Funny how one show can change your perception...

[Samsara]

A few people have given detailed accounts of Dream Theater's San Francisco show, so I'll spare you another show review. But I do have something to add about this gig that is very personal to me.

The show reignited my interest in Dream Theater.

For the last decade, DT slowly dropped from my second all time favorite band (circa 1996-1999) to out of the top-10. I've been openly critical of DT's direction, as I felt (and still do to an extent) that from 1999 onward, DT focused more on its musicality then on what music works best for the songs. I am also a firm believer that a singer ties music together and needs the freedom to sing, which is something I felt had been lacking.

Well, after being ho-hum on ADToE, last week leading up to the show, I felt it growing on me big time. Not at the level of Awake, I&W or FII, or even SFAM, but the melodies spoke to me. The drama seemed more real rather than forced. The record was more organic...much moreso in comparison with the last decade.

So I get to the SF gig early, there were three or four people lined up. I walked around a bit, checked out the busses, the gear being loaded in, and then headed off to a bar, watched some college football and then some of the Giants game and then got in line.

Great set, center. Prime view.

And when DT came on, the renewed energy got to me. The absolute first thing I noticed was James. It was like I was seeing another singer. His voice was good (to be expected), but he moved around with such authority, he was engaging, energetic, and confident. He's always been a great singer...but I wasn't very high on James as a frontman...in part, because in the past, the guy sitting on the drum stool took every opportunity to talk to the crowd, so James just...sang.

But Saturday night in San Francisco, that changed. That was JAMES' stage. James' crowd to reach, and he did, with humor, power, and energy.

And the band fed off that, and fed off of Mangini's unbridled joy. all MM wanted to do was play drums and have fun, and everyone on stage followed suit. Smiles, confidence, all of it, it just came out in the music.

Well, it turned me a bit. I went into the show curious. Again, while ADToE grew on me, I had been soured the last couple of times I saw DT. I found their set while musically brilliant (as almost always), was really a bit stale and lifeless.

But this was something different entirely. They sounded organic. Things weren't so structured. There was humor, there was energy, there was things that a band that enjoys being with one another and playing shows.

And it hit me pretty hard. I had missed being a fan of Dream Theater.

Bravo on a great opening night guys. While I was still a fan, DT was by far in the rear view mirror for me until Saturday night. After seeing that show, you recaptured an old fan -- who still isn't sold that the musical direction is one I want, but I'm much more interested in being part of the ride again.

Thanks for a wonderful gig. Here's to a successful tour!   

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Amazing. Thanks for sharing. 

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

That's awesome to hear!

[Cranky]

This is great news, buddy!
I get to see them tomorrow, I am hoping that I am going to experience the same as you!!!!

Again, I am very happy for you.. I felt a little bit similar to you since 2000-ish, despite the fact that I love BC&SL.

I'm so excited to see them tomorrow.................. !!!!!!!!!!!

[TAC]

Awesome post Sam, well, except the part about the Giants.....

Welcome back! I tried telling Bosk not to change your room over after you moved out but he did anyway!

[Samsara]

Only the Giants because that was what was on. No worries. The Yanks smacking around the Red Sox is still my primary baseball viewing experience and overall joy. 

Yeah, it was a great gig. Truly was. I would have swapped out a couple of songs for a couple of others, but I think most people feel that way about every show they go to. It was very, very, very cool.

[OsMosis2259]

Awesome post. Except for the part about the giants

[Sigz]

And it hit me pretty hard. I had missed being a fan of Dream Theater.

That's very much how I've been feeling right now. ADTOE's been clicking pretty hard, and it feels great to again be excited about a band that I had once loved so much but been steadily losing interest in over the last few years.

[Jaffa]

This thread makes me happy.

[PetFish]

The absolute first thing I noticed was James. It was like I was seeing another singer. His voice was good (to be expected), but he moved around with such authority, he was engaging, energetic, and confident. He's always been a great singer...but I wasn't very high on James as a frontman...in part, because in the past, the guy sitting on the drum stool took every opportunity to talk to the crowd, so James just...sang.

But Saturday night in San Francisco, that changed. That was JAMES' stage. James' crowd to reach, and he did, with humor, power, and energy.

That is AWESOME news cuz I feel the same way.  He always just looks like he's bored and walking around looking for a toilet.  So if he's actually being the frontman now, instead of MP (which is a dumb idea in the first place), I'm really looking forward to the show this week.

Good story, too, as I also have been re-energized by ADToE in a way I never thought I would.  I love all DT but it's waned the last few years but now everything just feels good right now.

[Jamesman42]

And it hit me pretty hard. I had missed being a fan of Dream Theater.

That's very much how I've been feeling right now. ADTOE's been clicking pretty hard, and it feels great to again be excited about a band that I had once loved so much but been steadily losing interest in over the last few years.

Nice.

[snowdog]

And it hit me pretty hard. I had missed being a fan of Dream Theater.

That's very much how I've been feeling right now. ADTOE's been clicking pretty hard, and it feels great to again be excited about a band that I had once loved so much but been steadily losing interest in over the last few years.

Yep I'm in the same boat.  And I really want to see them on this tour though they are skipping over Colorado for this leg.  Hopefully they'll come here in 2012 or I might have to fly somewhere to see them.  I haven't really had the desire to fly to see them since the SFAM tour so that is saying something.

[The Silent Cody]

Good to hear that Samsara  

[ariich]

Am really glad your interest in the band has been sparked! But I have to say, I don't know if James' performances have been different between the UK and the US but he's always been very much the frontman here as well. MP would sometimes say the occasional thing to the crowd, but James always did the majority of the talking.

[Jinova]

Good read man, thanks for sharing. Reading remarks like this pumps me up even more for the show next week!

[Samsara]

Am really glad your interest in the band has been sparked! But I have to say, I don't know if James' performances have been different between the UK and the US but he's always been very much the frontman here as well. MP would sometimes say the occasional thing to the crowd, but James always did the majority of the talking.

I don't know, I never saw the band in Europe. This was my 12th time seeing Dream Theater. My first was 1998 opening for Deep Purple at Jones Beach. All I can say is that yeah, while James always did the majority of the talking, he was never as engaged with the crowd as the focal point that tied the band together as he was in San Francisco last weekend.

In the past, Portnoy would always make sure to have the last word, would always interject during the show, would always stand up and guide the crowd and do his little showman bit (which was cool at times, but near the end, was just too much, particular since he tried to sing so much too, which he shouldn't have).

I always felt that James, while the lead singer, was never the type of force in the band where he carried a crowd. It was always about Mike. It was always Mike being the "spokesman." And then there was his whole thing about standing up and trying to get the audience involved, and then he started to sing more. It just got way overboard IMO.

But James commanded the audience in San Fran for the first time that I have ever personally seen. I'm not just talking about his singing. I'm talking about that interaction with the crowd, the humor, the relaxed vibe he had on stage. It was entirely different than the other 11 DT shows I had been to. It was JAMES' stage. He was the focal point for the crowd's attention and he had no one behind him trying to "lead."

It was refreshing.

And don't take all this as a stab at MP. As a drummer, I love MP. I thank him for all the time and effort he put forth. No one took care of fans the way Mike Portnoy did for Dream Theater. I have never seen that sort of devotion to a fanbase. We're all very lucky Mike Portnoy was as dedicated as he was while with Dream Theater.

But MP was a drummer trying to also be a frontman and it got old. I have always believed that a singer should control the stage and be the focal point for an audience. Saturday night was the first time I had seen it happen in Dream Theater. And the entire band dynamic has changed, IMO, for the better.

[KevShmev]

Along those lines, when watching Beneath the Surface from the SF show on youtube the other night, I couldn't help but notice how Mangini just quietly played his delicate percussion parts in that song without really being obvious about it, and I couldn't help but think that if a song like that had been played three years ago, Portnoy would have been on his feet in the background, taking the bulk of the crowd attention away from the cool vibe going on with JLB and JP at the front of the stage.  I think stuff like that is what JLB meant a while back in Kyo's interview. 

[LudwigVan]

This is the most intriguing DT-related thread I've read in a long time 

[Samsara]

This is the most intriguing DT-related thread I've read in a long time 

You expected anything less?      

[bosk1]

Am really glad your interest in the band has been sparked! But I have to say, I don't know if James' performances have been different between the UK and the US but he's always been very much the frontman here as well. MP would sometimes say the occasional thing to the crowd, but James always did the majority of the talking.

I don't know, I never saw the band in Europe. This was my 12th time seeing Dream Theater. My first was 1998 opening for Deep Purple at Jones Beach. All I can say is that yeah, while James always did the majority of the talking, he was never as engaged with the crowd as the focal point that tied the band together as he was in San Francisco last weekend.

In the past, Portnoy would always make sure to have the last word, would always interject during the show, would always stand up and guide the crowd and do his little showman bit (which was cool at times, but near the end, was just too much, particular since he tried to sing so much too, which he shouldn't have).

I always felt that James, while the lead singer, was never the type of force in the band where he carried a crowd. It was always about Mike. It was always Mike being the "spokesman." And then there was his whole thing about standing up and trying to get the audience involved, and then he started to sing more. It just got way overboard IMO.

But James commanded the audience in San Fran for the first time that I have ever personally seen. I'm not just talking about his singing. I'm talking about that interaction with the crowd, the humor, the relaxed vibe he had on stage. It was entirely different than the other 11 DT shows I had been to. It was JAMES' stage. He was the focal point for the crowd's attention and he had no one behind him trying to "lead."

It was refreshing.

And don't take all this as a stab at MP. As a drummer, I love MP. I thank him for all the time and effort he put forth. No one took care of fans the way Mike Portnoy did for Dream Theater. I have never seen that sort of devotion to a fanbase. We're all very lucky Mike Portnoy was as dedicated as he was while with Dream Theater.

But MP was a drummer trying to also be a frontman and it got old. I have always believed that a singer should control the stage and be the focal point for an audience. Saturday night was the first time I had seen it happen in Dream Theater. And the entire band dynamic has changed, IMO, for the better.

Couldn't agree more.  And as far as the last point, even in a band like Yngwie's where you know people are there for Yngwie and most people don't even know who else is in the band, it just feels weird that the singer isn't the one commanding the stage.

[Cable]

Am really glad your interest in the band has been sparked! But I have to say, I don't know if James' performances have been different between the UK and the US but he's always been very much the frontman here as well. MP would sometimes say the occasional thing to the crowd, but James always did the majority of the talking.

I don't know, I never saw the band in Europe. This was my 12th time seeing Dream Theater. My first was 1998 opening for Deep Purple at Jones Beach. All I can say is that yeah, while James always did the majority of the talking, he was never as engaged with the crowd as the focal point that tied the band together as he was in San Francisco last weekend.

In the past, Portnoy would always make sure to have the last word, would always interject during the show, would always stand up and guide the crowd and do his little showman bit (which was cool at times, but near the end, was just too much, particular since he tried to sing so much too, which he shouldn't have).

I always felt that James, while the lead singer, was never the type of force in the band where he carried a crowd. It was always about Mike. It was always Mike being the "spokesman." And then there was his whole thing about standing up and trying to get the audience involved, and then he started to sing more. It just got way overboard IMO.

But James commanded the audience in San Fran for the first time that I have ever personally seen. I'm not just talking about his singing. I'm talking about that interaction with the crowd, the humor, the relaxed vibe he had on stage. It was entirely different than the other 11 DT shows I had been to. It was JAMES' stage. He was the focal point for the crowd's attention and he had no one behind him trying to "lead."

It was refreshing.

And don't take all this as a stab at MP. As a drummer, I love MP. I thank him for all the time and effort he put forth. No one took care of fans the way Mike Portnoy did for Dream Theater. I have never seen that sort of devotion to a fanbase. We're all very lucky Mike Portnoy was as dedicated as he was while with Dream Theater.

But MP was a drummer trying to also be a frontman and it got old. I have always believed that a singer should control the stage and be the focal point for an audience. Saturday night was the first time I had seen it happen in Dream Theater. And the entire band dynamic has changed, IMO, for the better.

Couldn't agree more.  And as far as the last point, even in a band like Yngwie's where you know people are there for Yngwie and most people don't even know who else is in the band, it just feels weird that the singer isn't the one commanding the stage.

Wonderful to read this, and your original post Samsära. It makes me look more forward to this coming Monday for my turn. And it does feel from the bands public face & interviews, reviews and fans that the band overall is healthier then it has been in years.