Moriah Formica's MVP Arena stop with Trans-Siberian Orchestra was long time coming
ALBANY - It's not every day you get to see a local singer perform with an internationally touring rock orchestra.
At 25 years old, Moriah Formica has already completed three West Coast tours with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, known for its dazzling light shows, pyrotechnics and metal-infused Christmas music. But the group's Dec. 17 show at the MVP Arena was the first time the Latham native has performed with TSO on her home turf, earning her a special shout-out from guitarist and founding member Chris Caffery.
"It's an honor to be able to perform with these amazing musicians and humans and to help carry on the legacy of the amazing Paul O'Neill," Moriah Formica said in an emailed statement, mentioning TSO's founder.
Formica's mother, Donna Formica, recalled taking her and her siblings to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra when they were young.
"She was so captivated by the guitars," she said. "Who knew she'd be playing with them one day?"
Before the show, the family got dinner at Albany Stadium Restaurant & Bar at the arena. Not far from the table was a poster with Formica on it, featuring the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's tour dates.
It was a full circle moment watching Formica's dreams come into fruition, Donna Formica said, recalling how Formica would practice Trans-Siberian Orchestra's famous guitar riff in "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" as a child.
"In her mind, she would've loved to (play with TSO)," she said. "She thought it was unattainable. She didn't seek it out - it found her."
Music has always been a part of Formica's life. Growing up, she enjoyed listening to rock bands like Aerosmith, Evanescence and Korn - a musical taste she credits to her father, Josh Formica. At age 6, she received her first guitar and taught herself to play by ear, which surprised her family.
"We don't have a musical bone in our bodies," Formica's brother, Gabriel Formica, said with a laugh.
After singing Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" at a family graduation party, Formica started voice lessons with Modern Day Music School in Clifton Park. At age 16, she auditioned for "The Voice" and made it to the top 20. While attending Shaker High School, she also started her first band, No Pressure.
"She captivates you with her presence, and it just draws you in," Donna Formica said. "More than talent, she has that thing where you just want to see more, just want to hear more."
Formica continued to perform around the Capital Region after graduating from Shaker High School, but her professional start didn't come until 2020. While the world - and her livelihood - was shut down due to the pandemic, Formica began recording covers of songs on her YouTube channel, including a cover of Heart's "Barracuda," which caught the attention of several record labels.
Formica had a rather unusual response to the signing offers, Gabriel Formica recalled.
"She was like, 'That's great, but I've always dreamed of starting a band,'" he said. But her record label, Pavement Entertainment, agreed to wait to sign Formica until she formed her band, and the rest was history.
In 2021, the all-female rock band Plush was born, with Formica as the frontwoman. The group's first single, "Hate," ranked No. 24 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock National Airplay and stayed in the top 40 for more than 20 weeks. In 2026, Plush will release its second studio album. To date, Plush has toured with several big names in the world of rock, including Alice in Chains, Evanescence, KISS, Halestorm and Slash.
The pandemic-time videos also caught the attention of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and the group encouraged her to audition, Donna Formica said. With Plush fully established, Formica accepted TSO's invitation to audition. The group had reached out to her a second time, about a year after the initial offer.
For Moriah Formica, the local show with TSO was a dream come true.
"I've performed countless times in Albany and even co-headlined the (then) TU Center with Madison Vandenburg, who was on 'American Idol' that year," Moriah Formica said of the duo's 2019 concert. "But, to be able to perform there with my TSO family was surreal."
In the audience on Wednesday, in addition to her family, were many other people from Formica's journey, including elementary school friends, members of her first band, as well as friends and teachers from high school and Modern Day Music School.
"It was so exciting to see her in her hometown with all the people that supported her throughout her journey in the music industry," Donna Formica said.
This article originally published at Moriah Formica's MVP Arena stop with Trans-Siberian Orchestra was long time coming .
