Mannheim Steamroller is a Christmas music machine. And that well-oiled machine is currently on its 35th-annual holiday tour, which, according to a press release, makes it the “longest running consecutive tour in the entertainment industry.”
The project first came together in the mid-’70s when composer Chip Davis needed an alias under which to release his synth-driven, Classical-esque New Age instrumental music (Davis also needed a record label, so he formed American Gramaphone, which would piggyback the Steamroller’s success to become a huge indie imprint).
After the popular Fresh Aire series of releases, Mannheim Steamroller’s first holiday album came out in the mid-’80s; along with the nearly dozen Christmas LPs since, the collections have sold tens of millions of copies, making Mannheim one of the best-selling holiday acts of all time.
In honor of its 35th anniversary, this year’s tour will spotlight material from the classic 1984 Mannheim Steamroller Christmas album.
7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 26. $38.75-$78.75. Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Downtown, cincinnatiarts.org
