Finally. I am going to see the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Concert! This coming Sunday afternoon at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. Sure, they now have two groups doing the tour and we probably have the "B" group, but they rehearse together and I doubt I'll be able to tell a difference. I've loved their music for years and it sets my mood for the holidays. Now I get to experience it LIVE!

Man, I'm jealous. I can't say I have all of their cd's but I have a few. Enjoy the show!

They are proud of their show though - $66 a ticket.

They really don't have a B-group, Dave. It is more like pre-season baseball where they might have a split squad during Spring training. Each group is similar is orchestral ensemble and overall ability. I have seen them twice and have come away speechless each time. Their performances are beautiful and seemingly flawless. Next to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, they are my favorite holiday group out there.

There was a blurb in the Huntsville Times the other day about the concert. It was supposed to be one show only but demand was so high they added the afternoon show. It isn't cheap but I know it will be worth it. Chip Davis won't be there. He had neck surgery earlier this year and has been virtually bedridden for a while.

The tickets arrived in today's mail!

I really wanted to go, too. Just too many expenses right now to spend the extra money. Sally Struthers is at the Princess Theater tonight in Decatur. I wanted to go to that show, too. The tickets were $40-$60. Just can't spare that right now. Have a wonderful time, I know the show will be fantastic. Maybe next year.

This is the 2nd year they've come to Huntsville, so I assume they'll be back next year.

We went to the concert today. Awesome. Simply awesome. 15 musicians (5 of them as the leads) and they each are remarkably gifted musicians. They got a standing O and played two encore songs - including my favorite Silent Night which was not in the program (I suspect they hold it back on purpose). Anyway, it was a sold-out house and everyone seemed to love the show. Mannheim Steamroller rules! Well worth the ticket price. And the gate wasn't bad either - the gross is around $140,000 per show so they are taking in $280k for their Sunday stop in Huntsville.

I'm so glad you got an encore. One of the gentlemen I work went with and said the show including intermission was over in less than 2 hours. He said it wasn't long enough for what he paid. Guess he's never played an instrument. Two hours is a really, really long time for a concert, in my opinion.

So was ours. That is a typical concert length so I don't know what your co-worker was expecting. The intermission was 15 minutes and they played for around 90 minutes. I was satisfied but ready for it to end when it did.