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Mannheim Steamroller gets a jump on holiday outing
Though it's still warm outside, Mannheim Steamroller is already preparing to bundle up for its 24th annual Christmas tour.
The New Age outfit will break into two separate groups to cover the eastern half of the US from Nov. 1 to Dec. 27. One of the bands will start with a Branson, MO, residency that spans the entire month of November and then move onto other cities around the Midwest. The other group will focus on East Coast performances. The full itinerary is listed below.
The concerts will include the classical rock band's trademark multimedia extravaganza and music from its nine Christmas albums, including last year's "Christmas Song" and the forthcoming "Christmasville," which is due in October.
Founded by Grammy-winning composer Chip Davis, Mannheim Steamroller is an ever-changing consortium of musicians who fuse together acoustic, analog, digital and electronic sounds. Davis started the group more than 30 years ago with his "Fresh Aire" series of albums, the eighth of which was released in 2000.
Mannheim Steamroller has logged six multi-platinum-selling Christmas albums since 1984, and is the top-selling Christmas act of all time, according to its website.
Davis, who began his career writing advertising jingles in the '70s, has sold more than 36 million albums as an independent artist, making him one of the most successful independent acts in the music industry.
