I know it's July, but I want you to close your eyes for a moment and think about Christmas. Yes, the holiday season. Think back to your childhood and all the warm, fuzzy feelings that come with it. What kind of holiday music do you hear? Crooners like Sinatra and Dean Martin? Dolly Parton's 'Hard Candy Christmas'? When I close my eyes and think back to my childhood I hear the music of Mannheim Steamroller.

It was my mother who was the music lover in our house. She introduced me to all kinds of music from the Beatles and Barry Manilow to Larry Gatlin and Alabama. She also introduced me to the sounds of a Mannheim Steamroller Christmas. Their first holiday album came out in 1984 and it was unlike anything else we'd heard. It was traditional, yet infused with pop and rock influences. And our house wasn't the only place listening. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums have sold over 31.5 million copies, making them the #1 selling Christmas artist of all time!

Mannheim Steamroller is celebrating the longest-running concert tour in entertainment history with another holiday tour with a stop right here in Cedar Rapids! Mannheim Steamroller's 2023 Christmas tour will play at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse Arena in downtown Cedar Rapids on Wednesday night, December 20th. What an amazing concert to help ring in the holiday season! Tickets go on sale this Friday, July 28th at 10 a.m. at CREventsLive and the Alliant Energy Powerhouse Arena ticket office.

It may be 90 outside this week, but hearing the music of Mannheim Steamroller makes me think that snow is just around the corner! I can't wait to see them again this December!

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