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I love Christmas.

Seriously. I love Christmas.

Not for what it is, or (more appropriately) for what it has become, but for what it means. I’ll leave that interpretation to you, Dear Constant Reader, for that belongs best in your judgment.

What I hate about the season is the hype — and all of the early Christmas trimmings: the advertising, the sales, the commercialism — you know the drill.

So, tonight, my bride and I attended the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert at the Q.

I had a blast.

Mind you, I haven’t been to a rock concert in over 20 years. My reaction? Well, they haven’t changed much in 20 years, have they? OK, the lighting is much better, the music is still loud, and the acoustics still don’t match a nice outing at Severance Hall. There’s less smoke, that’s for sure. And the lighters? Forget it: use your cell phones! Cool…

So be it.

OK, OK… my ears are still ringing, alright? Satisfied now? But I expected that.

Not being as familiar with the band’s music as my bride is, I found myself a little bored during the latter half of the first set: the music was unfamiliar, the story line was unclear, and I was distracted by some physical discomfort created by some leftovers for dinner. Sorry, but it’s true.

That, and a tasty GLBC Dortmunder Gold was working its charm on my bladder, if you know what I mean.

All that aside, I sat and listened intently. The musicians were totally competent (as you would expect), and the presentation (as far as the audience could tell) was flawless. I couldn’t help but pay attention, anyway, and I’m glad I did.

What I heard amazed me: each and every song (well, at least in the first half) had a message: the season, the day, the hour — all of it — is about the Man, the Person, and His big idea to bring peace to the planet, to bring people together regardless of race, color, creed, religion, politics — everything.

The intermission brought TSO’s lead singer out in an Indians jersey to address the crowd. He immediately stripped off the jersey to reveal a Cavaliers jersey, to many cheers. Then he removed the Cavs jersey to reveal not a Browns jersey, but a Buckeyes jersey, to the crowd’s — and my — roaring approval. After about three rounds of the obligatory “O-H! — I-O!“, he settled into his intermission talk and band introductions.

Of all the tunes that I know TSO for, I loved “Carol of the Bells” the best, along with “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24″ and “Wizards in Winter,” the tune made famous mostly because of that guy near Cincinnati that did his house to the tune… you remember, don’t you?

OK… whatever…

Anyway, they did the one tune that always gets to me, although they did it without the children. I like the Christmas Canon Rock better with the children, as for some reason it renders a more personal, more innocent flavor to what I consider probably the capital thought — and prayer — of the season:

This night
We pray
Our lives
Will show

This dream
He had
Each child
Still knows

We are
Waiting
We have
Not forgotten

On this night
On this night
On this night
On this very Christmas night

I think that says it all, don’t you?