The holidays may still be a few months off, but seasonal staple Mannheim Steamroller wants fans to start thinking Christmas. The contemporary music group has announced plans for its annual Christmas tour, which features daily performances throughout the month of November in Branson, MO. A second touring group will report for duty, starting with a November 13 concert in Gainesville, FL.
Between the bands, the Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller Tour is scheduled to have almost daily performances across the Mid West and East Coast through December 27. So far, the only performance slated for the New Year is a single February 21 concert at the Center for the Performing Arts in Cerritos, CA.
Mannheim Steamroller was co-founded by Chip Davis and Jackson Berkley, who released the New Age-classical album “Fresh Aire” under the Mannheim pseudonym in 1975. Though five “Fresh Aire” albums were released from 1975 to 1983, it wasn’t until Davis released “Mannheim Steamroller Christmas” in 1984 that the group hit its stride.
Mannheim’s contemporary take on traditional holiday songs sparked a loyal following, and spurred the group to record seven additional Christmas albums over the years. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller dominate the holiday touring season, each performing extensive yearly treks to support their Christmas recordings.
Mannheim will follow up the 2007 certified-Platinum “Christmas Song,” with “Christmasville,” scheduled for release on October 7. The group has released a total of eight “Fresh Aire” albums, and dozens of other non-Christmas albums, including three ambience records.
Mannheim Steamroller itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)
| November 1-30 | Branson, MO | Grand Palace |
| November 13 | Gainesville, FL | University of Florida Phillips Center |
| November 14 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Broward Center for the Performing Arts |
| November 15 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Broward Center for the Performing Arts |
| November 16 | Sarasota, FL | Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall |
| November 17 | Lakeland, FL | Youkey Theatre |
| November 19 | Melbourne, FL | King Center for Performing Arts |
| November 20 | Naples, FL | Philharmonic Center for the Arts |
| November 21 | Jacksonville, FL | Times-Union Center for Performing Arts |
| November 22 | Columbus, GA | RiverCenter |
| November 23 | Huntsville, AL | Von Braun Center |
| November 25 | Memphis, TN | Orpheum Theatre |
| November 26 | Louisville, KY | Louisville Palace Theatre |
| November 28 | Atlanta, GA | Fox Theatre |
| November 29 | Greenville, SC | Peace Center Concert Hall |
| November 30 | Charlotte, NC | Blumenthal Performing Arts Center |
| December 1 | Raleigh, NC | Memorial Auditorium |
| December 2-3 | Kansas City, MO | Midland Theatre |
| December 4 | Hershey, PA | Hershey Theatre |
| December 5 | Saint Louis, MO | Fabulous Fox Theatre |
| December 5 | Newark, NJ | New Jersey Performing Arts Center |
| December 6 | Saint Louis, MO | Fabulous Fox Theatre |
| December 6 | Atlantic City, NJ | Harrah’s Casino Hotel |
| December 7 | Lowell, MA | Lowell Memorial Auditorium |
| December 9 | Columbia, MO | Jesse Auditorium |
| December 11 | Baltimore, MD | Lyric Opera House |
| December 12-13 | Des Moines, IA | Civic Center of Greater Des Moines |
| December 12 | New Brunswick, NJ | State Theatre |
| December 13 | Mashantucket, CT | Foxwoods Resort Casino |
| December 16-17 | Pittsburgh, PA | Benedum Center |
| December 16-17 | Wichita, KS | Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center |
| December 18-19 | Detroit, MI | Masonic Temple Theatre |
| December 19-20 | Minneapolis, MN | The Orpheum Theatre |
| December 20-21 | Cleveland, OH | Palace Theatre |
| December 22-23 | Omaha, NE | Orpheum Theater |
| December 23 | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee Theatre |
| December 26-27 | Dallas, TX | Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center |
| December 26-27 | Rosemont, IL | Rosemont Theatre |
| February 21 | Cerritos, CA | Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts |
