Mannheim Steamroller Reviews

Michele Miller from Grand Rapids, Michigan

NOT A CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE

The first thing I noticed was how dull the stage was. The musicians just wondered out, no pizazz. The music was a mix of songs in the beginning with old videos that were poor quality on top of being weird. The musicians were talented but really left me feeling underwhelmed. Not a show I would ever pay to see again.

Joel Levee from Knoxville, Tennessee

STEAM ROLLED LAST NIGHT IN KNOXVILLE

Was really disappointed in the forums play list. Probably only played five major Christmas classic songs. The majority were songs that were played back in the 1500s with a harpsichord and flute. Or the music with written by the shows producer Chip Davis. A real disappointment.

Tricia from Detroit, Michigan

2ND HALF?

So show started out Christmasy and I know original album was 1985 but did the videos still need to be 1985 and not even HD? Second half was terrible with Castle reenactment scenes really weird and off and not Christmasy at all and you didn’t even hear the great music because I have no idea what the heck that was about and was most of the second half of the show about 4 songs! Literally popped out of our seats grateful it was over.

Phil from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

THE MUSIC WAS NICE, THE VIDEOS THEY PLAY WITH THEM ARE TERRIBLE

Manheim Steamroller is an acquired taste. It reminds me of Christmas radio as a kid, but is admittedly very cheeseball. At the 2022 show in OKC, the performers did a great job, but whoever does their videos is AWFUL. Decades old In VHS/Super 8 quality, the stage videos are bizarre and off-putting, nearly ruining the show with their confusing inclusions. Random sea gulls, Soul train camera effects, clip art time lapse, solar flare footage that looks like it's from a 1980's PBS special...even seasonally appropriate stuff if done with CGI so ancient as to be laughable. Nearly every video is of such TERRIBLE quality that I felt genuine embarrassment for the band. I was embarrassed just to be in the AUDIENCE. And I get your friend recently passed who wrote and sang the 1970's truck driver song "Convoy" but did you really have to play the song in it's entirety as a tribute?! Such a bizarre choices in a Christmas performance. This show needs retooled or retired, whichever comes first.

Melissa F. from Colorado Springs, CO

HORRIBLE VIDEOS, FELT BAD FOR MUSICIANS

Like all the other reviews have opined on the show would have been 10x better if they had just cut the video entirely. The videos are old, VCR or worse quality from the 70s or 80s, containing images of dolphins, weird space images, and at times culturaL appropriation. I felt bad because the musicians are clearly talented but the pairing with the visuals was truly awful and detracted from the music. Also the “tribute” to the creator was poorly timed after an actually nice rendition of O Holy Night. To go from that nice piece to banjo twanging and a weird compilation of old videos about the founding of Mannheim Steamroller was really jarring. The only songs I liked were the ones a bit more scaled back where you can actually hear the violin and oboe soloists, instead of overly synthesized big 70s band sound. I hope they hire a visual arts consultant to get rid of that because it was truly terrible. I was not a fan of the non-Christmas music. I would save your money.

James from Wilmington, Delaware

UNDERWHELMING

We were disappointed and left wanting after seeing Mannheim Steamroller at the Grand in Wilmington, Delaware. For those who are expecting a TSO type performance, is was not a close comparison. The quality of the the music was good in a low key type fashion, but the visuals in terms of musician performance and the video backdrops were downright poor. Was expecting much more.

Rapidsrider from Grand Rapids, Michigan

MOST DISAPPOINTING

We saw/heard this show in Grand Rapids, MI, leaving at intermission. We were most disappointed. The musicians appeared bored and did not engage with the audience on any level, We found the music artificial, plastic, and "pretend." We have heard Mannheim Steamroller before and have several recordings, but this was just painful to observe and hear. The only bit of relief was the University of Michigan Men's Chorus (we think) which was wonderful, but too brief.

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