The Wizards of Winter
Time Travel Back To A 70s and 80s Prog Rock Holiday
The Wizards of Winter
Time Travel Back To A 70s and 80s Prog Rock Holiday
By Steven Skelley & Thomas Routzong
Going to The Wizards of Winter concert is like stepping into a time machine to travel back to a 1970s or 1980s Prog Rock holiday concert. Cofounder and music director Scott Kelly has assembled a team that is perfectly fit to take audiences on that journey. The show is part Transiberian Orchestra, part Meatloaf, and part Pat Benatar with laser lights, snow falling on stage and too many duelling and harmonizing lead guitar solos to count.
“You can feel it in the audiences that come to our shows. They range from eight to 80. We try to create music that has the pageantry of the late-70s, early-'80s rock shows and present ourselves accordingly," cofounder and music director Scott Kelly posted on their website.
Lead guitarist Fred Gorhau often employs a Brian May style while coiffed and dressed like a hatless Slash.
The Narrator, Tony Gaynor, shares a version of the gospel / nativity story between songs accompanied by flutes, violins, four keyboards, two guitars, a bass guitar, drums, four female vocalists, two male lead vocalists, and a saxophone.
Songs ranged from standards such as "O Holy Night" to a song that sounded strangely like Brian Setzer's Stray "Cat Strut."
The Wizards of Winter call their holiday rock opera "Tales Beneath a Northern Star" which takes the audience on a "musical journey inside a snow globe in search of the true meaning of Christmas." That's the clearest description I can give you.
According to their website, "Tales Beneath a Northern Star" is based around the music of their self titled CD and their albums " The Magic of WInter" and " A Christmas Dream."
We were invited to see the "Tales Beneath a Northern Star" concert at The King Center for Performing Arts.
The Wizards of Winter are not The Transiberian Orchestra, but they never meant to be.
To view The Wizards of Winter tour schedule, visit https://www.thewizardsofwinter.com/tour-dates.
Time Travel Back To A 70s and 80s Prog Rock Holiday
By Steven Skelley & Thomas Routzong
Going to The Wizards of Winter concert is like stepping into a time machine to travel back to a 1970s or 1980s Prog Rock holiday concert. Cofounder and music director Scott Kelly has assembled a team that is perfectly fit to take audiences on that journey. The show is part Transiberian Orchestra, part Meatloaf, and part Pat Benatar with laser lights, snow falling on stage and too many duelling and harmonizing lead guitar solos to count.
“You can feel it in the audiences that come to our shows. They range from eight to 80. We try to create music that has the pageantry of the late-70s, early-'80s rock shows and present ourselves accordingly," cofounder and music director Scott Kelly posted on their website.
Lead guitarist Fred Gorhau often employs a Brian May style while coiffed and dressed like a hatless Slash.
The Narrator, Tony Gaynor, shares a version of the gospel / nativity story between songs accompanied by flutes, violins, four keyboards, two guitars, a bass guitar, drums, four female vocalists, two male lead vocalists, and a saxophone.
Songs ranged from standards such as "O Holy Night" to a song that sounded strangely like Brian Setzer's Stray "Cat Strut."
The Wizards of Winter call their holiday rock opera "Tales Beneath a Northern Star" which takes the audience on a "musical journey inside a snow globe in search of the true meaning of Christmas." That's the clearest description I can give you.
According to their website, "Tales Beneath a Northern Star" is based around the music of their self titled CD and their albums " The Magic of WInter" and " A Christmas Dream."
We were invited to see the "Tales Beneath a Northern Star" concert at The King Center for Performing Arts.
The Wizards of Winter are not The Transiberian Orchestra, but they never meant to be.
To view The Wizards of Winter tour schedule, visit https://www.thewizardsofwinter.com/tour-dates.
Article and photo by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
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