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The Wizards of Winter (with TSO alumni) - 2015 News & Tour Dates
#11
Like I said, it is not a bad thing at all and we are all (I think) TSO fans here but their influence on that song posted earlier in the thread can not be denied to my ears. I just listened to it again and it would fit in perfectly to the second half of any TSO show I have seen...

The phrasing, drumming and voice are all very familiar. Guy has an amazing voice which 'til now I always placed with TSO.

Hell, I even hear some Zak era Wake of Magellan in there. (don't hear it / don't hear it / don't hear it)
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#12
And another pretty darn cool cover for their upcoming album, The Magic of Winter. Ioannis once again did the honors:

[Image: wow2015cover2-modified.jpg]
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#13
(10-23-2015, 02:07 PM)admin Wrote: Like I said, it is not a bad thing at all and we are all (I think) TSO fans here but their influence on that song posted earlier in the thread can not be denied to my ears. I just listened to it again and it would fit in perfectly to the second half of any TSO show I have seen...

The phrasing, drumming and voice are all very familiar. Guy has an amazing voice which 'til now I always placed with TSO.

Hell, I even hear some Zak era Wake of Magellan in there. (don't hear it / don't hear it / don't hear it)

The music video premiered through Yahoo Music:

https://www.yahoo.com/music/video-premie...09954.html

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#14
Nice review from popular music-news site Bravewords:

http://bravewords.com/reviews/the-wizard...-of-winter

Rating: 8.5

As we near ever closer to the arrival of Santa Claus, The Wizards Of Winter have graced us with a wonderful soundtrack for the festive season. Whether you’re putting up the tree or wrapping presents, this 10-track CD provides endless amounts of joy. Beginning with “Flight Of The Snow Angels”, which borrows from “The Little Drummer Boy”, The Magic Of Winter is just that – magic; albeit in a very familiar Trans-Siberian Orchestra way. Given the fact that former TSO vocalist Guy LeMonnier sings “The Spirit Of Christmas” – an absolutely perfect holiday song that stops you in your tracks – the comparisons are all but unavoidable.

“Waken To The Sound” is in itself a masterpiece; if you don’t smile ear to ear upon hearing this, you must be a Scrooge. Which brings us to “Ebeneezer”, the longest song on offer at six and a half minutes – much more dramatic in nature, and a tad too theatrical; given the rock n’ roll roots of all that came before it. Instrumental tracks “Season’s Lament” and “Christmas Cotillion” will satisfy both the guitar geeks and old fuddy-duddys; seasonal splendour perfectly displayed on six strings. “With One Voice” takes liberties with “Hark The Herald Angels Sing”, successfully resulting in a very pleasing piece of music. Tired of Bing Crosby and David Bowie? Give The Wizards Of Winter a chance; you won’t be disappointed.
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#15
Pretty cool to hear the Baltimore Ravens use a Wizards of Winter song for their holiday highlights reel - and play their music during the game:

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#16
I saw these guys in concert on their 2015 tour and they are great! It reminds me of what TSO must have been like their first few tours before they went overboard with the effects. Great musicians and singers. And songs! The ladies (I forget their names) who sang also play instruments in the band and the male singers - wow! Guy is every bit as good as Rob Evan - What a voice! And Vinny is crazy good with that classic operatic metal voice. And it was cool to see and hear Tony Gaynor do his thing narrating and singing. He looked like he was having so much fun. I really had a great time.

I saw TSO also as usual and enjoyed that, but the contrast between these two bands is large. A TSO show feels like an event - a major undertaking - a "show". The Wizards of Winter felt like a concert by a band. You can really tell the visions of the two groups are different. I enjoyed myself at each show, but for different reasons.

That's my long-winded way of saying: See the Wizards of Winter if they come near you. And pick up both of their Christmas albums! Great stuff.
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#17
So back in May 2016, The Wizards announced that Guy LeMonnier would not be able to tour with them this year and that former TSO East vocalist Peter Shaw had come on board:

"It is with great sadness that The Wizards announce that Guy LeMonnier will not be touring with us this year. But we are happy for him! Guy has decided to focus on acting. Anyone that follows his career can't help but take notice of all the TV appearances he has been making lately....from Gotham to Broad City. All of us want to thank him for the great contributions he has made to the band over the past several years. He will be missed.

At the same time, we are pleased to announce that Peter Shaw, who also is a former member of TSO, will be joining us as Guy's replacement. Peter toured with TSO for several years singing the same songs as Guy....only with the East Coast troupe. In addition, Peter has his own solo album out titled " More Alive" which contains the radio hit " Eyes Open Wide" . He is an actor too.You can catch his performance in the movies Hannibal and Practical Magic.

We ask all of you to please give Peter a warm Wizards family welcome!".




Looks like Guy's schedule was freed up a bit, with today's announcement:

For Immediate Release
November 9, 2016
The WIZARDS OF WINTER Announce the Return of Actor & Former Trans-Siberian Orchestra Vocalist Guy LeMonnier

+ More Tour Dates Added for the 2016 Holiday Season!
*A Theatrical Holiday Rock Event for the Entire Family*
Hear Original Tunes and TSO Favorites!

Holiday rock opera ensemble the WIZARDS OF WINTER are pleased to announce that as of today, 2016’s holiday tour will now feature three former members of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra with the recent return of lead vocalist Guy LeMonnier. Hailing from Grand Rapids, MI, LeMonnier has performed and toured professionally with TSO and can be heard on their album Beethoven's Last Night as well as both Wizards albums " The Wizards of Winter" and " The Magic of Winter".
LeMonnier states, “I had the fortune of meeting the WIZARDS OF WINTER in 2013, and I found a group of musicians and friends that quickly became family. The excitement on that stage for their craft and their love for the audience is awe-inspiring and I'm thrilled to be back with the pack to rock the nation this holiday season.”
Aiming to top the success of their 2015 tour – which saw them perform their brand of theatrical yuletide rock to thousands of performance attendees and grabbed the attention of mainstream media such as Entertainment Weekly and Yahoo Music – the WIZARDS OF WINTER are adding even more 2016 holiday tour dates! The ensemble will perform at venues this upcoming November and December in several eastern and central U.S. markets.

The WIZARDS OF WINTER recently announced further expansions to their ensemble cast, including the addition of Ted Nugent bassist/vocalist Greg Smith, former Trans-Siberian Orchestra vocalist Peter Shaw, seasoned vocalist Shawna Mehall and accomplished violinist Jenn Hamilton.



The WIZARDS OF WINTER 2016 Tour Dates:
11/23 - Syracuse, NY @ Crouse Hinds Theater
11/25 - Staten Island, NY @ St. George Theatre
11/26 - Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Theatre
11/27 - Beverly, MA @ Cabot Theatre
12/1 - York, PA @ Strand-Capitol Perf. Arts Center
12/2 - Binghamton, NY @ The Forum Performing Arts Theatre
12/3 - Scranton, PA @ The Theater at Lackawanna College
12/4 - Plymouth, NH @ Flying Monkey Performance Center
12/7 - Parsippany, NJ @ Parsippany High School - Benefit Concert
12/8 - Tarrytown, NY @ Music Hall
12/9 - Munhall, PA @ Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
12/10 - Collingswood, NJ @ Scottish Rite Auditorium
12/11 - Easton, PA @ State Theater
12/15 - Kalamazoo, MI @ State Theatre
12/16 - Waukegan, IL @ Genesee Theater
12/17 - Milwaukee, WI @ Northern Lights Theater (Potawatomi Hotel & Casino)
12/18 - Turtle Lake, WI @ St. Croix Casino Turtle Lake Event
12/22 - Hagerstown, MD @ Maryland Theater
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