Drummer JEFF PLATE of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA spoke to Bill about the 2025 Trans-Siberian Orchestra Winter Tour "THE GHOSTS OF EVE - THE BEST OF TSO - FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2025 CLEVELAND, OH ROCKET ARENA 3:00PM & 7:30PM
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• Jeff is TSO’s drummer and an original member of the group
• TSO’s 2025 tour, “Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO & More” will be an ALL NEW SHOW and promises to be the biggest & best TSO tour to date.
• The tour will perform 106 concerts in 64 cities in 48 days.
• The tour promises to continue TSO's tradition of captivating audiences nationwide with an unparalleled blend of rock, classical, and theatrical spectacle, complete with dazzling pyrotechnics, lasers, and incredible storytelling which has captured the hearts of multiple generations.
• The show will include enduring fan favorites such as "Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24," "Christmas Canon," and "This Christmas Day” among others.
• TSO tours have become a holiday tradition for countless fans having captured the hearts of multiple generations.
• TSO is also pleased to announce the return of a fan-favorite tradition: the TSO signing line. For the first time since 2019 (Covid), every fan attending an evening performance will have the incredible opportunity to get one item signed by members of the group, completely free of charge.
• As they have in the past, TSO will donate at least $1 from every ticket sold to local charities. To date, they have distributed MORE
THAN 20 MILLION DOLLARS to worthy charities throughout North America.
• Tickets for on sale THIS FRIDAY - SEPTEMBER 12th at Trans-Siberian.com
• ALSO In celebration of the 25th anniversary of TSO's acclaimed (non-Christmas) rock opera "Beethoven's Last Night" will be released on VINYL for the first time on September 12.
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(Cont.)
• This special 2LP set, which tells the dramatic tale of Ludwig van Beethoven's final hours, blending his iconic melodies with hard rock and theatrical storytelling.
• This vinyl release will be available in two distinct editions: an exclusive lenticular cover and a red vinyl pressing.
• Since its historic touring debut in 1999, TSO has:
• Played more than 2,200 Winter Tour shows for more than 20 MILLION fans, grossing more than $1 BILLION
(In just the past 12 years (encompassing 11 tours), TSO has performed for more than 10 MILLION fans.)
• Has sold in excess of 12 MILLION albums and DVDs.
• TSO’s CD releases include: Christmas Eve & Other Stories" (’96), "The Christmas Attic” (’98), “Beethoven's Last Night” (’00), “The Lost Christmas Eve” (’04), "Night Castle” (’09), “Dreams Of Fireflies (On A Christmas Night)” (’12/EP), “Letters From The Labyrinth” (’15), “The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve” (’16).
• TSO’s live show has been called a mix of The Who’s “Tommy” & Andrew Lloyd Weber with Pink Floyd’s lights.
• According to Newsweek Magazine, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” is the 7th most downloaded Christmas song ever.
• TSO has performed live to more 19 MILLION fans since their first tour in 1999.
• TSO has sold more than 12 MILLION CD’s to date.
• On 12/31/13 TSO performed in front of 2 MILLION people at midnight in Berlin at the Bradenburg Gate. Wilkommen 2014 is an annual TV show on the German TV channel ZDF. The performance was viewed by a television audience of more than
8 MILLION people and is reported to be “The biggest New Years Eve crowd in the world!”.
• TSO’s NATIONAL television appearances include: The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, CNN, Regis & Kelly, Rosie O’Donnell and many more…
• Trans-Siberian Orchestra was established in 1996 by producer/writer/guitarist Paul O'Neill
• TSO’s “Wizards in Winter” was featured in a nationwide Miller Lite commercial in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
• TSO's "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo" was featured in a nationwide KIA commercial in 2017 and 2018
• "Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24" was inspired by the true story of a cellist who refused to be intimidated by gunfire in his native
city of Sarajevo. His playing outdoors amidst the shelling represented a defiance of violence
• Website: www.trans-siberian.com / Facebook: @TSO / Instagram: @TransSiberianOrchestra
TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES 2025 TOUR: "GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS EVE: THE BEST OF TSO & MORE" WINTER TOUR FEATURES A 25TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE TO “BEETHOVEN'S LAST NIGHT,” VISITING NEW CITIES & RETURN OF THE SIGNING LINE PRESALES BEGIN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11; PUBLIC TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 BEETHOVEN'S LAST NIGHT VINYL RELEASE COMING ON SEPTEMBER 12 Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) today unveiled the exciting details for their 2025 Winter Tour, which will bring the multi-platinum rock group to 64 markets for 106 concerts across the country. This year's tour will feature an all-new production of their beloved "The Ghosts of Christmas Eve" alongside a special second set of hits and fan-favorites that includes a 25th-anniversary salute to Beethoven's Last Night. The "Ghosts Of Christmas Eve: the Best of TSO & More" tour promises to continue TSO's tradition of captivating audiences nationwide with an unparalleled blend of rock, classical, and theatrical spectacle, complete with dazzling pyrotechnics, lasers, and incredible storytelling. Presales for select groups begin on Thursday, September 11 at 10 a.m. local time. The public on sale is set to begin on Friday, September 12 at 10 a.m. local time. For more details on tour dates and ticket sales, visit www.trans-siberian.com.
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(Cont.) The 2025 TSO tour promises a reimagined and expanded presentation of the beloved holiday tradition, "The Ghosts of Christmas
Eve," which has captivated multiple generations. A product of the imagination of TSO’s late founder Paul O’Neill and based on TSO’s multi-platinum DVD TV special, “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” follows the journey of a runaway who breaks into an abandoned vaudeville theater on December 24th. Following this powerful rock opera, the 2025 tour will also deliver a high-octane, visually stunning second set packed with more of TSO’s greatest hits, fan-favorites, and unexpected delights. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Trans-Siberian Orchestra's acclaimed rock opera Beethoven's Last Night is set to make its vinyl debut on September 12. This special 2LP set, which tells the dramatic tale of Ludwig van Beethoven's final hours, blending his iconic melodies with hard rock and theatrical storytelling, will be available in two distinct editions: an exclusive lenticular cover and a red vinyl pressing. Fans can order their copies now at store.rhino.com/en/rhino-store/artists/trans-siberian-orchestra/ to commemorate this milestone for the beloved album. TSO is also pleased to announce the return of a fan-favorite tradition: the TSO signing line. For the first time since 2019, every fan attending an evening performance will have the incredible opportunity to get one item signed by members of the group, completely free of charge.
Building on the monumental milestones celebrated in their last tour, TSO continues to redefine its success. With over 20 million concert tickets sold and a staggering more than $20 million donated to charity since their inception, TSO remains one of rock's most generous bands, proudly upholding Paul O’Neill’s vision, by contributing at least $1 from every ticket sold to local charities. With an incredible $1 billion in gross sales, TSO's remarkable and consistent appeal is reflected in recent industry accolades: Pollstar recognized TSO at No. 4 for Top North America Tours and at No. 6 on their Top 100 Worldwide Tours chart by gross for Midyear 2025, while Billboard placed them at No. 5 in Midyear 2025 Top Ticket Sales and No. 13 on the Midyear 2025 Top Tours chart. Adding to their impressive achievements, their iconic hit, "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," has just surpassed 100 million streams across digital platforms, further cementing its status as a timeless holiday classic.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Facts & Figures
1. Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is the biggest Holiday Touring act in the history of the United States. 2. TSO has been a multi-generational concert staple and family attraction for over 25 years. 3. TSO has played live to over 20 million people and grossed over $1 billion since their first tour in 1999. 4. TSO has been called a mix of The Who’s Tommy and Andrew Lloyd Weber with Pink Floyd’s lights. 5. TSO is one of the only acts today that resonates with younger, rock music fans as well as older adult contemporary listeners and espouses a positive message for all. 6. TSO has been one of the top touring acts of the decade for more than two decades running! Pollstar has published that TSO sold the most tickets by a rock act in North America for the decade (2010-2019) and TSO ranked in Billboard Top Artists of the Decade - (2000-2009) (2010-2019). 7. TSO consistently ranks on Pollstar’s Top tour charts. 8. According to Billboard, TSO – a modestly priced family show – hovers around the Top 20 grossing acts in Billboard Boxscore history and within the Top 10 of tickets sold. 9. TSO has been the #1 touring act in December for 5 years running (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). 10. TSO recently charted on the Top Touring Artists Of The Pollstar Era Chart (1980-Present) at #11 in Tickets Sold and #21 in
Box Office Grosses. 11. On Tour, TSO has played to roughly 1 million people per year for the past 15 years. 12. Over the past 3 years TSO has close to 750 million audio/video streams. 13. Streams have increased over 60% outside the USA. 14. According to Newsweek Magazine, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” is the 7th most downloaded Christmas song ever. 15. TSO is a Top 15 artist for all-time radio airplay. 16. TSO donates at least $1 from every ticket sold to charity and, in the course of 20 years, the band has donated over $20 million dollars to charity.
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STREAMING
• “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” and “Christmas Canon” were added to Apple Music’s 100 Greatest Christmas Songs Ever Playlist
• Both songs were also featured on numerous official Spotify and Amazon playlists for their holiday seasons
• TSO has been streamed Globally more than 1.5 Billion times across multiple platforms (Apple, Spotify, Pandora, etc.)
• “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” has been streamed more than 300 Million times.
• “Christmas Canon has been streamed more than 250 million times
ALBUMS / CD’S / RADIO
• TSO has sold the most Holiday CD’s in the past 20 years of any artist in North America
• In 2023 & 2024 TSO had their own dedicated SiriusXM Channel • Each of TSO’s last four albums has been a Billboard Top 10 Debut. • Each TSO Christmas Record is annually a Top Ten best-selling Holiday Record as well as a Top 10 best-selling Catalog Record in the United States (Billboard Magazine).
Christmas Eve & Other Stories (Released 1996)
• Certified Quadruple Platinum - over 4 million records sold! • Has over 500 Million streams • Annually one of the Top 5 Holiday Records in the US. • Contains the smash hit “Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24” (3x Platinum single)
• Also features A Mad Russian’s Christmas (Gold Single). • Radio airplay in almost every radio format (Rock, AC, CHR, Country, Classic Rock & Religious).
The Christmas Attic (Released 1998)
• Certified Double Platinum - 2 million sold
• Annually one of the Top 10 Holiday Records in the U.S. • Recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with a vinyl release. • Contains the radio hit “Christmas Canon” (2x Platinum single) • Airplay has increased every year since release
Beethoven’s Last Night (Released 2000)
• TSO’s first non-holiday rock opera. • Currently the first of TSO’s “Rock Theater” productions to tour. • Story of historical fiction about one of the world’s greatest composers. • Celebrating 25 years with a new vinyl release (2025).
The Lost Christmas Eve (Released 2004)
• Certified Triple Platinum - 3 million sold. • Celebrated 20th anniversary in 2024 with new vinyl release and atmos mixes • Features the single “Wizards in Winter” - as seen in the Miller Beer commercial. • Toured 2 years to rave reviews across the country.
Night Castle (Released 2009)
• TSO’s first double album. • Debuted at #5 on Billboard Top 200 Chart. • Certified Gold within 8 weeks of release. • Certified Platinum
Dreams of Fireflies (On A Christmas Night) EP (Released 2012)
• Approaching 500,000 in sales. • Features the single “Dreams of Fireflies (On A Christmas Night).” • Debuted at #5 on Billboard Top 200 chart (TSO’s 2nd Top 10 Debut in a row!). • Over 5,000 spins for the single’s debut. • Ranked Top 20 on the MediaBase Holiday Top Recurrent Chart.
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Letters From The Labyrinth (Released 2015)
• TSO’s first hybrid album - a mixture of songs and stories. • Features the single “Forget About The Blame (Moon Version)” featuring Lzzy Hale. • Debuted at #7 on Billboard Top 200 chart. • Six weeks at #1 on Billboard Rock Chart.
The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve (Released 2016)
• TSO’s audio version of their greatest hits. • Debuted at #9 on Billboard Top 200 chart (TSO’s 4th Top 10 Debut in a row!).
FILM PROJECTS & APPEARANCES
“The Ghost of Christmas Eve” (1999 / Certified Platinum - DVD/Video)
TSO’s original story about a runaway who breaks into an abandoned theater, only to experience the ghosts who inhabit the building- The video features appearances by acting legend Ossie Davis, as well as Jewel and Broadway star Michael Crawford. This timeless video has been a fundraiser for PBS across the country for over 20 years as well as annually playing on Hallmark and Hallmark Movie Channel.
“The Birth Of Rock Theatre” (2010)
The Birth of Rock Theater is a television special that has been used as a PBS fundraiser and features live performances of tracks from TSO’s critically acclaimed “Beethoven’s Last Night” and “Night Castle.” Rock Theater is a term coined by TSO Founder Paul O’Neill to describe his vision of the storytelling that encompasses the TSO albums with the music. This video has interviews with band members and includes some exciting behind the scenes footage.
TSO Livestream - “Christmas Eve & Other Stories” (2020)
In 2020, due to the Covid pandemic, TSO was unable to tour for the first time in over 20 years. Forced to pivot - TSO hunkered down in Nashville and performed Christmas Eve & Other Stories in its entirety. It turned out to be one of the biggest ticketed livestreams of 2020.
OTHER APPEARANCES
• TSO has appeared on numerous television shows including, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, CNN, Regis & Kathy Lee, Rosie O’Donnell and many more
• TSO’s music has been featured in national commercial campaigns for Dodge, KIA and Miller Lite
• TSO’s music can be found on many Television shows and movies - Men In Black III, The Grinch, The Office,
The Great Christmas Light Fight, The Regular Show
INTERNATIONAL
• TSO headlined the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany with over 80,000 rock fans in attendance, and became the first band to play a coordinated set on the festivals two main stages.
• TSO performed in front of 2 million people at midnight in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate. Wilkommen is an annual TV show on the German TV Channel ZDF. This TV performance was viewed by over 8 million viewers and is reported to be one of “The biggest New Year’s Eve crowd in the world