Going into last week's performance by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) at the North Charleston Coliseum, I could claim only one bit of exposure with the band, courtesy of YouTube.

If you haven't seen the famous viral video of the seemingly quiet suburban house that comes alive with light to the tune of TSO's "Wizards in Winter," then you should look it up.

I knew that TSO had a few holiday-themed albums out that sold well, and that the outfit toured each holiday season. I actually felt better going into the show completely in the dark about what I was going to be seeing, as I figured it would spare me from having any preconceived notions about the performance.

After a brief yet dramatic introduction that featured lasers, a chorus and the appearance of a trio of musicians being lowered from the coliseum roof on lighted platforms, the program settled into a sequence that featured the story related in TSO's album "Christmas Eve and Other Stories."

The narrative by cast member Bryan Hicks was punctuated by amped-up versions of traditional Christmas carols. Selections included "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Carol of the Bells," "Joy to the World" and "Jolly Old St. Nicholas," as well as the original composition "This Christmas Day."

The first half of the program was well-received by the near-capacity audience at the coliseum. I thought the story was a bit convoluted and drawn out, but the music was undeniably beautiful and dramatic.

With the first half of the show completed, one of the show's guitarists appeared wearing a Charleston Southern University sweatshirt, which got him some cheers from the crowd.

As he proceeded to introduce the band, which even included some members of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, I noticed several audience members heading for the exits.

Hopefully, they were just taking a restroom break or getting a snack, because the show was only half over. After the introductions, the TSO launched into "Wizards of Winter," that tune I had seen used in the YouTube video.

Part Two of the performance was a 180-degree turn from the first segment. The entire orchestra was still there, only now things more resembled a Yngwie Malmsteen metal concert than a Christmas program.

Various classical pieces were shot up with steroids, courtesy of the wailing guitars and electric violin in the band. The appearance of an opera-singing diva at the back of the coliseum floor was a nice surprise about halfway through the second set, but the real star of the show was the incredible array of lights and pyrotechnics.

Seriously, while the music crossed the line between tasteful and downright cheesy numerous times over the course of the evening, the light show was probably the best I have seen since Pink Floyd at Clemson in 1994.

Lighting rigs rose, fell, swooped and tilted over the stage. Tongues of flame rippled across the stage during some songs, while great balls of fire rose from both the stage behind the performers, as well as a rig at the rear of the coliseum floor. For a grand finale, the violinist and one of the electric guitar players ran to the small stage in the rear of the coliseum, which then blasted off like a rocket ship, raising the pair almost to the building's ceiling while they wildly soloed.

The crowd that attended the show, most of them likely more familiar than I with TSO's material, seemed to be having a ball. The crowd atmosphere during the second set was like that of a rock concert rather than a holiday performance.

Folks were jumping up and down in front of their seats, and more than a few "you rock" finger horns were on display. While I still probably won't rush out and buy a TSO album, and while I still found a large amount of the production hilariously overdone, one has to admit that the show's creators have come up with a high-energy combination of holiday tunes, hair metal rock and stadium rock lighting magic that definitely gets your adrenaline pumping.

Like it or not, Trans-Siberian Orchestra definitely rocks.

Contact Devin Grant at chucktowncritic@yahoo.com