Continuing with what has become an annual tradition, Lindsey Stirling has returned to bring her holiday live spectacular once again. This year, it’s in support of a much larger selection of songs as she supports her brand new release, ‘Snow Waltz.’
Thew new album brings some exceptional new material of covers and originals including “O Holy Night,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Crazy For Christmas,” “Magic,” Ice Storm” and the title track “Snow Waltz.” Incidentally, the new album includes my absolute favorite rendition of “Little Drummer Boy,” but sadly, it didn’t make the set this time around.
The show kicked off with “Sleigh Ride” and immediately set the tone for the first-timers in the crowd, of which there were many. During the break between “Crazy For Christmas” and “Warmer in the Winter,” Stirling paused for a brief monologue as is normal for her show. This night was a little different however. It wasn’t so much the amount of first-time attendees in the crowd that was must surprising, but the fact that this was a 21 and over show, being that the venue is inside of a casino. Stirling disclosed that she found this out during her pre-show meet and greet and seemed to be a bit surprised.
Having now seen Lindsey Stirling perform live almost half a dozen times, I continue to be impressed with how she balances both her violin playing and her dance routine. It’s truly a unique talent and one that we’re all fortunate to experience. There’s no question a whole generation of fans are inspired to take up one or both of her talents as a result of attending a show like this.
Admittedly, I was a little disappointed to learn this myself. Her show has always been (and continues to be) a magical celebration of the holidays. Seeing all the awestruck kids in attendance is constantly one of the warmest parts of the show, and I can only imagine that’s true for Stirling as well. Despite this, once I accepted that this was going to be a very different environment for her show, it was easy to get lost in the moment as I always do.
After roughly five years of touring the country during the holidays (excluding a pause in 2020 during COVID), this show continues to be a hallmark of the season. I’ve likely previously compared this to a show like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, in that it’s packed with holiday cheer and will leave the audience with their mouths agape as they watch both Lindsey Stirling as well as her large entourage of dancers in a highly choreographed, perfectly-timed routines from song to song.
Stirling has managed to keep an impressive amount of continuity in this show form year to year, while enhancing it from one year to the next as well. Every year, you can count on a complete changeover in wardrobe as well as several set pieces. On this particular night, I was under the impression that the facility may not have been able to handle the entire performance, as Stirling’s aerial performance, which she added during her 2021 tour, wasn’t present here. Has I not seen it in past performances, I’d have never known it was missing.
This tour sells incredibly well every year, so if you’re looking forward to a date or are considering a show next year, I’d highly recommend checking it out. Maybe you’re casually reading this and wondering what’s so exciting? Go ahead and play a few videos on her YouTube channel and you’ll quickly understand what a wonderful and uplifting experience Lindsey Stirling brings to her fans on every stop of her tour!
