‘We’ll full-on dive into Christmas.’ Violinist kicks off holiday tour at Warnors Theatre

Lindsey Stirling is one of those people who sees nothing wrong with playing Christmas music the day after Halloween.

Michael Bublé is a classic and one of her favorites, as is Mannheim Steamroller, a band she had to see in concert.

“I was probably the only person under 50 in the audience,” Stirling says.

She considers herself a fan.

Stirling is talking Christmas music because Christmas is her favorite time of year and because for each of the last three years the electronic pop music violinist has put together a holiday concert tour.

This year’s Warmer in Winter tour kicks off Tuesday night at Warnors Theatre in downtown Fresno.

If you’re going in expecting Stirling’s usual mix of choreographed violin performance, you won’t be let down, she says, but you might leave confused.

“It’s not kind of a Christmas show,” she says.

“We’ll full-on dive into Christmas.”

That’s everything from the choreography and costuming – which she describes as bouncy and whimsically pastel – to the song choice. She will play a song or two from catalog – because the fans want to hear them – but mostly it is ”Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and ”Let It Snow” and “Angels We Have Heard on High.”

That song marks a particularly spiritual moment in the middle of the set, Stirling says, and tends to be her favorite of the night.

Stirling just got off a tour in support of her latest album, “Artemis,” a concept album with its own comic book. She will pick up the tour again next summer.

Touring and putting on shows has always been the dream, Stirling says. So, she’s involved in the entire process, from creating set lists and helping with choreography to sketching out costume ideas, though she’s quick to note there’s a talented costumer who makes the ideas come to life. Stirling has even been known to edit the videos that get shown on screen during the concert.s

“I love the creative process,” she says. “That is where my brain thrives.”

This story was originally published November 18, 2019 at 10:21 AM.