This holiday season's Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour is the collective's second since the tragic passing of founder and TSO mastermind Paul O'Neill.
By all accounts, TSO didn't miss a beat after losing O'Neill in the spring of 2017.
As guitarist Joel Hoekstra explains to Q104.3's Jim Kerr and Shelli Sonstein, that apparent seamlessness is because of everything O'Neill did to build a foundation for the project and set it up for the future.
"We're very sad to have lost our brother," Hoekstra said of O'Neill, "but honestly, our mindset remains the same. When Paul was around, we were always thinking, 'Look, how can we make Paul happy?' Everything we'd do. The guitar I would pick out — 'I hope Paul likes this guitar. I hope Paul likes what I'm gonna play here.'"
Not having their former creative director with them has made the performers that much more conscious about their choices in TSO, Hoekstra continues.
"If anything, it's focused us that much more on thinking about what Paul would want, because he did want an extended legacy for Trans-Siberian Orchestra beyond his lifetime, and so we're trying to provide that."
Tickets to Trans-Siberian Orchestra's 2018 Winter Tour are on-sale now!
We are giving you chances to win your way into our Q104.3 Christmas Concerts with TSO at NYCB Live: Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Dec. 20 or at the Prudential Center on Dec. 22.
Go here to enter!
If you're not going to be in the New York City-area this holiday season, take a look at all of TSO's 2018 Winter Tour Dates below!
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Winter 2018 Tour
DEC 5 - Indianapolis IN - Bankers Life Fieldhouse - 7:30 PM
DEC 5 - Oklahoma City OK - Chesapeake Energy Arena - 7:30 PM
DEC 6 - Lexington KY - Rupp Arena - 7:30 PM
DEC 6 - St Louis MO - Enterprise Center - 7:30 PM
DEC 7 - Greenville SC - Bon Secours Wellness Arena - 4:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 7 - Knoxville TN - Thompson-Boling Arena - 8:00 PM
DEC 8 - Charlotte NC - Spectrum Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
DEC 8 - Duluth GA - Infinite Energy Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 9 - Greensboro NC - Greensboro Coliseum - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
DEC 9 - Birmingham AL - Legacy Arena at The BJCC - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
DEC 12 - Raleigh NC - PNC Arena - 7:30 PM
DEC 12 - Columbia SC - Colonial Life Arena - 7:30 PM
DEC 13 - Charleston WV - Charleston Civic Center - 7:30 PM
DEC 13 - Jacksonville FL - Veterans Memorial Arena - 7:30 PM
DEC 14 - Cincinnati OH - US Bank Arena - 4:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 14 - Sunrise FL - BB&T Center - 8:00 PM
DEC 15 - Buffalo NY - KeyBank Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
DEC 15 - Orlando FL - Amway Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 16 - Hershey PA - Giant Center - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
DEC 16 - Tampa FL - Amalie Arena - 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
DEC 19 - Richmond VA - Richmond Coliseum - 7:30 PM
DEC 19 - New Orleans LA - Smoothie King Center - 7:30 PM
DEC 20 - Uniondale NY - NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - 7:30 PM
DEC 20 - Austin TX - Frank Erwin Center - 8:00 PM
DEC 21 - Philadelphia PA - Wells Fargo Center - 3:30 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 21 - Houston TX - Toyota Center - 3:30 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 22 - Newark NJ - Prudential Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 22 - Dallas TX - American Airlines Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 23 - Washington DC - Capital One Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 23 - San Antonio TX - AT&T Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 26 - Columbus OH - Nationwide Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 26 - Kansas City MO - Sprint Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 28 - Pittsburgh PA - PPG Paints Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 28 - Chicago IL - Allstate Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 29 - Detroit MI - Little Caesars Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 29 - St Paul MN - Xcel Energy Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 30 - Cleveland OH - Quicken Loans Arena - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
DEC 30 - Milwaukee WI - Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center - 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Photo: Getty Images