(02-14-2020, 02:51 AM)TSOd Wrote:(01-16-2020, 05:15 AM)danfromnj Wrote: So, looks like TSO will have a 3rd tour this fall to go along with the East/West tours. Word is that it will not be geographically-specific, but focus more on smaller venues. Guessing they will hire a new cast of musicians and singers, maybe mixed in with some current performers. Any guesses who might be in this new cast?The way I read into what Zak said is this third band will play the center of the country smaller markets smaller fan bases smaller venues of 6-8000 that TSO East and West can't get to or are unreasonable to go to since the coasts have the biggest fan bases and arenas. Mannheim Steamroller took a page from the TSO playbook by having two touring bands and >hiring< musicians to >play the music of MS<and billed it as such: Chip Davis Presents The Music Of Mannheim Steamroller. It was not MS. TSO is now taking a page from the MS playbook. This third band will be >hired< musicians to >play the music of TSO<. They will not be TSO as we know them. People will get the TSO show but not TSO. May as well go see 12/24 or any of the other TSO cover bands which is what this third band will be and save some money and get the smaller more intimate show some people want.
What Zak said was - in his own words - a "guess". Zak: "I don't know a lot about it right now. My guess is [that] there's places in..."
What we are hearing is that this will be a tour of theater-sized venues, and where they would go is determined by the offers and routing. That could change of course during the ongoing booking process, but that is the plan.
And to your point about hired musicians, there isnt much difference now. As someone who replied to your comment in the TSO facebook group said, When TSO does CEAOS, how many people on stage had anything to do with the original recording? TSO is all made of up of hired musicians who play the music that Paul/Jon/Bob wrote. For large chunks of their performances, alot of it is played and sung by people that are not on the records. So your point is valid for all three casts.