After a year of loss, Trans-Siberian Orchestra is upping the ante to honor its founder

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s founder, Paul O’Neill, had big plans for the prog-rock ensemble, known for delivering dramatic Christmas music and vibrant concerts

“We’re going to take this show to the next level,” O’Neill said in an interview a year ago. “I can’t talk about it now, but just wait. It’s going to blow your mind.”

O’Neill, the group’s founder, died in April at the age or 61 after an accidental drug overdose from prescribed medications for chronic illnesses.

Today, Trans-Siberian Orchestra is still touring and is considered a holiday staple. Its show, titled “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve,” will be presented Dec. 13 at the PNC Arena.

And those who remain with the band work to ensure O’Neill’s ambitions continue to be make their way onstage.

“It’s such a shame,” TSO vocalist-composer Jon Oliva says while calling from New York. “Paul was young. He had so much to live for. He had a number of unrealized ideas. But he also had so many great concepts, which were realized.”

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which formed in 1996, became an unlikely monster of rock, courtesy of O’Neill. The band created a number of rock operas, such as “Christmas Eve and Other Stories,” “The Christmas Attic” and “The Lost Christmas Eve.” More than 10 million albums have been sold.

The combination of progressive rock and Christmas doesn’t sound like a potential commercial blockbuster, but the group routinely sells out arenas during its annual holiday run every November and December.

“The fans love it,” Oliva says. “That’s evident since we play to packed houses. We give them what they want.”

The group delivers thanks to a 60-piece orchestra and a chorus. It’s a huge production. Pyro, lasers and moving trusses are part of the visuals.

“Our goal is to stimulate all of your senses,” Oliva says. “We put on the big rock show, which you don’t see that much of these days.”

This tour, they’re presenting an updated version of “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve,” which the group presented in 2015 and 2016.

“We have a new stage design, which is the last stage design that Paul put together,” Oliva says. “The stage turns into a theater. We have so many cool effects, and just wait until you see how much pyro we have. We’re upping the ante with this show. If we cut the amount of lights we use, we would still have more lights than most bands use. The visual elements are outrageous.”

It’s been a difficult year for the band, which also lost bassist David Z in a car accident in July.

“The combination of Paul and David passing away has been too much to bear,” Oliva says. “But we’re doing our best since we’re all family. We look out for each other. We’re all in this together.”

This may be the last year “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” is presented, at least in its current form. Oliva indicates the group might switch gears in 2018.

“We’re going to discuss what we’ll do next year when we get together in January,” Oliva says. “So this is your chance to see ‘The Ghosts of Christmas Eve.’ We may move on from it. We’re also going to discuss the possibility of a new album.”

Because while Trans-Siberian’s founder is gone, the band will continue to perform as a way to honor him, Oliva says.

“We’re going to keep Trans-Siberian Orchestra alive, as well as his legacy,” he said. “Paul poured everything he had into TSO. Look at how many albums TSO has sold. We’re going to continue on for many more years, since that’s what Paul would have wanted.”

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 3:00 PM with the headline "After a year of loss, Trans-Siberian Orchestra is upping the ante to honor its founder."