September 11, 2025 • 9 mins
That’s Rad with Hannah Tyler welcomes legendary drummer Jeff Plate from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra! Jeff takes us behind the curtain of one of the most electrifying holiday rock spectacles in the world. From the band’s iconic mix of classical, metal, and storytelling to life on the road and what it takes to bring the TSO magic to millions every year, Jeff shares stories, passion, and the music that keeps fans coming back season after season. Whether you’re a die-hard TSO fan or just love epic music and inspiring conversations, this episode is one you don’t want to miss.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to another episode of That's Rad. Hey, it's
Hannah and on today's show talking to Jeff Plate. Now.
He is one of the original members of Trans Siberian Orchestra.
You know Trans Siberian Orchestra. You see them come around
every Christmas time. Maybe you've been to one of their shows,
maybe you've just seen videos on the internet of this
rock show meets Christmas meets Explosion of Senses. It is
(00:24):
so rad They're actually coming to Greensboro November twentieth. Tickets
are on sale now at mixed ninety nine to five
triad dot com. Great interview with Jeff talking all about
how TSO started, where they're going, what the future looks like,
and how they make it snow inside of a venue.
So enjoy this interview with Jeff platform Trans Siberian Orchestra. Jeff,
We do you today? Not bad? How are you? No?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Thanks? You're good? Well good, that's good.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
You taking a little bit of time to breathe and
collect yourself before the tour starts here.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Well, more or less, it seems like every time, every
time the tour days come out, I realize my to
do list is still very long. Now I'm against the
clock and I gotta get up and get her done.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
You got this. I have talken to Jeff Butt from
Trans Siberian Orchestra. Big tour just announced that includes a
stop here in Greensboro on November twentieth. We are excited
to see you again. All right, Jeff, The first question
I have for you as an original member, how did
you come up with the name Trans Siberian Orchestra.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Well, this whole band, this project is the vision of
one Paul O'Neill. Paul O'Neill, New York City man. He
worked in rock and roll promoting shows, worked with Aerosmith,
Ted Nugent, Scorpions, etc. Back in the day. This was
all his vision. He had an idea of incorporating every
(01:49):
kind of musical genre possible into a rock show, but
present it like a Broadway play. So that sounds kind
of complicated and kind of all over the place, a
little nutty, But Fransagra and Orchestra is the product of that.
And Paul actually was in Russia, I believe, and road
(02:13):
the Trans Siberian Railway, and he just kind of made
a connection between how long this trip was and how
many different cultures this railway actually traveled through that it
was amazing how this railway connected all of this together,
and he drew a similarity or an analogy to this
(02:35):
vision that he had, and that the name just seems
appropriate because TSO really is something that kind of covers
all the bases.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
That is so true. Now, how did you become a
part of all of this? Was it just like, hey,
I'm a really good drummer. You auditioned, and here it
is because as an original member, you hear this idea
and you're like, okay, well this sounds a bit interesting.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
So I mentioned Paul O'Neill. He was managing and producing
in writing for a band called Sabotage. He Sabotage was
a hard rock metal band, symptonic metal band out of Tampa, Florida.
Paul began working with them in nineteen eighty six. So
the band went through a number of different changes. A
singer that I used to work with in Boston ended
(03:18):
up becoming the new vocalists for the band. They made
a change in drummer. The original drummer stepped aside, so
I was brought in in nineteen ninety four to join
the band Sabotage. So this is where I met Paul O'Neil.
This is where I met John Oliva, who was one
of Paul's main writing partners. And the following year we
(03:40):
recorded a record called Dead Winter Dead, and in this
record was a song called Christmas Eve Serreebral twelve twenty four,
and that song just took off in a completely different direction,
became an instant holiday hit. This song became the vehicle
for Paul to create this vision that he had, which
was the Transerverian Orchestra, and TSL was born. We did
(04:02):
our first record back in nineteen ninety six, and here
we are thirty years later, and this tour is still
going amazingly well, and I gets bigger every year.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah, And I mean we still played Christmas Eve Sarajevo
twelve twenty four every year here on Mixed ninety nine
point five. And just you said thirty years your ability
to transcend generations, I mean I still remember seeing a
TSO commercial on TV for the first time, being like, wait,
there's a Christmas show with lasers, and then went to
(04:32):
the show last year and then you see kids there
with their parents who are here with their grandparents. I mean,
that has to be just the coolest thing to look
out in the crowd and see.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
All wanted to create something that was for everyone, you know,
for all generations, for all musical likes, you know, you
name it. He wanted to create something that was going
to connect with everybody, and on top of that, something
that was going to be timeless and passed on from
generation to generation. I dare say we've become holiday tradition.
(05:07):
You know. There's so many people that began listen to
us back in the late nineties that have now had
families and they're passing on this music to their kids,
and they're showing up to the shows. And just like
you said, every age group is represented in our show.
And when we first started playing, I mean there was
a little we all come from a hard rock world,
(05:28):
you know, So to look at the audience and just
see this variety of people, you wonder, Wow, what's really
going on here? Is this connecting like Paul said it would,
And the man nailed it. I mean, everything that he
tried to do, he accomplished. And you know, all the
credits to Paul. So we're just we're all very very
(05:49):
thankful to be able to carry on his legacy and
be a part of this, and it's.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So funny to look out in the crowd and you
see these classic rockers right with like the little old
ladies said, with peace and love next to them, both
having the time of their lives.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
The very first show that we played in Philadelphia exactly
what you just said. I looked out in the audience.
There's metal heads out there, there's a black T shirt,
there's families, there's children, there's grandparents, and right in the
front row with this older couple dressed to the knives,
you know. He had a TuS on and she had
(06:23):
this beautiful red dress on and I think they were
there to see an orchestra. And the dry ice is
rolling off the stage right into their lap. And I
turned to my base flayer and I said, we're doomed.
And we got out there and played this show. This
couple loved every moment of it. I gave the man
(06:44):
a high five, and I came off the stage that
night and I was I just realized what this music was.
It was for everyone. And even though my perception was, oh,
these people are not going to like this, or this
is going to be too much of them, it wasn't.
It was just the right amount of everything for everybody,
and that's why we're still doing this today.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
And it is such a fantastic show. Trans Siberian Orchestra
coming to Greensboro on November twentieth. It's an all new
show you have gone on this year, So if you
haven't been to a TSO show, what are some things
you're guaranteed to see? And on the opposite end of that,
with this being a new show, what's something new you've
added that people who've been to shows before can look
(07:27):
forward to.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So if you've seen us before, if you've seen us
multiple times, you know every year we changed to show
up a little bit. There's always some new technology, some
new effects. The production staff, the management staff does a
great job of making the show unique and better every year.
I mean, that's why people keep coming back. If you've
never seen us before, there is a lot of everything
(07:53):
going on in our show. It is really probably one
of the most unique things that you're going to see.
You add in the holiday element to what we do.
There's even if you've never heard a note of TSO
music before, there is so much holiday music, a lot
of these themes. We've did it out of Paul's original songs,
(08:15):
classical music, themes we've did, and out of these songs,
there is something recognizable in this show for everyone. And
I tell everyone, you can watch all the video you want,
but you need to sit in the arena. You need
to feel the heat from the pyro, you need to
get snowed on, you need to have the laser shoot
(08:35):
over your head. It really is just a show that
you have to be in the room to really understand.
And you know, here again, this is why people come
back every year. It's something different every year and people
just love it.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
I couldn't get over the fact two years ago when
you were last year, saw the show first time and
it starts to snow and I'm like, what Hallmark movie
snow globe like Christmas explosion?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Are we in? It was.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
It was mind blowing. So you definitely have to get tickets.
Trans Siberian Orchestra at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex coming up
November twentieth. They're on sale now, mixed ninety nine to
five Triad dot Com and Jeff real quick, I know
I got to let you go, but you guys, give
back a dollar for every ticket is going to an
amazing organization. So thank you for teaming up and really
(09:19):
spreading Christmas joy to so many, both in the arena
and those who need it most.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
It is our pleasure, so we're all very proud of today.
We've donated over twenty one million dollars to charities across
the country, so you know, we we we It's a
simple gesture to help some people out who are in need,
and we're all very very proud to be able to
do that.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
And we are proud of you guys and excited to
see you November twenty. Thank you so much for being on. Jeff,
You've got take care. Thanks bye,
Welcome back to another episode of That's Rad. Hey, it's
Hannah and on today's show talking to Jeff Plate. Now.
He is one of the original members of Trans Siberian Orchestra.
You know Trans Siberian Orchestra. You see them come around
every Christmas time. Maybe you've been to one of their shows,
maybe you've just seen videos on the internet of this
rock show meets Christmas meets Explosion of Senses. It is
(00:24):
so rad They're actually coming to Greensboro November twentieth. Tickets
are on sale now at mixed ninety nine to five
triad dot com. Great interview with Jeff talking all about
how TSO started, where they're going, what the future looks like,
and how they make it snow inside of a venue.
So enjoy this interview with Jeff platform Trans Siberian Orchestra. Jeff,
We do you today? Not bad? How are you? No?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Thanks? You're good? Well good, that's good.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
You taking a little bit of time to breathe and
collect yourself before the tour starts here.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Well, more or less, it seems like every time, every
time the tour days come out, I realize my to
do list is still very long. Now I'm against the
clock and I gotta get up and get her done.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
You got this. I have talken to Jeff Butt from
Trans Siberian Orchestra. Big tour just announced that includes a
stop here in Greensboro on November twentieth. We are excited
to see you again. All right, Jeff, The first question
I have for you as an original member, how did
you come up with the name Trans Siberian Orchestra.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Well, this whole band, this project is the vision of
one Paul O'Neill. Paul O'Neill, New York City man. He
worked in rock and roll promoting shows, worked with Aerosmith,
Ted Nugent, Scorpions, etc. Back in the day. This was
all his vision. He had an idea of incorporating every
(01:49):
kind of musical genre possible into a rock show, but
present it like a Broadway play. So that sounds kind
of complicated and kind of all over the place, a
little nutty, But Fransagra and Orchestra is the product of that.
And Paul actually was in Russia, I believe, and road
(02:13):
the Trans Siberian Railway, and he just kind of made
a connection between how long this trip was and how
many different cultures this railway actually traveled through that it
was amazing how this railway connected all of this together,
and he drew a similarity or an analogy to this
(02:35):
vision that he had, and that the name just seems
appropriate because TSO really is something that kind of covers
all the bases.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
That is so true. Now, how did you become a
part of all of this? Was it just like, hey,
I'm a really good drummer. You auditioned, and here it
is because as an original member, you hear this idea
and you're like, okay, well this sounds a bit interesting.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
So I mentioned Paul O'Neill. He was managing and producing
in writing for a band called Sabotage. He Sabotage was
a hard rock metal band, symptonic metal band out of Tampa, Florida.
Paul began working with them in nineteen eighty six. So
the band went through a number of different changes. A
singer that I used to work with in Boston ended
(03:18):
up becoming the new vocalists for the band. They made
a change in drummer. The original drummer stepped aside, so
I was brought in in nineteen ninety four to join
the band Sabotage. So this is where I met Paul O'Neil.
This is where I met John Oliva, who was one
of Paul's main writing partners. And the following year we
(03:40):
recorded a record called Dead Winter Dead, and in this
record was a song called Christmas Eve Serreebral twelve twenty four,
and that song just took off in a completely different direction,
became an instant holiday hit. This song became the vehicle
for Paul to create this vision that he had, which
was the Transerverian Orchestra, and TSL was born. We did
(04:02):
our first record back in nineteen ninety six, and here
we are thirty years later, and this tour is still
going amazingly well, and I gets bigger every year.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah, And I mean we still played Christmas Eve Sarajevo
twelve twenty four every year here on Mixed ninety nine
point five. And just you said thirty years your ability
to transcend generations, I mean I still remember seeing a
TSO commercial on TV for the first time, being like, wait,
there's a Christmas show with lasers, and then went to
(04:32):
the show last year and then you see kids there
with their parents who are here with their grandparents. I mean,
that has to be just the coolest thing to look
out in the crowd and see.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
All wanted to create something that was for everyone, you know,
for all generations, for all musical likes, you know, you
name it. He wanted to create something that was going
to connect with everybody, and on top of that, something
that was going to be timeless and passed on from
generation to generation. I dare say we've become holiday tradition.
(05:07):
You know. There's so many people that began listen to
us back in the late nineties that have now had
families and they're passing on this music to their kids,
and they're showing up to the shows. And just like
you said, every age group is represented in our show.
And when we first started playing, I mean there was
a little we all come from a hard rock world,
(05:28):
you know, So to look at the audience and just
see this variety of people, you wonder, Wow, what's really
going on here? Is this connecting like Paul said it would,
And the man nailed it. I mean, everything that he
tried to do, he accomplished. And you know, all the
credits to Paul. So we're just we're all very very
(05:49):
thankful to be able to carry on his legacy and
be a part of this, and it's.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So funny to look out in the crowd and you
see these classic rockers right with like the little old
ladies said, with peace and love next to them, both
having the time of their lives.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
The very first show that we played in Philadelphia exactly
what you just said. I looked out in the audience.
There's metal heads out there, there's a black T shirt,
there's families, there's children, there's grandparents, and right in the
front row with this older couple dressed to the knives,
you know. He had a TuS on and she had
(06:23):
this beautiful red dress on and I think they were
there to see an orchestra. And the dry ice is
rolling off the stage right into their lap. And I
turned to my base flayer and I said, we're doomed.
And we got out there and played this show. This
couple loved every moment of it. I gave the man
(06:44):
a high five, and I came off the stage that
night and I was I just realized what this music was.
It was for everyone. And even though my perception was, oh,
these people are not going to like this, or this
is going to be too much of them, it wasn't.
It was just the right amount of everything for everybody,
and that's why we're still doing this today.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
And it is such a fantastic show. Trans Siberian Orchestra
coming to Greensboro on November twentieth. It's an all new
show you have gone on this year, So if you
haven't been to a TSO show, what are some things
you're guaranteed to see? And on the opposite end of that,
with this being a new show, what's something new you've
added that people who've been to shows before can look
(07:27):
forward to.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So if you've seen us before, if you've seen us
multiple times, you know every year we changed to show
up a little bit. There's always some new technology, some
new effects. The production staff, the management staff does a
great job of making the show unique and better every year.
I mean, that's why people keep coming back. If you've
never seen us before, there is a lot of everything
(07:53):
going on in our show. It is really probably one
of the most unique things that you're going to see.
You add in the holiday element to what we do.
There's even if you've never heard a note of TSO
music before, there is so much holiday music, a lot
of these themes. We've did it out of Paul's original songs,
(08:15):
classical music, themes we've did, and out of these songs,
there is something recognizable in this show for everyone. And
I tell everyone, you can watch all the video you want,
but you need to sit in the arena. You need
to feel the heat from the pyro, you need to
get snowed on, you need to have the laser shoot
(08:35):
over your head. It really is just a show that
you have to be in the room to really understand.
And you know, here again, this is why people come
back every year. It's something different every year and people
just love it.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
I couldn't get over the fact two years ago when
you were last year, saw the show first time and
it starts to snow and I'm like, what Hallmark movie
snow globe like Christmas explosion?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Are we in? It was.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
It was mind blowing. So you definitely have to get tickets.
Trans Siberian Orchestra at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex coming up
November twentieth. They're on sale now, mixed ninety nine to
five Triad dot Com and Jeff real quick, I know
I got to let you go, but you guys, give
back a dollar for every ticket is going to an
amazing organization. So thank you for teaming up and really
(09:19):
spreading Christmas joy to so many, both in the arena
and those who need it most.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
It is our pleasure, so we're all very proud of today.
We've donated over twenty one million dollars to charities across
the country, so you know, we we we It's a
simple gesture to help some people out who are in need,
and we're all very very proud to be able to
do that.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
And we are proud of you guys and excited to
see you November twenty. Thank you so much for being on. Jeff,
You've got take care. Thanks bye,
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