Review: Kelly Besaw
Photos: Chris Besaw
Lindsey Stirling brought her feel good Snow Waltz Tour to the Landmark Theater in Syracuse, NY Wednesday evening. Despite it being a cold, blustery night and mid-week, fans packed into the theater for a sold-out show.
The show kicked off a few minutes after 8pm as Stirling and her backup band and dancers took the stage and performed a masterfully choreographed version of “Sleigh Ride.” This was my first time seeing her live and it didn’t take long to determine that this was not a typical concert, it was going to be so much more. I should also mention that I played the violin when I was younger and cannot even fathom playing upside down while doing aerial spins on a ring or while performing the intricately choreographed dance moves that she manages to pull off while playing.
Stirling who has appeared on both America’s Got Talent and Dancing With the Stars is an accomplished violinist and dancer who also tells jokes and stories between songs. The overall performance has a bit of a variety show feel but with an overarching cohesive theme. She paused to compliment the Syracuse audience on their energy multiple times which eventually culminated in her inviting the crowd to participate in the preproduction of one of her famous TikTok videos. She informed the crowd that it, “may not make sense now, but it will when it is finished in about four months.” I can’t wait to see it. It was a terrific way for her to interact with her fans and get them involved in the show.
The performance included well-known holidays classics, including “Let it Snow,” “Jingle Bells,” “O Holy Night,” “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and more. During a brief interlude where Stirling played on her 1/16 size violin aptly named “Pickle” because everyone names their violins, she played snippets of “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter and was taunted by her bandmates to play a little bit of “Devil Went Down to Georgia.” The multiple costume changes by both Stirling and the dancers were visually astounding. All the costumes were gorgeous and fit the themes of the music nicely. The icing on the cake was three comedic interludes performed by Stirling’s tour manager, Erich Jackson. Donned in a Christmas tree costume, Jackson delighted the audience with witty placards, some pretty bad singing and a less than stellar but hilarious performance on the aerial ring.
Stirling’s message throughout the evening was positive and focused on belief in a higher power, angels, and that everyone is important. She ended the evening talking about one of her favorite movies, It’s A Wonderful Life. She stated that she, “loves the message that everyone’s life matters and that we have an impact even if we don’t realize it.” She closed out the main set with “Magic” reminding the audience that there is a little magic in all of us.
There are still several opportunities to catch Lindsey Stirling on the Snow Waltz tour. I highly recommend seeing her live. It is a performance like none other I have seen.
Leave a Reply