Watch: TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA Kicks Off 2023 Tour In Council Bluffs

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (TSO),the multi-platinum, progressive rock group, kicked off its 2023 tour last night (Wednesday, November 15) with captivating performances in Green Bay, Wisconsin and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Fan-filmed video of the latter concert — featuring the West Coast touring production — can be seen below.

For 2023, TSO brings a completely updated presentation of the unforgettable, multi-generational holiday tradition, "The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve". Over the course of the tour, TSO will visit 62 cities, delivering an impressive 104 performances before concluding on December 30.

A product of the imagination of TSO's late founder Paul O'Neill, and based on TSO's multi-platinum CD and TV special "The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve", follows the journey of a runaway who breaks into an abandoned vaudeville theater on December 24. While seeking shelter from the cold, the teen is discovered by the theater's caretaker who uses the ghosts and spirits from the building's past to turn her life around. Following the performance of the rock opera, 2023's tour also boasts a rocking, blazing, and laser-lit second set containing more of TSO's greatest hits, fan-favorites, and surprises. In addition to experiencing the story at TSO's live concerts this year, fans at home can watch a digitally restored "The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve" on their local PBS station.

TSO's music director and lead guitarist Al Pitrelli said: "For 27 years you have helped make Paul O'Neill's TSO stories a part of your holiday tradition. And, for 27 years, our tradition has been to make every year's tour better than the last for you. 2023 is no exception as this year's tour will be the best ever. I can't wait to see our 'repeat offenders' out at the shows and look forward to seeing the new faces as well."

TSO, which has sold more than 12 million albums and DVDs, released music in several formats this fall, including a 25th anniversary edition of "The Christmas Attic" on vinyl, in deluxe and standard packaging, on September 29; a clear vinyl pressing of "Christmas Eve And Other Stories" on November 3; plus, a digital release of "The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve" in Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio and hi-fidelity stereo mixes, including both the songs and narration, titled "The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve - The Complete Narrated Version" on November 10.

Since its touring debut, TSO has played more than 2,000 winter tour shows to more than 18 million fans. In just the past 10 years (encompassing nine tours),TSO has performed for more than eight million fans. Keeping with O'Neill's vision, TSO remains one of rock's most charitable bands. Once again, TSO will give at least $1 from every ticket sold to charity. To date, more than $18 million has been donated by the group.

After its first year off the road in more than two decades, TSO made a triumphant return to touring in 2021 with a 25th-anniversary celebration of "Christmas Eve And Other Stories".

According to Billboard, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA's entire 2022 haul generated $66.5 million in gross revenues from 914,000 tickets sold — with 77% of that sum coming from December dates alone. That was the second-highest grossing tour in the band's history, narrowly missing 2019's pre-pandemic $66.8 million.