When was your fandom the biggest for DT? (2 years or less)

[KevShmev]

In other words, when would you say your fandom for the band was at its height? 

I am saying let's keep the answer to 2 years or less to avoid someone giving a cop-out answer like, "Since I became a fan in 1997," or something like that.

For me, I would say from the summer of 1998-the spring of 2000. In that timespan, I got the 5 Years in a Livetime VHS, both LTE albums (which I know aren't DT, but it sounded like instrumental DT to me and made me listen to the band that much more) and Scenes from a Memory, not to mention seeing the band twice in the spring of 2000 on the Metropolis: 2000 tour.  I swear, during that two-year stretch, DT (and LTE by extension) probably occupied my CD player probably 95% of the time.  And it was during that timespan where I even wondered if they would someday replace Rush as my number 1 band (they never did, but they came as close as any band ever has).  Oh, and it was no surprise that it was near the end of the timespan when I sought an online DT forum, found dt.net and joined.

[Scorpion]

I'd probably say that it was the highest from... 2010 to 2012? Yeah, that fits. Now, I enjoy a DT song if it comes on on shuffle, but I rarely put DT on. Just burnt out, I guess. Though I will come back to them for LALP and DT12.

[Zydar]

I became a fan in 2007, and I think it reached its peak in 2009 around the release of BC&SL - since it was my first new release by them. So that makes it 2007-2009.

[Mindflux]

2 years is too narrow a range.  I started listening in late 2002 and really didn't stop playing them REAL regularly until BC&SL came out.  Since then they've been low on my music queue.

If I had to narrow it down I'd say the height was around 2005-2007 when 8VM/SC were newer/the latest.. I drove to Dallas to see them and came back for the Austin show too even though it was nearly identical.    I was deeply wounded I did not get to see the Octavarium tour since they only came around with Gigantour around that time and I had no interest in seeing most of those bands.

[Mindflux]

doh dupe

[wasteland]

I don't know, maybe 2011-2013? Still on the rise 

[Mebert78]

I'd say 2010-12.  I'm a big fan of Kevin Moore's work, but I did not get into Dream Theater until about 1995, and he had already left the band.  I also didn't care for Mike Portnoy's occasional criticisms of Kevin Moore through the years and that held back my fandom, so when Portnoy left I felt myself fully embrace DT in a way I hadn't before.  And Mangini's amazing personality totally pulled me in and made me an even bigger fan.  I saw DT five times of the ADOTE tour.

[?]

I'd say my fandom started to reach its peak in late 2009: at that point I had all their albums and I was listening to them a lot. I even liked SC back then! Don't know how I'd limit the length of that period - in the past year or two I've discovered so much new music that I don't listen to DT as much anymore and I've also become more critical of some albums. Maybe 2009-2011 is the right answer?

[Glass Moonlight]

Having only been into DT since last year, I would say it was at it's highest when I discovered most of their catalog. After getting into other music after months of just DT mainly it started to fade off, but I still listen to them much.

[JayOctavarium]

2010 - 2012. I was a big fan starting like in '07... saw DT for the first time in '09... and the obsession became even really freaking deep from the begining of '10 till ADTOE came out. Now it's calmed down back to the leves it was at at the end of 09... but I can feel it building up again for Luna Park / DT12.

[robwebster]

2005-2006. Octavarium was the first new album release I anticipated, and it not only surpassed but completely exceeded my expectations. Plus, I was a teenager, so it hit me at just the right time to be obsessive. Giddy heights.

[Podaar]

I'd have to say 2000 through 2002.

Although, to be honest, prior to and after this run wouldn't be far behind. In my case a better question would be, "What two year period since 1993 is the lowest point of your fandom?" To which I can easily answer 2007 through 2008.

[IdoSC]

I would say 2009-2011, 2009-2010 even. I got to know the band at 2008 and I completely fell in love by 2009, but SC and BCSL really disappointed me once I let them sink in. The thing that kept me hopeful for their 11th studio album was the sudden appearance of awesome songs, mostly in the vocal department, appearing in the BCSL tour, and I hate to say that - but MP's department kinda made me hope that an invevitable change will come.

So basically, 2009-2010 felt more like a rollercoaster as a fan, then 2011-2013 are a little more calm

[eric42434224]

1994-1995

[King Postwhore]

So tough to say but I'll go around 1999 to 2001

[Cool Chris]

Maybe 2003-2004. I was a casual fan 1992-1999 but around 1999-2001 went through some life changes, which included a lesser interest in music. I also had a lingering sour taste in my mouth from FII. I didn't follow DT news, so bought SFaM and SDoiT at the same time, recalling how great I thought I&W and Awake were. They have another new keyboard, I see.

Anyway, I was blown away by the awesomeness of SFaM and the first disc of SDoiT. The band I enjoyed int he mid 90s were back, and with more cans oh whupp-ass. I revisited their old stuff, got a couple DVDs, saw them live, and they became my favorite band.

[Onno]

Two years ago - now.

[MoraWintersoul]

I can't decide between fandom beginning (early 2009) - MP split: this marked the end of my fandom because it hit me pretty hard, and then again, as I didn't like ADTOE, as everyone knows by now; and beginning of 2012 - now. I think my highest highs might have been experienced when reconnecting with the band, but that's because music was the high point of my life back then, and now not even music can be as exciting (yeah heading to the depressed thread first thing in the morning I guess).

It's funny, I've been a fan for a relatively short period of time, but even as I was getting into DT, I was relatively critical of their later albums (my friends sometimes jokingly ask me whether I even like DT because I'm always like "I don't like this album" and "this song is the worst thing ever" when we talk); I can say the last album I very sincerely enjoy came out ten years ago, and yet I am having so much fun following DT because they are... fun to follow, I guess! And the fandom is just great. Most of the time, when there's a band member leaving, or some polarizing albums, or some albums you didn't like but others did, the fanbase of said band just tends to alienate me and I don't feel comfortable with it; here we can joke, but respectfully, about not liking certain albums, and no one's gonna nail you to the cross for saying you don't like "Bridges In The Sky" and everyone's accepted MM well which I really like etc... I know it's not like that on every forum, or with every fan I know, but it's astounding how the community here is so variant and how good everyone goes along, despite that. It just gives me a feeling of belonging and DTF's been a great part of me "keeping" DT in my heart once I "found" them again.

Here's to 2012 and onwards!

Oh and it would be cool if the next album were something I could love with all my heart please and thank you but no biggie if it isn't, it's not about that with me and DT anymore. They've earned their credit for many years to come with me.

[Elite]

Summer 2008 - late 2009.

They were once my most played band by far. Now they're not even close.

[GasparXR]

Honestly I think the last two years, starting when ADTOE was awaiting release. I'm so glued into always listening to the albums and watching live performances. I'm just as excited about LALP as I am for DT12, and I've never felt that way about any artist before.

[DebraKadabra]

Two years ago - now.

Yeah, I agree.

[wolfking]

About 2002 to 2004.

[Bolsters]

I started listening to the band around 2002, but not in a big way, far from it infact. I'd say my fandom was peaked during 2006-2007.

[Pols Voice]

2002-2003, I guess.

[The King in Crimson]

2007? Back when SC came out and I was first getting into them.

I burned out pretty quick, didn't listen to them much for about a year and then went back and got into them again also around the same time I got into PT and a bit before BC&SL came out, which is when I burned out on them again.

Nowadays I have too much music to listen to so I can't rightly burn out on... anything anymore. 

[j]

2008-2010.  First listened to DT in 2008.

-J

[TheGreatPretender]

Umm, well that depends on the definition. Personally, I think a true fan has to have a certain knowledge of the material they're a fan of. So in that case, I would say right now, I'm more of a DT fan than I've ever been, because I'm constantly collecting more of their music, more video footage, etc.

But as to when I was the most enthusiastic about them, that would have to be in late 2009 through 2010, when I was first discovering most of their stuff. Hearing and reading about albums like 6 Degrees, ToT, Awake, etc. it was so legendary to finally obtain them and listen to them one by one. It was really a year of amazing discovery for me. And then all the Live albums, and concert DVDs, and seeing them perform Metropolis and just seeing them live for the first time myself... 

[OsMosis2259]

2005-2007
Right after Octavarium was released, I started getting into the band to the point where I didn't listen to anything else

[BlobVanDam]

I guess I'd say 2005-2007.

Octavarium was the first DT album where I was around to anticipate the release, and follow all of the updates and hear the snippets etc, and then I started getting a few bootlegs, and that's when I joined the forums and was making a lot of DT related gifs and photoshops. Then I did the same for SC too.

I think my "fandom" pretty much continued to grow from when I discovered the band in 2003 until about 2010/2011 when I kind of stopped listening to DT much at all.

[Ruba]

2010-2012, I think. But I listen to them still from time to time, yesterday I listened to most of WDADU.

[wkiml]

92-94  Images and Words and Awake were released...but honestly they have always been a top 5 band for me and I consider myself a big fan..

[Lolzeez]

2007-2009
Thanks BC&SL. 

[wasteland]

2007-2009
Thanks BC&SL. 

You were a fan at 9?

[Lolzeez]

2007-2009
Thanks BC&SL. 

You were a fan at 9?

Yes. I was a fan at 8 too.

[Perpetual Change]

2004-2006.

I started by buying Awake, and then Train of Thought. Then I bought the LiT/5YIALT set which just had come out on DVD, and I loved it. Subsequently, I got Images and Words, Scenes, and most of the other albums.

Score came out the summer I was getting ready to leave for college. I enjoyed it, but once I got to college I definitely branched out into other genres, and forgot about DT for awhile.