How did you get into DT?

[chknptpie]

Probably 10 years ago, a friends boyfriend played me some DT and I wasn't very interested. Gah am I beating myself up now! 2 months ago my boyfriend wanted to introduce me to DT and decided to with Scenes. He was explaining the story as the songs went along. By Fatal Tragedy I had to have the entire discography. Now I'm trying to catch up on information, nuggets, inside jokes you all have/know about the band ect. It's a difficult task!

[cfbtoo]

Well, I got introduced to Dream Theater earlier this year via my 20-year-old son who first heard of them via Guitar Hero and Rock Band.   I really liked "Pull Me Under," and my son handed me his CD of "Images and Words" to listen to and I was hooked big-time.  As I spend a lot of time driving daily, I have been listening almost non-stop to DT ever since -- IaW; 6DOIT; Octivarium; SFAM; SC; and now BC/SL.  I love how virtuosic they are in their abilities and the complexity of their music (I grew up mostly with classical music - so I'm a late bloomer, I guess, but it gives me real appreciation of Dream Theater's talent.)

[Stutus_Seeker]

well some back story here, i am a guitarist as well as one of my best friends, and at the time i was really into all the virtuoso guitarists like Satch, Vai, and Malmsteen, but not much else unfortunately, my good friends said "hey you should check out Dream Theater" he went on to explain that the John Petrucci guy i saw in all the G3 videos was in this band so i decided to check it out, he played me The Glass Prison, and well i got hooked and now i am the bigger DT fan in my group of friends 

[vetuaki]

Back in 2004 (or was it 1995?), the singer of the band that used to rehearse before mine told us of DT (we didn't know about them at that time). However, it wasn't until a night when we went out together and ended up in a heavy pub that I first listened to a DT song. Specifically, it was Pull me Under or Take The Time (I'd say it was the former). I was so impressed that the day after I looked for the album where that song appeared (I&W) and got it. The week after I bought Awake.

[ich bin besser]

A friend lent me I&W soon after it came out. I got hooked. Been seeing them live since 93, then.
He's not a fan anymore... But listens to music that attracts girls. 

 

[grendel]

heard their names in a class
then images and words
no click
images and words again
click
 
wow ! it was a strong click too !

[Nic35]

heard their names in a class
then images and words
no click
images and words again
click
 
wow ! it was a strong click too !

[black_biff_stadler]

MP contacted me about a forming a supergroup in the late 90s and the whole project went better than expected plus things weren't clicking on all cylinders with Derek so here I am.

[austin]

MP contacted me about a forming a supergroup in the late 90s and the whole project went better than expected plus things weren't clicking on all cylinders with Derek so here I am.

[LordCaptainMcKlockenstein]

I used to work with a guy who was a pretty big prog fan back in '07 and he'd play Rush, Tool, and DT ALL THE TIME. Seriously all the time. Thankfully, that was when I really started to appreciate Rush (aside from just knowing their radio hits) and really got into them when I heard 2112 the first time. As for DT and Tool, I just tuned them out most of the time. Then I heard two songs; "Octavarium" and "The Root of All Evil." I really liked them, so I d/l'd their discography and thought I'd give them a try. I still couldn't get into them until I heard "The Glass Prison." That was the song that made me really like DT.

Since then, I've managed to pick up most of their CD's and I haven't looked back.

I still don't care for Tool though.

[black_biff_stadler]

I still don't care for Tool though.

Don't worry. Most people don't any more either.

[RandalGraves]

How did I get into DT?

Well, I started with alcohol.  Some people are insanely confident or sexy or just have "mad skillz" and don't need it, but fuck it, I'm no Sean Connery.  Alcohol's always a good starter.  Anyway, I introduced myself and offered to buy 'em a round of drinks.  They were game as they're generally very courteous towards their fans.  Mike declined but I wasn't too worried as he is a fucking animal.  I figured my best bet was to go switch off between Petrucci and Portnoy.  Mike, being the energy generator that he is, was already on the dance floor.  That gave me some one on one time with Petrucci.  I asked if he'd been working out ( ).  He smiled and while I think he knew I was being coy, told me about his workout regime.  I went on to tell him what an inspiration he is to bodybuilders everywhere.  I had him blushing at this point.  A good sign, if you ask me.  I didn't want to overplay my hand though, so I took a moment to go dance with Mike.

I'm not gonna lie, the dance floor was packed!  I had a few drinks in me at this point so I was definitely feelin' the bass groove.  Mike was going crazy, slamming down his beloved Rock Juice like there was no tomorrow.  I engaged him in witty conversation.

Randal: Jesus man, why don't you slow down?
Mike: Are you kidding me?  I love this shit!  I LOVE IT!
Randal: Fine, suit yourself.  Just to forewarn you, you're not the only one getting worked up.

I lifted my eyebrow ever so slightly.

Mike: Awww shit!

We dance for about 20 minutes.  I didn't come on too strong though.  The night's young and I'm just warming up.  I decided to go request a song from the DJ.  I was surprised to discover that the turntable booth was empty.  There were tons of cables leading from the club's sound system back to the tables.  I followed them, momentarily distracted from my conquest, to find that cables ran into a keyboard, sitting in front of none other than Jordan Rudess.

Randal: Holy shit!  You're playing all the club music?
Jordan: Damn, why you act so surprised?  Aint none of these mutha fuckas goin' tell the difference.  Shit.
Randal: Fuck me . . .
Jordan: All in due time little fan, all in due time.

Jordan's a pimp, so that came as no surprise.  I decided to bump this party up a notch with ecstasy.  Soon sounds were pouring all over Mike and I.  I took off his shirt.  He didn't mind.  I soon felt John's muscles enter the dance floor.  He had a few glow sticks.  They looked like toothpicks in his hands.  Sweat pulsed from our bodies.  The drinks were getting to me so I headed towards the bathroom.

The bathroom was surprisingly empty.  I looked in the mirror.

Randal: You can do this Randal.

That's when I heard it.  Sobbing.  I peered under the stalls but didn't see anyone.  I slowly pushed the doors open, one by one.  Finally, I arrived at the last stall.  The door creaked open slowly and I saw Myung, sitting on the toilet, sobbing.  He began to open his mouth.  I place my finger on his lips.

Randal: Shhhhhhh.  No words.

We started making out.  I whispered sweet somethings into his ear.  Finally, I led him out of his porcelain prison and back out onto the dance floor.  Time stood still.  I looked over at Jordan and he was staring back at me.  He nodded his head.  I turned to Mike and Petrucci and they too, glistening like gods, gave me the look of seduction.  I turned to Myung and he turned his gaze towards the rear entrance.  This was going to happen.

We went out the back and found a large ditch, and at the center of it James and his trusty shovel.

James: Well, okay, I've dug the hole now and I think it's aboot time to use it, alright?

It started to rain.  The clothes came off.  Mudd and sweat and saliva cover the whole place.  There weren't 6 people in that ditch that night.  Just a mass of flesh and blood.  It was the most erotic night of my life.



. . . that's how I got into DT.

[Phantasmatron]

After that admirable performance, we now need an emoticon that combines:




and

[The Letter M]

I wish I could narrow it down to a certain album or song or moment in my life, but I can only narrow it down to a certain time-frame - Winter 2003-2004. Around that time, I was getting serious in to collecting/acquiring music, mostly prog and prog-related stuff. Rush was always a big favorite of mine through high school and my early years in college, so in late 2003, I began buying their albums, and somehow found the connection to Dream Theater somewhere along the way.

I think reading about their older albums having a Rush-like sound intrigued me so I sought out their first 5 studio albums plus ACOS. After hearing those albums, plus SDOIT and TOT, I was pretty much sold, although I believe I heard TOT first before much of their material up to that album. It was probably awkward hearing their heaviest album first, then going back to everything else, but I stuck it through and now (and since), they're my 2nd favorite band!

-Marc.

[fsh3702]

that's about 6 years ago at one sunny afternoon, and i just finished my <awake> download,


after i listened to 6:00 for only 10 seconds, i realized that's going to be a day of milestone in my life.

then i gleaned all the related stuff concerning DT as earnestly as possible.

[Raiden]

well i heard constant motion and panic attack in rockband, hated both of the songs at first, then after a while i really started to like both songs a lot. after a while i started listening to all of their songs and they are currently my second favorite band behind metallica.

[Silver Tears]

When I was 10/11 my brother told me to listen to SDOIT. I fell asleep to it every night for about two months 

[Birch Boy]

Rock Band 2 

[Algo Fonix]

Listened to some 6DOIT, thought it was alright but nothing special.  Heard As I Am before tagging along with some friends to see them live back in 2004, thought it was pretty good.  Saw them doing their thing, before closing with ACOS (it's damn shame I'd never heard the song before) and became a fan almost instantly.  I spent the better part of the next year scooping up all their studio albums and downloading what bootlegs and whatnot I could manage on dial-up. 

Yeeeah.  I regret nothing.

[Super Dude]

Rock Band 2 

Wow, that's amazing.  I didn't realize you were that recent of a fan, or that DT had garnered that much attention from being in the game.

[Birch Boy]

Rock Band 2 

Wow, that's amazing.  I didn't realize you were that recent of a fan, or that DT had garnered that much attention from being in the game.

Yep, I heard "Panic Attack" and was like  and then I was like  and then I was like and got their stuff and then was like  when I saw them live.

[BlobVanDam]

Rock Band 2 

I know some people may scoff at the idea of DT fans coming from Rock Band and Guitar Hero, but I think it's great how many new fans DT has made through these games

[rkd11]

Many years ago, some people in the acting group I was in did a mime piece to (I didn't know it at the time) Wait for Sleep. I thought "that was a pretty cool song", and promptly forgot about it for 3 years or so. Then I started playing drums and I kept seeing stuff about some guy called Mike Portnoy on all these drum sites. I looked into it and the rest is history

[austin]

Many years ago, some people in the acting group I was in did a mime piece to (I didn't know it at the time) Wait for Sleep. I thought "that was a pretty cool song", and promptly forgot about it for 3 years or so. Then I started playing drums and I kept seeing stuff about some guy called Mike Portnoy on all these drum sites. I looked into it and the rest is history

Nice! Welcome to the boards bro 

[Plasmastrike]

That's pretty cool, rkd. Welcome to the community.

[Nic35]

Rock Band 2 

Wow, that's amazing.  I didn't realize you were that recent of a fan, or that DT had garnered that much attention from being in the game.

Yep, I heard "Panic Attack" and was like  and then I was like  and then I was like and got their stuff and then was like  when I saw them live.

That's the best story I've ever heard. 

[Gadough]

I was heavily into Opeth a year or two ago (still am, actually) and everyone kept telling me if I liked Opeth that much I should check out DT. So I searched for Pull Me Under on Youtube, loved it immediately, and started sampling all the other albums. They've since overtaken Opeth as my favorite band.

[Birch Boy]

Rock Band 2  

Wow, that's amazing.  I didn't realize you were that recent of a fan, or that DT had garnered that much attention from being in the game.

Yep, I heard "Panic Attack" and was like   and then I was like   and then I was like and got their stuff and then was like   when I saw them live.

That's the best story I've ever heard.  

[rkd11]

That's pretty cool, rkd. Welcome to the community.

Thanks!

[Birch Boy]

That's pretty cool, rkd. Welcome to the community.

Thanks!

I as well welcome you too the magical place that is DTF 

[Perpetual Change]

People kept bitching about how great DT were on GameFAQs Metal 5-6 years ago so I promptly went out and got Awake, didn't think much of it, and then bought Images & Words, Live In Tokyo/Once in a Livetime & Train of Thought and immediately fell in love.

[Dark Master Of Sin]

Dad, he heard PMU on the radio the same year I was born, he's been a fan since, I grew up listening to them, so in turn, I eventually became a fan. 


It did, however, take me 14 years to realize how awesome they are.

[contest_sanity]

How did I get into DT?

Well, I started with alcohol.  Some people are insanely confident or sexy or just have "mad skillz" and don't need it, but fuck it, I'm no Sean Connery.  Alcohol's always a good starter.  Anyway, I introduced myself and offered to buy 'em a round of drinks.  They were game as they're generally very courteous towards their fans.  Mike declined but I wasn't too worried as he is a fucking animal.  I figured my best bet was to go switch off between Petrucci and Portnoy.  Mike, being the energy generator that he is, was already on the dance floor.  That gave me some one on one time with Petrucci.  I asked if he'd been working out ( ).  He smiled and while I think he knew I was being coy, told me about his workout regime.  I went on to tell him what an inspiration he is to bodybuilders everywhere.  I had him blushing at this point.  A good sign, if you ask me.  I didn't want to overplay my hand though, so I took a moment to go dance with Mike.

I'm not gonna lie, the dance floor was packed!  I had a few drinks in me at this point so I was definitely feelin' the bass groove.  Mike was going crazy, slamming down his beloved Rock Juice like there was no tomorrow.  I engaged him in witty conversation.

Randal: Jesus man, why don't you slow down?
Mike: Are you kidding me?  I love this shit!  I LOVE IT!
Randal: Fine, suit yourself.  Just to forewarn you, you're not the only one getting worked up.

I lifted my eyebrow ever so slightly.

Mike: Awww shit!

We dance for about 20 minutes.  I didn't come on too strong though.  The night's young and I'm just warming up.  I decided to go request a song from the DJ.  I was surprised to discover that the turntable booth was empty.  There were tons of cables leading from the club's sound system back to the tables.  I followed them, momentarily distracted from my conquest, to find that cables ran into a keyboard, sitting in front of none other than Jordan Rudess.

Randal: Holy shit!  You're playing all the club music?
Jordan: Damn, why you act so surprised?  Aint none of these mutha fuckas goin' tell the difference.  Shit.
Randal: Fuck me . . .
Jordan: All in due time little fan, all in due time.

Jordan's a pimp, so that came as no surprise.  I decided to bump this party up a notch with ecstasy.  Soon sounds were pouring all over Mike and I.  I took off his shirt.  He didn't mind.  I soon felt John's muscles enter the dance floor.  He had a few glow sticks.  They looked like toothpicks in his hands.  Sweat pulsed from our bodies.  The drinks were getting to me so I headed towards the bathroom.

The bathroom was surprisingly empty.  I looked in the mirror.

Randal: You can do this Randal.

That's when I heard it.  Sobbing.  I peered under the stalls but didn't see anyone.  I slowly pushed the doors open, one by one.  Finally, I arrived at the last stall.  The door creaked open slowly and I saw Myung, sitting on the toilet, sobbing.  He began to open his mouth.  I place my finger on his lips.

Randal: Shhhhhhh.  No words.

We started making out.  I whispered sweet somethings into his ear.  Finally, I led him out of his porcelain prison and back out onto the dance floor.  Time stood still.  I looked over at Jordan and he was staring back at me.  He nodded his head.  I turned to Mike and Petrucci and they too, glistening like gods, gave me the look of seduction.  I turned to Myung and he turned his gaze towards the rear entrance.  This was going to happen.

We went out the back and found a large ditch, and at the center of it James and his trusty shovel.

James: Well, okay, I've dug the hole now and I think it's aboot time to use it, alright?

It started to rain.  The clothes came off.  Mudd and sweat and saliva cover the whole place.  There weren't 6 people in that ditch that night.  Just a mass of flesh and blood.  It was the most erotic night of my life.



. . . that's how I got into DT.

Pics please, or it didn't happen.

[RandalGraves]

Pics please, or it didn't happen.

Sure, I was able to get a few shots in.

[Zydar]