What is the best song for Dream Theater to open with?

[moffatt]

What are you thoughts on the best song DT can open with. A song that builds up alot of excitement and epicness. On the main tours for the past like 5 albums the first track has been the opening song, personally I think that works perfectly.

My favourite has to be A Nightmare to Remember, the intro was insane with the curtain. Made it truly epic, had to be on of the highlights of the show for me. The Glass Prison comes a close second though.

[ResultsMayVary]

I think As I Am is one of their best openers. You can't get much better than that intro! 

[Nic35]

The Glass Prison. There is no better opener in this world.

[Jamesman42]

The Glass Prison. There is no better opener in this world.

I was thinking this, but ANTR was pretty fantastic.

And maybe it's just me (yes), but it'd be cool if they opened with Hell's Kitchen, with the ambient intro and all.

[King Postwhore]

You not me.

In all seriousness all that have been said are great openers.

[MykeHavoc]

I think Metropolis has the best build. It works as a perfect opener or closer.

[cyberdrummer]

I really liked The Root of All Evil as an opener.

[TAC]

Everytime I listen to LSFNY and hear Regression, I always think..man, this is the perfect way to start a live album.

[Dream Team]

I think Metropolis has the best build. It works as a perfect opener or closer.

They opened with Metropolis at my first ever show in Worcester in 04 and I couldn't believe my luck; fantastic way to open and get the crowd pumped.

[BRGM]

Sprach urtsul...u know, the Intro on Chaos in motion..and then Directly into ITPOE!...That was the most awesomething ever! They'll never, NEVER!!! be able to make a concert opener as good again.

Got a little dissapointed to se ethat the DVD had Constant motion as first track...I'm very lucky they didn't do that in sweden

[ShadowWalker]

Under A Glass Moon would get my nod as the best song they could open with...

[Drakkhim]

The Glass Prison hands down.

[Mladen]

A Nightmare to remember. Such an epic opener. 

[Darkes7]

On the concerts I've been to, the openers were...
June 2007: Overture 1928/Strange Deja Vu
June 2009: In The Presence of Enemies Pt. 1
September 2009 (PN09): A Nightmare to Remember

I think Overture 1928 was the most awesome of them all, I still remember that - the intro from tape, and then MP appears... Simply amazing. ITPOE1 was very surprising and was quite nice as well, although maybe the least powerful of all three for me. ANTR - the definition of "epic".

If I had to choose something else, the ideas I get are Pull Me Under, The Glass Prison, The Root of All Evil and Constant Motion. I think TGP would be my favourite (although this may also be affected by the fact that the only song from Six Degrees I've heard live this far was Solitary Shell ).

[hefdaddy42]

The Glass Prison has got to be on the short list, along with ITPOE Pt. 1.

[EPICVIEW]

As I Am is a good one for sure..

[Global Laziness]

The Glass Prison, for sure.

On the topic of Dream Theater's concert openers, I've never understood why they used to start shows (in and around the Awake tour-era, IIRC) with Under a Glass Moon. I mean, sure, JP's solo is fantastic, but to me it doesn't really have the same feel of energy that an opener should.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

6:00 is the only logical choice

That would be epic beyond epic

[YtseJamittaja]

The Root of All Evil is so badass opener!!!

ANTR is epic one too!

[Zydar]

The Root of All Evil

[pianoman]

The first time I ever heard Dream Theater, was when I bought the Score Dvd. TROAE defines an epic opener. I still get excited every time I pop that dvd in there! DT really knows how to open a concert!

[Global Laziness]

The first time I ever heard Dream Theater, was when I bought the Score Dvd.

Awesome introduction!

[lateralus88]

The Root of All Evil. Seriously, that opening riff. So powah.

[robwebster]

I remember really looking forward to my first DT concert, and then hearing that ominous bellow, with the Octavarium balls swinging away on the screen at the back...

I got chills. All over. 'Specially my penis. Since then I've seen Constant Motion, In the Presence of Enemies pt. 1, and A Nightmare to Remember as openers, and ANTR was the closest they've come - which is nowhere near.

"DUGGADUGGADUG, BADUG BADUG" chills you to the bone. It's the most exciting thing I've ever experienced at any gig, DT or no. And I've seen Muse open with Knights of Cydonia. The Root of All Evil wins this by light years.

A Clockwork Orange was a damn fine intro tape, too.

[Global Laziness]

Well-written description, but seriously, penis chills? That just sounds horrendously uncomfortable.

[robwebster]

Hey, what can I say? My Octavarium-balls were swinging away at the back, what else would you expect?

[Global Laziness]

Hey, what can I say? My Octavarium-balls were swinging away at the back, what else would you expect?

Oh no, don't get me wrong, my balls swing like that when I see Dream Theater live, too. But even so, if you're getting penis chills you may want to get yourself checked.

[Zeltar]

The Glass Prison because of how absolutely relentless it is. It kicks your ass and just doesn't stop.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

The Root of All Evil. Seriously, that opening riff. So powah.

the problem I have with this or TGP opening is that it doesn't really start for a while after the intro stuff.

6:00, on the other hand, hits you with that drum fill and keeps going.

Now THATS an opener

[BRGM]

naaah, I must agree that TROA is an awesome opener, but I must say that the worst opener they've ever used for a concert must be Constant Motion

[orcus116]

A Fortune In Lies. I don't care how obscure it might be, that intro is bombastic as hell.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

A Fortune In Lies. I don't care how obscure it might be, that intro is bombastic as hell.

That would be cool too

[Jamesman42]

A Fortune In Lies. I don't care how obscure it might be, that intro is bombastic as hell.

Geez, I had to listen to hear the intro on it, shows how much I like WDADU.

But holy crap you're right. That would be amazing.

[cyberdrummer]

I think the reason I prefer TROAE is that it was the first ever DT song I saw live in 2005. The whole video and lighting sequence they set up was pretty awesome.

[juice]

It's between A Nightmare to Remember and The Glass Prison but either way there would be much  to be passed around.