HOLIDAYS | Mannheim Steamroller

By TREVOR LEWIS

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Mannheim Steamroller's first Christmas album — simply "Manheim Steamroller Christmas" — released in 1984, is certified 6x platinum, and the band became a Christmas music giant in the process, ranking right up there with Trans-Siberian Orchestra, though with a vastly different style. Mannheim is much more chilled out, with a classical-heavy approach with some rock elements thrown in. You don't have to listen to any of its Christmas albums very long to realize they are different beasts than the usual stuff. The group's synthesizer-heavy version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," — my personal favorite — sounds like something off a prog-rock-classical crossover album. And with more than 15 Christmas albums to its name, Mannheim will keep you guessing with the set list.

Mannheim Steamroller performs on Wednesday, December 17, at the Auditorium Theatre, 885 East Main Street. 7:30 p.m. $35-$70. rbtl.org; mannheimsteamroller.com.