enough! I got a program signed by everyone after the show. They were only supposed to sign one thing per person but I got drummer John O'Reilly to sign my Rainbow - Stranger In Us All and Joe Lynn Turner - The Usual Suspects CDs. Al Pitrelli also signed the Joe Lynn Turner CD and my Tony Harnell & Morning Wood CD. Pitrelli, Johnny Lee Middleton and Angus Clark all gave out guitar pics as well.

Where I live we only get to see the West version. Has anyone seen both TSO East and West shows? How would you compare the two shows? Do they each play the same setlist? Does one band seem stronger than the other? I think the West has the stronger vocalists just because they have Tommy Farese, who did the original vocals on the Christmas Eve and Other Stories album for "Ornament" (my favorite non-instrumental) and "This Christmas Day" which are the lynchpins of the first half of the program. One year I have to catch a TSO East show too. I'd like to watch Chris Caffery and Jeff Plate play the material and get to meet Alex Skolnick, Mark Wood, Dave Z, Robert Kinkel and possibly Paul O'Neil who only seems to show up at TSO East shows.

 

[yardleybates]

We've seen both companies and we much prefer the group with Pitrelli and Farese. Strangely, I thought the East / West was reversed. I thought for sure Pitrelli was in the East company, but either way, we definitely like that group better. We love the feel of the second half with them better also, they seem like they're having more fun just jammin out.

 

[edgeofthorns]

It seems that every TSO fan has a different opinion when it comes to this. The bottom line is, both groups are great and both have their strong points. IMO, the musicians are more well known in the east group, but it seems like the vocalist are stronger in the west. A person's best bet is to check out both groups at one time or the other.

Personally, I prefer the east due to Caffery, Skolnick, Wood, and Plate. I just happen to put more weight on those guys mainly for the other bands or projects they've been involved with at one time or the other. I think Jeff Plate has a rock solid drumming style and I think he's one cool guy!

 

[Andy Laudano]

Jeff Plate is definitely a cool guy. So is John O'Reilly, the TSO West drummer. He's a pretty solid drummer too. He was in the final version of Rainbow with Cornerstone's Doogie White, he was in Westworld with TNT's Tony Harnell and recently played on Joe Lynn Turner's The Usual Suspects.

One of these days I'll have to take a road trip and see the TSO East show too.

 

[Pellaz]

I'll never forget the TSO West show here in Atlanta several years ago at the Tabernacle (they wuz smaller back then ) where it was the last show on the tour...and much mayhem broke loose. Fart sounds in the monitors, a rubber chicken on stage, the de rigeur silly string at the end......truly a night to remember. They also ended the show with a second 'amped up' helping of "Christmas Eve Sarajevo" that I was sure would send the 80-year old lady behind us scampering for the exits. It didn't. (!)

I don't know if the TSO East company has quite the same chemistry, but it was very clear that TSO West had a really cool vibe between them.

While Paul O'Neill is usually with TSO East, last year he was with the West company in Atlanta, a very cool surprise. I'd like to check out East sometime, but as others have said, overall I think the vocal talent is with the West.

 

[SavaVIDude]

I was at BOTH shows in Dallas. Cannot take my eyes off Anna Phoebe on lead violin. I go way back with the Savatage guys, but I am now pay attention to only Anna!!!!!

As for the east-west comparison, I've seen both this year and here's how I break it down:

Singers - West - by a LONGSHOT!! No one compares with Farese. Michael Lanning invented Blue-Eyed Soul!! The guy that sings "An Angel Came Down/Returns" is so powerful. The guy that does "Old City Bar" has more passion than the guy on the record!! The small blonde if worth the price of admission. The opera-like lady in the east has a slight advantage.

Guitars - West, if for no other reason than Al Pitrelli. It's his solos on the CDs and his live renditions are AWESOME!! He OWNS the stage when he's soloing. Alex Sholnick (sp??) is probably the best technical player of the four, but Al IS the TSO guitarist.

Bass - East, by a bass string!! As much as I love Johnny, Dave Z puts on a better show. For those of you that saw Dave get "discovered" at the SavaCon, he played the living dogshit on a 6-string bass and won the competition.

Drummer - East - Got to go with PadBoy; and, yes, I'm non-objective. The west doesn't do a solo.

Lead Violin - WEST!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE Mark Wood, but Anna is soooooooooooo un-BELIEVable. She headbangs, runs into the audience, plays standing on a chair and plays while running up and down stairs in heels!!!!!!!! I proposed to her in Dallas and Houston, but had to settle for a hug!!!!!

Narrator - West - Tony has got the BEST voice. The guy in the east is really good, but I like Tony better.

Overall, I like the West much better, primarily due to Al, Anna and the singers. I kinda wish the east and west troupes would switch every year, but with TSO, "IT'S ALL GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Chris

 

[edgeofthorns]

The guy that sings Old City Bar on the West Team owns! I agree, not everyone sings with that much passion!

Jeff Plate's drum solo is awesome! That really took me by surprise the first time I saw it. I didn't expect him to cut loose at a TSO show, because it's such a well oiled machine!

 

[Tess]

Singers - The small blonde if worth the price of admission.

Chris

Jill Gaynor (I think is her last name now ...) and I absolutely agree. She sang her solo much earlier in the show this year than normal and I was like "Okay. I'm ready to go now!" She is so amazing! I had to go sing in MY Christmas show right after our TSO show this weekend and I felt so inferior, haha

 

[Pellaz]

"Gaynor"? Hmmm, the (excellent) narrator for TSO West's shows is Tony Gaynor, a black guy. Makes me wonderrr......

Judging from some online reviews of TSO West, "Old City Bar" is performed by Bart Shatto. If he did it while wearing a bum's costume, that's the same guy we had last year and he was great!

 

[Tess]

"Gaynor"? Hmmm, the (excellent) narrator for TSO West's shows is Tony Gaynor, a black guy. Makes me wonderrr......

Judging from some online reviews of TSO West, "Old City Bar" is performed by Bart Shatto. If he did it while wearing a bum's costume, that's the same guy we had last year and he was great!

Maybe I'm just an idiot and I was thinking of Tony when trying to remember her new last name ....

OR MAYBE they are actually married and that's why her name is the same ....

OR MAYBE they're not actually married but their name is the same

OR MAYBE they're not actually married and her name sounds the same but is spelled differently ....

The possibilities are endless!! Whatever it is the girl can frickin saaaaang!!

 

[Pellaz]

Ya got THAT right.

Considering all the talent onstage during TSO, I think it's a cryin' shame that the Atlanta newspaper pretty much ignored the show (and always has). TSO would need to add a hip-hop or R&B 'artist' before the tour got noticed here.

 

[Yippee38]

FWIW, Jon Oliva was sitting at the sound board for part of the TSO show in Chicago. Chris introduced him. As soon as the lights went out and they started playing again, he headed out. I didn't see him again after that.

 

[manowarfan1]

Well if you guys are referring to the pint sized lead singer from the West - it is Jill Gioia (pronounced joy-a) the last I looked. She has a couple of albums out that have a bluesy rock style - kinda like early sheryl crow, but better (in my opinion) and she is cute and sweet as can be

Hmmm, maybe the fact that i am single again is influencing my judgement - nah, the cds are a bit hard to find, and short (8 songs each) but worthwhile if you like that kind of music. On is called "Got some issues" and one is "He's my Bitch".

I think she is still engaged to Carmine Giglio (2nd keyboards on the west) - unless they got married - and maybe you were thinking her last name is now Giglio?

I agree the West troupe seems to be more playful, but like someone said, with TSO - it's all good.

manowarfan1

 

[SavaVIDude]

SHIT!! I forgot keyboards. The west gets my vote by a lot!!!! Bob Kinkel is very good (Julliard-trained), but Jane is so good, it's scary. And when she and Carmine did some 'dueling', it was amazing!! Carmine's bass on his keys on one piece loosened my fillings!!

Chris

 

[TheGraveDigger]

I was at the Madison Square Garden show Monday night. It was amazing. Caffery really gets the crowd pumped and running. Towards the end of the set Paul O'neil introduced Joan Jet and she actually sang "I love Rock n Roll" with TSO as her back up. Quite amazing. Caffery also introduced Jon Oliva at the Garden show.

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

I've only been to WEST shows, so I can't speak much for EAST except for the rare television appearance. I'd love to see that tour for once (TSO should release a double DVD with each line up).

I think in the overall, neither is better than the other. Musicianship doesn't really matter (except in solos). Each musician has a set volume and tone, and they never vary from that. Caffery once said he gets bored playing TSO because it's too scripted.

If there is any advantage one over the other, it would have to be vocalists and solos. I think that's the only big difference between them. Like I said, I've only seen WEST, but their vocals kick ass. Tommy Farese, Bart Shatto, and Michael Lanning are amazing.

Solo-wise, the WEST has it won with Anna Phoebe. I've NEVER seen a woman mosh while jamming on the violin, and a pink one at that. She brings so much energy to the show that you find yourself trying to catch your breath when she finally finishes.

 

[Pellaz]

Interesting that the Mountain King is on the tour. At last year's show in Atlanta, while Paul O'Neill was on stage he mentioned Jon and looked expectantly over toward stage-left. I had the definite feeling that he might have been there, and with Paul making a first-time appearance with TSO in Atlanta that year, I really have to wonder.

 

[Andy Laudano]

I was at BOTH shows in Dallas. Cannot take my eyes off Anna Phoebe on lead violin. I go way back with the Savatage guys, but I am now pay attention to only Anna!!!!!

As for the east-west comparison, I've seen both this year and here's how I break it down:

Singers - West - by a LONGSHOT!! No one compares with Farese. Michael Lanning invented Blue-Eyed Soul!! The guy that sings "An Angel Came Down/Returns" is so powerful. The guy that does "Old City Bar" has more passion than the guy on the record!! The small blonde if worth the price of admission. The opera-like lady in the east has a slight advantage.

Guitars - West, if for no other reason than Al Pitrelli. It's his solos on the CDs and his live renditions are AWESOME!! He OWNS the stage when he's soloing. Alex Sholnick (sp??) is probably the best technical player of the four, but Al IS the TSO guitarist.

Bass - East, by a bass string!! As much as I love Johnny, Dave Z puts on a better show. For those of you that saw Dave get "discovered" at the SavaCon, he played the living dogshit on a 6-string bass and won the competition.

Drummer - East - Got to go with PadBoy; and, yes, I'm non-objective. The west doesn't do a solo.

Lead Violin - WEST!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE Mark Wood, but Anna is soooooooooooo un-BELIEVable. She headbangs, runs into the audience, plays standing on a chair and plays while running up and down stairs in heels!!!!!!!! I proposed to her in Dallas and Houston, but had to settle for a hug!!!!!

Narrator - West - Tony has got the BEST voice. The guy in the east is really good, but I like Tony better.

Overall, I like the West much better, primarily due to Al, Anna and the singers. I kinda wish the east and west troupes would switch every year, but with TSO, "IT'S ALL GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Chris

I went to both the shows in Dallas too. They put on such an amazing show!

I agree Anna Phoebe is fantastic! You have to love that little hair flip thing she does too! :Spin:

Forget the kiddie choir, Jill Gioia OWNS "Promises To Keep".

Bart Shatto's performance is just awesome and a real highlight of the show.

Michael Lanning - "still the most soulful white guy on the planet!"

I cant say enough about Tommy Farese, I get teary-eyed every time I hear him sing "Ornament."

Narrator Tony Gaynor is SO good at what he does. He adds so much to the show and really makes it seem special.

Does the East Coast version play any songs that the west doesn't? I know they used to do "Music Box Blues" before Daryl Pediford passed away. I would have loved to have seen that.